The time period from Justice League to Aquaman will prove to be pivotal for the future of DC films. There have been management changes, director changes, and we may very well see some major actor changes. The performance of the previous slate of DC films, unofficially called the DCEU, did not go exactly as planned. Wonder Woman was a mega-hit (beating even the likes of Marvel's Civil War in the U.S.). Suicide Squad also performed very well at the box office. Batman v Superman made a lot of money, but really should have made substantially more considering it was the first ever theatrical film to feature DC's top three characters. The real issue was how the films were received, both critically and by some fans.
There was a sense something had gone awry when off-screen news prior to the release of Justice League started coming in. What was once supposed to be a two-part story became one, there were extensive re-shoots, and the people involved in the movie did not seem to be keen on promoting it. Changes were sure to come and they did. The DCEU as we knew it was finished. At the most recent San Diego Comic-Con, many noticed that there seemed to be a new title for DC films -- Worlds Of DC. This could be a very real signal that there will be a new direction at DC. Let's take a look at the ways DC films may be better, or how they could go the other way!
15 BETTER: WONDER WOMAN MAIN STAR
It was clear towards the latter part of the DCEU that the character who had become the biggest star for DC films was Wonder Woman. A combination of her movie being the only one which was both a financial as well as a critical hit, and a female superhero finally getting the spotlight, catapulted her to the top of the DC film roster.
She is now clearly the DC character which the general audience feels most enthusiastic about on-screen. After decades of Superman and Batman getting the movie limelight, it is refreshing to see someone else carry the mantle for DC moving forward. Very few would have predicted this turn of events when she was first announced for Batman v Superman.
14 BETTER: MORE SOLO/ORIGIN MOVIES
The majority of movies in the DCEU were not origin stories, which was a unique way to build a movie universe. This may not have been much of an issue had the movies been better received, but there was a feeling that there wasn't an opportunity to get to really know the characters.
With Aquaman and Shazam! kicking off the new phase of movies, a more linear approach is now being pursued. This will give the audience a better opportunity to really connect with the characters. This is not a guaranteed method for success, as Green Lantern showed, but it is a chance for somewhat of a clean slate for DC films.
13 BETTER: BAT-UNIVERSE EXPANDING
With the announcement that there will be a Birds of Prey movie, it looks like there will be more of an exploration of the different characters that inhabit Gotham City. And this may not be the only movie which would introduce other "Bat-characters," as a Batgirl movie has also been rumored to be forthcoming.
What might be the most intriguing aspect, apart from getting the first female team movie, is that it does not look like Batman will be a part of this. Seeing how other characters handle Gotham without the Dark Knight being present will be very interesting and offer something fresh.
12 BETTER: LESSER KNOWN CHARACTERS
One of the ways "Worlds of DC" seems to be moving forward is by not relying heavily on its top characters such as Batman and Superman. This is in sharp contrast to the DCEU, where even the trailers for Suicide Squad featured Batman. Many fans have complained that DC does not seem to express much confidence in its less popular characters.
The shift seems to be underway with Shazam! and a movie starring the Birds of Prey. Other than a passing reference to Superman, the Shazam! trailer's focus was solely on the main character and not showing other popular characters to get people talking. This should come as a relief to fans who have been clamoring for other superheroes to get some spotlight.
11 BETTER:PLANNING
In The Dark Knight, Joker famously remarks, "Do I really look like a guy with a plan?" -- and some fans are of the opinion that this was pretty much the approach of Warner Bros. from Man of Steel onwards. Upcoming movies were totally altered according to the reception of prior ones, some trailers bore little resemblance to the final product, and at one point Warner Bros. announced a total of over 10 movies (most of which have been dropped).
At this past Comic-Con, there were no announcements of several future movies and no attempt at making headlines. The focus was on what will be made, not trying to impress with a slate of potential films. It does look like things are more stable now and a road-map has been established.
10 BETTER: MORE LIGHTHEARTED AND FUN
For some, the words "lighthearted" and "fun" elicit a very negative reaction, as they believe this is symbolic of films that are childish. Some of this belief can be traced back to the Nolan trilogy, which a section of fans think is the only format that takes characters seriously. However, as Wonder Woman showed, you can have fun while watching a superhero film and it does not necessarily mean that the characters won't be portrayed well or that there isn't a compelling narrative.
As the trailers for Shazam! and Aquaman seem to indicate, future DC mainstream movies will follow the Wonder Woman template, as opposed to the constant grimness of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman.
9 BETTER: A LOT LESS SUPERMAN
Some fans have been dismayed at the lack of news regarding a potential sequel to Man of Steel; there just seems to be no solo Superman movie on the horizon. However, there have been two origin Superman movies in just the past dozen years, and four movies involving him during the same time period. All of them have under-performed financially. In fact, Superman has not had a big hit movie since Superman 2 all the way back in 1980.
