DC Comics arguably has some of the best characters of all time. However, they haven’t had the success they deserve on screen. The DCEU had a promising start with Man of Steel in 2013, but then rushed to catch up to Marvel and the MCU by releasing Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and Justice League by 2017; the majority of those films were not great.
Things have started looking up for DC as they released more individual, unique films from different directors. The most recent DC film, The Batman, is one of the best movies of the year so far. Warner Bros. Discovery has the bones and upcoming projects to build a sustainable cinematic universe that could compete with the MCU. Here’s what I would do in order to fix the DCEU:
Change the Name from DCEU to DC Multiverse
DC can save itself by leaning into the Multiverse. They are doing so many different things on screen that it’s going to be hard to tie them all together; the solution is not to. Rebranding themselves as the DC Multiverse allows them to build cinematic franchises out of the projects already released. They also have the advantage of using HBO Max to create new content for. With that being said, here are the cinematic franchises that can make up the DC Multiverse:
The Universe of Gods & Magic
This cinematic franchise has so much potential! Since this is the Universe of Gods & Magic, it would make sense to begin with Wonder Woman. You then have the world of Shazam!, which was so well received by audiences and critics. Black Adam is also introducing the Justice Society of America, which is especially notable because of Dr. Fate and the potential of magic in the DCEU.
The Universe of Gods & Magic timeline could be planned out like this:
- Wonder Woman (2017)
- Man of Steel (2013)
- Aquaman (2018)
- Shazam! (2019)
- Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
- Aquaman: King of Atlantis (2021)
- Black Adam (2022)
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2022)
- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)
- The Flash (2023)
- Blue Beetle (2023)
Future projects in this cinematic franchise could be:
- Shazam v Black Adam that also features Henry Cavill as Superman
- Black Manta as an HBO Max limited series with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as David Kane/Black Manta
- Doctor Fate limited series on HBO Max that introduces Zatanna
Also Read: 5 Actors Who Could Replace Ezra Miller as The Flash
The Batman Universe
Matt Reeves was given full reign to establish his own Gotham and the results were nothing short of fantastic. The Batman is one of the best films of the year and it’s a great starting point for a new cinematic franchise focused on the Dark Knight. There are already plans for two projects on HBO Max: a Penguin limited series starring Colin Farrell and an Arkham Asylum series.
The Batman Universe timeline could be planned out like this:
- The Batman (2022)
- Penguin limited series on HBO Max
- Arkham Asylum limited series on HBO Max
Future projects in this cinematic franchise could be:
- The Batman II that introduces Harvey Dent and Mr. Freeze
- Catwoman film starring Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman
The Universe of Villains & Vigilantes
This would be the most collaborative cinematic franchise, combining the talents of Cathy Yan, James Gunn, and Adil El Arbi/Billall Fallah getting things started. There’s a lot of potential here for a wide variety of characters, especially strong female characters (the highlight being Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn). There is also potential for a lot of crossover between the big screen and projects on HBO Max, which James Gunn started with Peacemaker this year.
The Universe of Villains & Vigilantes timeline could be planned out like this:
- Birds of Prey (2020)
- The Suicide Squad (2021)
- Peacemaker (2022)
- Batgirl (2022)
Future projects in this cinematic franchise could be:
- Waller series featuring Viola Davis as Amanda Waller
- Black Canary starring Jurnee Smollett as Dinah Lance
- Gotham City Sirens featuring Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Batgirl
The Black Label Universe
Joker is going to stay its own thing, which is perfectly fine because it doesn’t fit into any other cinematic franchise. So, it would make sense to start The Black Label Universe where DC can explore stand-alone, R-rated stories and not have them tied to any other franchise.
The Black Label Universe could be planned out like this:
- Joker (2019)
- Joker: Folie à Deux
Future projects in this cinematic franchise could be:
- Lobo as a limited series on HBO Max
- Deathstroke starring Joe Manganiello as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke
The Milestone Universe
Michael B. Jordan is on board to produce a Static Shock movie (and hopefully star in it as well, fingers crossed for that one), so let’s give the characters of Milestone their own universe to tell the stories of these iconic, black superheroes!
The Milestone Universe could be planned out like this:
- Static Shock
- Icon
- Rocket
- Hardware
Follow us for more entertainment coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
