The New DC Universe EXPLAINED

WatchMojo

From Snyder to Gunn, the DC cinematic landscape has transformed dramatically! Join us as we explore the rise and fall of the DCEU, the arrival of James Gunn as DC Studios co-CEO, and what the future holds for Superman, Batman, and beyond. We'll break down what went wrong with the previous universe, what's coming in the "Gods and Monsters" chapter, and whether this bold new direction can revitalize superhero cinema!

Transcript

00:00So as many of you know, DC has been disconnected in film and television for a long time.

00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're explaining how we went from one DC cinematic universe to

00:11another in just over a decade. That's the fun of coming into this job, it's to be able to

00:16continue the tradition of those diamond characters, what we call diamond characters, of Superman, of

00:22Batman, of Wonder Woman, these characters that everybody, Green Lantern, everybody knows and loves.

00:27Chapter 1. The Rise and Fall of the DCEU

00:33As Marvel changed the game with their cinematic universe, it was only a matter of time before

00:38DC threw its cape into the ring.

00:40The people of Earth are different from us, it's true. But ultimately, I believe that's a good thing.

00:46They won't necessarily make the same mistakes we did.

00:49Although DC and Warner Brothers were playing catch-up, it wasn't their first crack at uniting

00:53their storied heroes on the big screen. Years before The Avengers, George Miller was attached

00:59to direct an unproduced Justice League movie. 2011's Green Lantern was a potential launching

01:04point for a shared universe.

01:06Not bad, huh? You're a superhero.

01:09We all know how that went. 2013's Man of Steel officially commenced the DC extended universe

01:15on a divisive note. While some described Zack Snyder's version of Superman as bold,

01:19others felt it sucked out the character's defining optimism.

01:29Regardless, the film was financially successful enough to move forward with Batman vs. Superman.

01:36Whereas Marvel took its time laying a solid foundation, Batman vs. Superman felt like going

01:41from Iron Man to Captain America Civil War.

01:44Tell me.

01:49Do you bleed?

01:59You will.

02:02It shoehorned in numerous characters without developing them, and rushed iconic storylines

02:07like The Death of Superman.

02:08Although the crossover made money, the fact that it couldn't hit $1 billion, coupled with

02:13scathing reviews, left many questioning if DC should just reboot.

02:18The bell's already been rung.

02:23And they've heard it.

02:24It would, eventually.

02:26Before admitting defeat, the DCEU saw a few bright spots.

02:30The acclaimed Wonder Woman broke new ground, while Aquaman finally reached the billion-dollar

02:35barrier.

02:36Yet, for every hit, there was a costly fiasco like 2017's Justice League.

02:42The effects of the pandemic and a questionable shift towards streaming only made it harder

02:47to sell this inconsistent brand.

02:49Brand confusion didn't help.

02:51The DCEU commenced around the same time as television's Arrowverse, which took place in

02:56a separate continuity.

02:58I think it's time we got some answers.

03:01Yeah, uh, he ain't exactly talking.

03:05So let's make him talk.

03:07Then you had movies like Todd Phillips' Joker, which was set in another universe.

03:12Despite being titled the DC Extended Universe, most fans called it the Snyderverse.

03:16It was also debated whether the theatrical version of Justice League or the long-awaited

03:21Snyder Cut was considered canon, making the continuity even messier.

03:25You could die, Victor.

03:26If I don't, we all die.

03:28Period.

03:29As interest continued to wane, Dwayne Johnson built up Black Adam as the edgy antihero who

03:34could save this cinematic universe.

03:36While that film was number one three weeks in a row, it couldn't break even.

03:41Not long after a mid-credits scene teased Black Adam fighting Superman, the DCEU entered

03:46its endgame.

03:47It's been a while since anyone's made the world this nervous.

03:55Chapter 2.

03:57Did We Jump the Gun?

03:59As Warner Media merged with Discovery, CEO and President David Zaslav established himself

04:04as a controversial figure with the shelving of the practically finished Batgirl movie as

04:08a tax write-off.

