When it comes to comic book movies, it is hard for anyone to match up to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This is even tough for established properties, like those in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Despite having characters as popular as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, people seem to love to bash the films.
However, there are more problems than just those seen on the big screen. There is now a split fanbase, with different fans wanting different things, and Warner Bros. cannot really make everyone happy. What resulted is what seems like a broken franchise, but not everything about the DCEU is bad.
10 Failed - Severed Fan Base
The worst thing that the DCEU did was to lose confidence in Zack Snyder and make changes on the fly, removing him from the game completely. This caused an unexpected fracturing of the DCEU fanbase. There were critics of the first two DCEU movies that hated the movies' grim and dark tone, saying they betrayed the characters.
However, when the DCEU changed course, the Snyder Cut fans arose, and it seems they were loud enough to get that version of Justice League made. Now, two distinct fanbases want different types of DC movies, which has hurt the franchise as a whole.
9 Succeeded - Took Chances
While there are those DC fans who want their movies to be dark and brooding, the franchise needs something for everyone, and DC has taken some big chances since it launched with Man of Steel and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Some of these failed, like the supervillain team-up movie Suicide Squad, but others were major successes, like Shazam!, which was a critical darling and made over $360 million at the box office.
8 Failed - Darkened Superman
While the Snyder Cut fans loved the early movie, there was almost universal disdain for Man of Steel and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice came out. The biggest complaints came with the portrayal of Superman. Most DC fans at the time of the movie's release complained that this was not Superman, neither the optimism of Christopher Reeve or the pure and true character from the comics. Zack Snyder turned Superman into a moping emo superhero, and many longtime fans rebelled.
7 Succeeded - Created Perfect Wonder Woman
While the DCEU disappointed many fans when it came to Superman moping around all depressed and Batman believing killing was okay, the franchise ended up creating a perfect Wonder Woman. This is mostly thanks to her solo movie and not the appearance in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Director Patty Jenkins took Diana's character and gave her the wide-eyed innocence of her upbringing and put her into a horribly ugly world. The movie then allowed her to shine on the world and make everyone around her better. Gal Gadot is perfect as Wonder Woman.
6 Failed - Justice League Production
The worst thing that the DCEU did was put Justice League into the hands of Joss Whedon to finish. This was not fair to Zack Snyder, who had his distinctive vision of the DCEU, and it wasn't fair to Whedon, who had to finish a movie with orders to make changes. What resulted was an uneven movie with bits of Snyder's vision and bits of Whedon's optimistic outlook for the characters, and nothing felt cohesive. This change in directors is what severed the DCEU fanbase. The Snyder Cut of Justice League will make one set of fans happy.
5 Succeeded - Making Changes On The Run
While not all the changes were great, the DCEU has to be commended for making changes on the run. After the mess made in Justice League, the DCEU knew that it needed to make some wholesale changes. With Aquaman, it went lighter and barely connected it to the previous DCEU movies at all. With Shazam!, it went with a more family-friendly feel and added comedic touches. Now, The Suicide Squad will try to fix the first movie's problems as the DCEU rolls on.
4 Failed - Batman V. Superman
People point to Justice League as the movie that broke the DCEU. However, no matter how much some fans will argue its merits, the failure of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is where the dam began to crack. Many vocal fans were already upset with the dark, brooding Superman. BVS made it worse.
In this movie, the DCEU made Batman a killer, a man who wanted to murder Superman just because of what could happen in the future. These characters were not the ones from the comics. It also hurt that the movie was bloated and would have been better served as two movies, with Doomsday saved for the next one.
3 Succeeded - Bringing In Great Directors
There is one area where the DCEU thrives. It brings in some big-name directors for the movies. While there are fans who didn't like Zack Snyder, the guy had some big success stories in his past, including Watchmen and the Dawn of the Dead remake. Patty Jenkins really worked wonders with Wonder Woman. James Wan (Aquaman) was one of the top low budget horror directors working. Now James Gunn has joined up, another huge hire.
2 Failed - Started Backwards In World Building
Probably the worst decision that the DCEU made was working backward when it came to world-building. It seemed like it wanted to become the next MCU but then did everything wrong. The MCU slowly built up Iron Man and then introduced Captain America and Thor in their origin stories. Hulk had his own movie, and only then did the MCU team them up in Avengers. The DCEU brought in Superman and Batman, had Wonder Woman make a small appearance, and then threw them together for a massive Justice League adventure. It never felt organic at all.
1 Succeeded - Looking To The Future
The best thing that the DCEU has done is look to the future, which is a brand-new key to its success. In The Flash, the DCEU is bringing in the Flashpoint storyline. While some fans might think it is too soon for this, the fact that everything is fractured and broken means it is the perfect time to pull the trigger. With The Flash, the DCEU can clean things up, create a new multiverse where all sorts of stories can be told, and finally create something for everyone. It just took them seven years to get to this point.
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