What killed the DC Extended Universe? James Gunn, the filmmaker who was given the task of relaunching this shared universe in cinema, points out the excessive fragmentation of the projects. An accentuated problem with separate films, belonging to another timeline.
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU), modeled on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), will end. More precisely, what ends here is the “Snyderverse” arc, named after the American filmmaker Zack Snyder, who kicked off this cinematic saga with Man of Steel (2013). Ten years later, this page turns.
The last film belonging to this shared universe — Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom — comes out in theaters on December 20. It follows three projects released in 2023: a little-known superhero, Blue Beetleand two unfortunately failed projects: Shazam! The Rage of the Gods And The Flash. It remains to be seen whether Aquaman 2 will manage to close the Snyderverse on a positive note.
A difficult DCEU universe to follow
Much has already been said about the failure of the DC Extended Universe. One opinion, however, stands out: that of director James Gunn. And for good reason: it was to him that we entrusted the immense, herculean task of relaunching the DCEU with a new arc (the Gunnverse?). On the social network Threads, the filmmaker shared some thoughts on December 15.
“ One of the problems with DCEU content in the past was that there was no real consistency within the universe itself “, he said. This shared universe, which includes fifteen films in total, lacked homogeneity. Various filmmakers have succeeded one another behind the camera – the same goes for the screenwriters. Several visions have thus been superimposed in the same universe.
Marvel Studios has also known many directors and screenwriters with the establishment of the MCU. But, there has always been a common denominator: Kevin Feige. President of said studio, the producer has systematically been closely involved. And if the MCU is today experiencing a big decline, it has so far presented a more orderly profile.
Another difficulty, which can be linked to this problem of coherence, is the very great diversity of the DCEU universes. What is commonly called “Elseworld”. This other world designates the plots other than the official continuity of the comics (or the DCEU, for cinema and television). In short, well-known characters are on screen, but reinvented.
The film Joker by Todd Phillips, with Joaquin Phoenix, is thus in another world than Zack Snyder’s Justice League. same for me The Batman by Matt Reeves, with Robert Pattinson. There are other “elseworlds”, which results in a very fragmented environment that is enough to easily confuse an audience that doesn’t closely follow DC projects and that kind of subtlety.
This is what James Gunn explains: “ There were just too many things in live action and people weren’t sure what was related to what because there were too many things and they weren’t characterized. “. It’s disturbing to have a Joker played sometimes by Joaquin Phoenix, sometimes by Jared Leto. Ditto for Batman, with Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson.
Priority to the new DCEU, not Elseworld
Does this mean that the DCEU under the James Gunn era will put an end to the logic of Elseworld? The filmmaker rejects this prospect, but suggests that these projects will certainly be rarer in the future. These alternative worlds will be expressed more in the field of animation, by the way. Always, we guess, for this concern for homogeneity and clarity.
“ Elseworld animation projects will continue to happen “, he assures. The same goes for video games. However, ” I’ve said (and continue to say) that most of the TV shows and movies will be in the DCU universe, with an occasional Elseworld story (like Matt’s The Batman), but it will have to be exceptional. »
James Gunn, who had already dabbled in the Snyderverse by leading the (re-)adaptation of The Suicide Squad on the big screen (and which constitutes one of the greatest successes of the DCEU), now finds himself in the same functions as Kevin Feige. It was in fact at the beginning of the year that his appointment to this position was made official, alongside Peter Safran.
For this colossal project, the decision was made to draw on the past. The new direction was revealed, with 5 films (Superman: Legacy, The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Swamp Thing) and 5 series (Lanterns, Waller, Paradise Lost, Booster Gold, Creature Commandos). We have ten years left. If superhero weariness will not have won over the public by then.
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