04:09I'm not reading that.

04:10I don't know what's happening right now.

04:12While many criticized his bottom-line approach to running Warner Bros. Discovery, Zaslav touched

04:17upon one truth.

04:18DC desperately needed its own Kevin Feige.

04:21We all knew that it was a big shot for us.

04:25It was certainly a big shot for me, my first full producer credit and really having all the

04:31responsibility whether it succeeded or failed.

04:33Walter Hamada, who had been overseeing DC movies since 2018, wasn't cutting it.

04:39Despite pleas from diehard fans to come back, Zack Snyder has made it clear that he's done

04:44with superheroes for now.

04:45After considering several candidates, it was announced that James Gunn and producer Peter

04:50Safran would become the co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios, which replaced DC Films.

04:55You know, we have some other things in development that are things that are real priorities.

05:00Likewise, the DCEU was retired to make way for the DC Universe.

05:05After Disney fired Gunn in 2018 over resurfaced tweets, WB leaped at the opportunity to work

05:11with him.

05:12Gunn expressed interest in directing The Suicide Squad, which opened in 2021 to rave reviews.

05:18We're all gonna die.

05:20I hope so.

05:21Unfortunately, the pandemic, a simultaneous streaming release and bad memories of its

05:262016 predecessor resulted in poor box office.

05:29Still, The Suicide Squad quickly became a fan favorite along with the Peacemaker TV series,

05:34which Gunn also developed.

05:36You thought we were just gonna let you go scot-free?

05:39Yeah.

05:40I killed Rick Flagg for you people.

05:41No one ever told you to kill Flagg.

05:43After much negotiation, Gunn returned to the MCU to helm the third Guardians of the Galaxy

05:48feature and a holiday special.

05:50He wouldn't be sticking around, though, moving from Marvel to DC.

05:54While Gunn mapped out a shared universe that would span film, TV, and games, several DCEU

05:59movies were still in the pipeline.

06:01Is there a connective tissue between all of those projects?

06:05I mean, they're all in the same universe, so there's that.

06:08Although Patty Jenkins' third Wonder Woman and Black Adam vs. Superman never made it

06:13beyond the planning stages, Shazam!

06:15Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom were all set

06:20to come out in 2023.

06:22The old ways aren't gonna protect us anymore.

06:25Times have changed.

06:27They didn't meet the same fate as Batgirl, but all four lost money.

06:31With the DCEU being a sinking ship, audiences just didn't consider them priority viewing.

06:36Even Blue Beetle, which got enthusiastic reviews, couldn't attract audiences with superhero fatigue

06:42settling in.

06:51Since the pandemic, the only DC movie that performed well critically and commercially was

06:56Matt Reeves' The Batman, which takes place in yet another continuity.

07:01Some speculated DC's new leadership would jeopardize Reeves' future Batman projects,

07:05although that wouldn't be the case.

07:12Reeves' films and the Penguin miniseries are part of the Batman epic crime saga.

07:17It's labeled under DC Elseworlds, along with Todd Phillips' Joker duology, the Harley Quinn

07:36animated series, and other projects that don't tie into the DC universe.

07:40While the DCEU is done, the DCU will retain a few actors, like Viola Davis as Amanda Waller

07:47and Xolo Meridueña as Blue Beetle.

07:49Jason Momoa is no longer Aquaman, but he will be playing the DCU's Lobo.

08:06John Cena will reprise his role as Peacemaker in the second season of his show, which is

08:11being set in the DCU.

08:12Although Peacemaker Season 1 and The Suicide Squad were part of the DCEU, Gunn said a, quote,

08:19rough memory of them would carry over to the DCU.

08:21This guy sucks.

08:22Excuse me?

08:23Am I supposed to be able to hear you guys?

08:24This is evident in the Creature Commando's animated series, which saw the return of characters

08:29like Weasel.

