DC's Film Trinity Should Be Wonder Woman, Supergirl & Batgirl

With Henry Cavill potentially out as Superman, the DC cinematic universe -- referred to unofficially by fandom these days as "Worlds of DC" -- has never been more ripe for a refresh. But what will that new universe actually look like on-screen, and who among DC's pantheon of heroes would lead the charge?

In the immediate wake left as the Cavill rumor rippled across the Internet, fans and pundits were quick to speculate about alternative actors to play the Man of Steel. Paramount among these was the rumor that Warner Bros.' has been courting Michael B. Jordan to play Superman, though he's most likely being looked at to portray another version, such as Val-Zod of Earth 2. What came just as quickly, however, were the calls from fans not to diverge into new areas of exploration, but rather for DC to redouble its focus on the only element that has consistently worked within its modern films: putting women in the driver's seat.

Superman has long been called, among many other things, the "Man of Tomorrow," but perhaps to fill the large gap left by his most recent actor's alleged absence, what's needed is instead a Woman of Tomorrow... or multiple women. Luckily, DC already has some proven players who are ready, willing and able to step up and make sure that its future on-screen is indeed female, and thus, successful.

Of the five films that have been released since the birth of what once was known as the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) -- starting in 2013 with Man of Steel -- only one has truly been both critically praised and commercially successful across the board: Wonder Woman.

While many detractors once thought it impossible for a female-led superhero film to be successful, 2017's Wonder Woman has become the one shining example of what actually works, and what audiences will pay to see on the big screen. It helps, of course, that Warner Bros. and DC committed to a strong, dynamic, even historic character such as Wonder Woman with an equally powerful and noteworthy cast and crew, including star Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins.

With a hotly-anticipated sequel scheduled to hit theaters on Nov. 1, 2019, Wonder Woman's proof of concept should tell DC something -- that, as CBR just recently opined, perhaps DC's cinematic universe doesn't need a Superman, or even a male-led superteam at all!

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While Batman, Superman and the mostly-male Justice League have floundered critically and relatively commercially at the box office, Wonder Woman brought home a big win in both categories. Of course, she isn't the only super-woman out there who has been successful on-screen. Now going into its fourth season, The CW's Supergirl, starring Melissa Benoist as the titular Girl of Steel, has garnered a dedicated fanbase and a proven audience.

It's no surprise, then, that DC has already begun developing a Supergirl film, reportedly written by Oren Uziel (22 Jump Street). Perhaps Cavill's departure from the Superman role offers not an opportunity to hire someone new for that particular role, but to replace the character on-screen with one who is already beloved by a vast audience hungry for more. Of course, there is another superhero family who could benefit from a similar move.

Rumors have been swirling of Ben Affleck's exit from the Batman role ever since the #SadAffleck affair (wherein Ben Affleck seemed downright forlorn during a routine interview for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice). Speculation about his departure only grew more rampant as he stepped down as director for the solo Batman film and the future of the project itself was put into question. While the Dark Knight's chances of coming to the screen grew ever dimmer, however, DC instead began doubling-down on news around its rumored Batgirl project.

Around the time of Comic-Con International in San Diego, Bumblebee writer Christina Hodson was tapped to pen the Batgirl movie, and DC expressed interest in a "Kristen Stewart type" to play Batgirl. Meanwhile, other actors, such as The Walking Dead's Katelyn Nacon, have independently expressed interest in the role. While the film remains largely rumored, with no other team or stars attached, it is clear that both fandom and Hollywood are interested seeing another kind of Dark Knight hit the screen. But along with Wonder Woman and Supergirl, could Batgirl truly be the cure for what ails the DC movie universe?

In a word: Yes. As we mentioned above, both Wonder Woman and Supergirl are proven concepts, and Batgirl -- in any of her incarnations -- has similarly become a popular character across multiple forms of media. As such, allowing this trinity of characters to drive a shared universe forward is no longer a gamble or a risk, it's just good business. Their male counterparts -- even when combined -- have failed to attain any true measure of success for DC. It's long past time for Superman and Batman to step aside, and let the women get their deserved time in the spotlight.