Warner Bros. Discovery’s MCU-style plan for the DCEU isn’t going to work
While presenting its second quarter 2022 earnings report, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) – the recently merged entertainment company – plans to build a Marvel Cinematic Universe-style franchise for its own superhero film series. That is, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), which will then undergo a significant reboot.
Wait, has Warner Bros. not already tried this? Yes, with a Zack Snyder-led film lineup before the studio shelved those plans in favor of a multiverse-esque, disconnected project approach. That blueprint has been relatively successful, but now Warner Bros. and Discovery have joined forces, it’s a model that will instead be cast aside for an MCU-esque franchise.
Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson’s claim that the “hierarchy of power in the DCEU is about to change” is suddenly taking on greater meaning — but this may not be what the Hollywood A-lister had in mind when he originally came up with that phrase.
How so? As Warner Bros.’s latest cinematic universe plan. Discovery isn’t going to work — and that’s because of the numerous development projects and turnkey productions on the current list.
I don’t want them following the MCU. I want them to make their own formula. ff. More creative free projects like The Batman and The Suicide Squad that don’t necessarily have to be tied to an interconnected universe pic.twitter.com/ttQ3R20ZAYAugust 4, 2022
Currently, there are four DCEU films set to hit theaters between October 2022 and June 2023: Black Adam, Shazam!: Fury of the Gods, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and The Flash. Those movies set a release date, but, as Warner Bros. Discover CEO David Zaslav explained during the the company’s latest earnings report (opens in new tab): “We’re not going to release a movie until it’s ready”.
Does that mean the quartet could see their release dates change again? And, in the case of The Flash, could it be shelved altogether? There has been a lot of negative press surrounding the film lately, with numerous accusations against lead actor Ezra Miller. Warner Bros. Discovery has shown it’s not afraid to drop projects that are almost ready for release – the shocking cancellation of the Batgirl movie earlier this week is proof of that. Those involved with The Flash may then be concerned about a similar fate.
Which leads us to the broader picture around the DCEU’s legacy content – namely, where, or even ifthey fit into the new blueprint of the Warner Bros. DC movie and TV show. Discovery.
Characters like Shazam, The Flash, and Aquaman already exist in the DCEU, so what does that mean for them in WBD’s new plan? Will Zachary Levi, Ezra Miller and Jason Momoa – the main protagonists of these franchises – be kept, or will WBD re-cast them as it reboots its superhero movie universe?
What about Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman or Henry Cavill’s Superman? The first would get a third solo outing, while Cavill has consistently expressed his desire to reprise his role as the Man of Steel, despite not appearing in a DC movie since 2017’s Justice League. That is, if you exclude Zack Snyder’s Justice League cut, which landed on HBO Max in March 2021.
Will WBD keep these actors in their current roles and use their star power to reboot the shared cinematic universe? Or, like Levi, Momoa and Miller, do you wipe the slate clean and cast new actors in these roles?
If Warner Bros. Discovery goes the first route, it risks confusing viewers when, for example, a new Wonder Woman movie comes out. Audiences may think a third Gal Gadot movie is set in the DCEU, when in reality it could be set in WBD’s rebooted DC movie universe. This has happened before with a DC movie, with the cast and crew of The Suicide Squad struggling to clarify whether the 2021 film was a reboot of, or a sequel to, the eponymous Suicide Squad released in 2016.
That’s a problem that extends to other DCEU properties as well. The Batman by Matt Reeves is completely unrelated to other DCEU productions; the latest Batman film series that exists in its own pocket universe. A sequel was green-lit by Warner Bros. before the merger with Discovery, while two spin-off projects — one starring Colin Farrell’s Penguin and the other described as a horror-esque Arkham Asylum series — are currently in the works.
How does WBD’s mini-universe of The Batman work in its reformed and interconnected film series? Will it merge with the new DC movie universe, or will The Batman-Verse continue to exist in a separate timeline? If it’s the latter, WBD won’t be able to bring the Dark Knight into its new cinematic universe – like the Wonder Woman conundrum, having two Batman characters in different movie franchises would confuse audiences.
Pick the first option, though, and Reeves’ overarching plan for The Batman-Verse would have to undergo some major tweaks to squeeze it into WBD’s new DC movie and TV series lineup. That may not sit well with Reeves and his company, though, especially when Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker-focused film series is allowed to exist in its own universe.
A sequel to the duo’s award-winning 2018 film is coming in October 2024, so it’s clear that WBD is happy with some DC properties alongside the rebooted DC movie universe. But again, won’t this make the water muddy? If WBD wants people to buy into its shiny new cinematic superhero universe, wouldn’t it be best if all of his productions were connected?
And what about those current DCEU shows that exist on HBO Max, other streamers, or broadcast TV channels? Well, WBD doesn’t have to worry about The CW’s Arrowverse – that franchise ends next year when The Flash’s final season airs.
But other projects are in the works. A second season of the John Cena starring Peacemaker is on the way, and showrunner James Gunn claims he’s safe from the chopping block (opens in new tab). Green Lantern and Justice League Dark also reportedly received TV adaptations before Warner Bros.’s merger with Discovery, while there are plenty of animated series – including Harley Quinn – that may or may not continue beyond their current airing seasons.
Warner Bros. Discovery may think it has a brilliant plan to rework the DCEU – even if it’s one that seems to replicate the success of Marvel Studios’ cinematic juggernaut. However, WBD has some big questions it needs to answer before it can even think of moving forward with its 10-year blueprint for an MCU-esque franchise. If you don’t answer any of these effectively, the latest cinematic reboot will crash before it even leaves the garage.
Check out our ranking of all DC superhero movies to date for more DCEU-based content.