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.
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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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