This may be a case of the character just not resonating with audiences as he once did (his comic book sales are also average). It might be best to give The Last Son of Krypton a cinematic break.
8 BETTER: LESS SNYDER
Zack Snyder has been a very influential figure for DC films since Man of Steel -- directing, casting, and writing for several films. The results have been very mixed, most have praised the casting but the movies have been very divisive and have not been as successful at the box office as they should have been.
Whatever the reasons are, it has become clear that his vision did not connect with the audience. The culmination was him being essentially replaced during the shooting of Justice League. Although he will still be one of the producers for Wonder Woman 1984, his influence will be greatly diminished and it does seem like a change was needed.
7 BETTER: FEWER ALIEN INVASIONS
The DCEU started with General Zod in Man of Steel coming from another planet to try to take over Earth, and ended with a similar story of Steppenwolf trying to make Earth fall in Justice League. It was getting a bit repetitive. Heck, even Suicide Squad had the villain trying to cause worldwide damage (although she was not an alien).
The generic "world is in peril and the superhero(es) must save it" story-line doesn't look like it will be as prominent going forward. Wonder Woman 84 has a human villain in Cheetah, the Birds of Prey movie and Joker will have Gotham as the focus. Aquaman will also have a unique underwater threat, rather than one from the skies.
6 BETTER: MORE RISK-TAKING
With so many comic book movies having been released over the past decade, it is imperative to try something different to stand out. With a Joker solo movie, an all-female team-up Birds of Prey film, and a not well-known character like Shazam also getting his own film, it appears the next wave of DC films will attempt riskier projects in terms of box office possibilities.
The upside to this added risk is that there is an opportunity to tell stories that DC fans have yet to see on film. It will be very interesting to see if this approach pays off, or if it can open up even more unique projects down the line.
5 WORSE: DIMINISHED UNIVERSE
There are many reports that, going forward, DC films will largely be stand-alone features, which will mostly be devoid of other superheroes showing up or being referenced. For some, this will be taken as good news, considering that they found the cameos by other characters to be distractions in movies like Batman v Superman. However, if you take out cameos in that movie or in Suicide Squad, it would not alter the quality of the films.
One of the appeals of comic book movies is the escapism they offer, and seeing other superheroes show up even if for a brief moment is one of those things that can bring out the inner child in people and can be cool to see.
4 WORSE: JOKER OVERLOAD
With the announcement that there will be a solo Joker film, and the certainty that he will be in some future Batman film, it looks like audiences will be seeing a lot of the Clown Prince of Crime in the near future. There may even be two different actors portraying him, as there has been no announcement of Jared Leto leaving.
He is arguably the most popular comic book villain, but this looks like a case of "too much of a good thing." The Joker does seem like a character who is more effective in smaller doses while maintaining a certain mystery about him. Even in The Dark Knight, the main villain arc belongs to Two-Face, though Joker undoubtedly had the biggest impact.
3 WORSE: ACTOR CHANGES
There have been many criticisms of the DCEU, but largely the performance of the actors involved was not a major issue. Although initially there was plenty of early skepticism surrounding some casting choices -- especially Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot -- once the movies released, the consensus was that the actors had done justice to their roles. Even the negative reaction to Jesse Eisenberg and Jared Leto was less about how those characters were portrayed.
A reboot of Batman on film may mean that new actors would take over the roles of Batman, Alfred, and Commissioner Gordon. It does feel like the actors involved did not get a chance to shine in a fully-formed Batman movie.
2 WORSE: END OF JUSTICE LEAGUE
There is no doubt that 2017's Justice League under-performed both financially and critically. Not only that, but what was once supposed to be a two-part film was cut to one prior to release and major re-shoots were an indication that Warner Bros. was not enthusiastic about the film. There are no indications of the team being seen on film anytime soon, which is understandable given what transpired.
Still, it is sad for fans that DC's premier team no longer seems to be a possibility in terms of cinema. Part of the fun of comic book films is "event movies" -- and having DC's main heroes together should have ideally been more than a one-time occurrence.
1 WORSE: NO LEGION OF DOOM
For all the troubles and mixed reception of Justice League, the one aspect of the film that had many people excited and interested was the post-credits scene of Lex Luthor saying that they needed a team of their own, i.e. The Legion of Doom. The possibility of having a team of villains going up against a superhero team was unique and intriguing.
However, as with the concept of the Justice League, a Legion of Doom team-up does not appear to be on the horizon either. It would have been incredibly ambitious and groundbreaking to see this potential battle between the two groups, but instead it is possibly another casualty of the DCEU.