08:30What is that thing?

08:32The Weasel.

08:33It's one of the few soldiers still alive from Project Starfish in Corto Maltese,

08:37so we know it has what it takes to survive.

08:41Creature Commandos kicked off the DC Universe's first chapter, Gods and Monsters.

08:45On the theatrical front, this chapter will consist of at least six films, starting with

08:502025's Superman, which Gunn wrote and directed.

08:54You'd let me interview you as Superman?

08:56Sure.

09:02Ready?

09:03Let's do it, Cronkite.

09:04Superman will be followed by Supergirl, starring Millie Alcock, a body horror picture in Clayface,

09:10a team-up movie revolving around The Authority, a Bat-Family-centric film entitled The Brave

09:15and the Bold, and a deep dive into the macabre with Swamp Thing.

09:19And although it's totally outside of the rest of the DCU, it will still feed into the rest

09:24of the stories.

09:25Also in development are a Teen Titans movie, a Bane-Deathstroke crossover, a Sergeant Rock

09:30film set in World War II, and a reimagining of Wonder Woman.

09:34The DCU has a full TV slate as well, with Lanterns on HBO, an Amanda Waller spinoff,

09:41a Wonder Woman prequel in Paradise Lost, and a comedic Booster Gold series.

09:45He is a fascinating guy.

09:47He's a loser from the future who uses future technology to come back to present day and

09:53become a superhero so that people will love him.

09:55In addition to another season of Creature Commandos, animated shows centered on Blue

10:00Beetle and Mr. Miracle are in the works.

10:02Among Gunn's goals is to make the DC universe stand out for Marvel.

10:06Storytelling is always king.

10:08That's all that matters to us.

10:10And I want to be true to those stories.

10:11I want to be true to you guys and really give you something different than you've ever

10:15seen before.

10:16Whereas MCU heroes mostly helm from New York, the DCU focuses on fictional cities like

10:22Gotham and Metropolis.

10:23Instead of Tony Stark telling the world he's Iron Man, DC will emphasize heroes with secret

10:28identities.

10:29Oh, and when a major character dies, they'll stay dead, for the most part.

10:33We might see the Lazarus pits down the line.

10:36I'm pretty big on killing people and not bringing them back.

10:38I know.

10:39Because it's like, you know, then, you know, when you do it in the future, except for robots.

10:45Robots can be killed and come back anytime.

10:47Of course.

10:47But like, but like, when, when people, you know, when you start doing that all the time,

10:52then it doesn't mean anything.

10:54Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified

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11:10Chapter 3.

11:11A New Tomorrow?

11:13Although Gunn and Safran have big plans for DC, some fear it'll be too

11:17little too late.

11:18How do you feel two years in?

11:19I mean, are you?

11:20I'm, we're really happy.

11:22Superhero movies don't print money like they did a few years ago.

11:26Even Marvel's output has been hit and miss.

11:28That said, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was among the most successful post-Endgame releases.

11:34With the original Guardians film, Gunn turned a once-obscure superhero team into household

11:39names.

11:40You're immortal.

11:42How?

11:44You said it yourself.

11:46We're the Guardians.

11:47He could do the same with lesser-known DC characters like Clayface and Swamp Thing.

11:53Of course, if a name like Superman doesn't pack theaters, the DC universe might be in

11:58trouble.

11:58Only time will tell if DC's 8-10 year plan works out, or if we're in store for another

12:03dark universe, which couldn't even make it past one movie.

12:07Either way, Superman won't just set a precedent for DC moving forward.

12:11It'll potentially serve as a testing ground to see if the masses still care about the superhero

12:16genre.

12:16If not, Supes can always spin the world back.

12:19What are your thoughts on the DC universe?

12:36Let us know in the comments.

12:38General, I believe you've read us wrong.

12:40We're delighted to be here and delighted to serve our country.

12:45Okay.

12:46Uh, great.

12:47Did you enjoy this video?

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