While Warner Brothers and DC Comics rode the coattails of Batman and Superman for years, they’ve seen that other studio across the way pass them by. This year we saw Marvel release a Guardians of the Galaxy movie, characters who comic book fans aren’t even that familiar with. But to their credit, they knocked it out of the park. DC on the other hand can’t even get a Wonder Woman movie off the ground, arguably their third biggest character. Not anymore. With one simple press release, Warner Brothers and DC Comics announced a barrage of movies starring all their biggest characters, and yes, it will be a connective universe just like Marvel’s. There’s a lot to be excited about, and we are going to break it all down film by film. The DC Cinematic Universe is something people have been demanding for years. But before we get to the films, I’d like to be selfish for a moment, and ask one simple question – have I been clamoring for it?
My Honest Truth About Shared Universes
I’m just going to rip the band-aid right off – I don’t like shared universes. I give Marvel a lot of credit. They took a big risk, and it paid off. But just as it is in fashion, now everybody’s doing it, and that scares me. Universal studios is gearing up a for a shared “monsters” universe. There’s talk of Transformers and G.I. Joe coming together. We certainly don’t need that. Star Wars is even going to use this model with spin-off films every other year. That really frightens me. And now DC Comics is jumping into the fray with all their heroes. I especially don’t like superheroes crossing swords, because in my opinion, the best superhero movies are when they stand alone as their own thing.
There’s a reason the Batman and X-Men franchises have been my favorite superhero movies – they get to operate in their own worlds. I am so thankful The Dark Knight trilogy happened before The Avengers craze took off. If Batman Begins came out after the Marvel movement, there’s no doubt Warner Brothers would have forced Christopher Nolan’s Batman into a larger world with super powered beings. Can you imagine? Would The Dark Knight even happen?! I shudder to think. I don’t care how many mediocre to good movies Marvel has made – I would take one Dark Knight over thirty Marvel films. Sorry, but that’s how I feel. But enough about Batman, because we’ve seen the shared universe method kill other potential superhero franchises. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 anyone?
I know people were mixed about the first Amazing Spider-Man, but I loved it. I understand they were hampered by having to retell the origin, but other than that, the characterization was great. It was gritty, serious, BUT it was also the funniest Spider-Man movie to date. They were headed in a great direction, but then The Avengers happened. Sony saw how successful that was, and they changed the entire trajectory of their series. They made it light and goofy, they forced a bunch of spin-off characters into the plot, and it became a complete mess. It was received so poorly by audiences, there’s even talk The Amazing Spider-Man 3 won’t even happen. This is a direct result of trying to force a shared universe.
Maybe I’m a dinosaur for thinking this way, but I want all these characters separate. It gives filmmakers more freedom, and just makes for better movies. Having said all that though, I completely admit I’m a DC guy. I might love this shared universe more because it’s with characters that I like. There’s definitely potential for me to be a total hypocrite. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about these films, and that’s what we’re here to talk about today. Let’s break it down – The DC Cinematic Universe 2016-2020:
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
What We Know: Directed by – Zack Snyder. Cast – Henry Cavill (Clark Kent/Superman), Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Gal Gadot (Diana Prince/Wonder Woman), Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Jeremy Irons (Alfred)
We’ve known this one for a while. As someone who loved Man of Steel, I’m thrilled most of the same people are back. I continue to love the Ben Affleck casting more and more everyday. And after seeing Gone Girl, can we please put the “Ben Affleck can’t act” crap to rest. Enough already! This is DC’s first attempt at mixing characters, and it needs to work. It needs to make a shit load of money. It needs to be beloved by everybody. It needs wins across the board, because if it doesn’t, the whole universe could crumble before it even starts. Dawn of Justice is the foundation for all these franchises. But seriously Zack Snyder, no pressure.
Suicide Squad (2016)
What We Know: Directed by – David Ayer
To be honest, I don’t know too much about Suicide Squad. There’s definitely some cool characters in the gang, like Deadshot and Deathstroke, so that’s encouraging. I know Harley Quinn is a member, but I’d be shocked if she appeared in this film, despite her devoted fan base. To me, this feels like DC’s answer to Guardians of the Galaxy – a bunch of rough around the edges anti-heroes, but even more so with Suicide Squad, as they are pure villains. I’m intrigued, but the choice of David Ayer as director doesn’t blow me away. We’ll see what happens with Fury.
Wonder Woman (2017)
What We Know: Cast – Gal Gadot (Diana Prince/Wonder Woman)
This movie should have been 10-15 years ago. It’s absolutely ridiculous we haven’t had a Wonder Woman movie yet. She’s one of the most iconic superheroes there is! She’s a great character, and I’m certainly looking forward to this one a lot. It was also recently confirmed that she’ll be the daughter of Zeus. I love they decided to play up the Greek Mythology angle. The real question is can Gal Gadot pull off the performance? We’ll know soon enough.
Justice League Part One (2017)/ Justice League Part Two (2019)
What We Know: Directed by – Zack Snyder. Cast – Henry Cavill (Clark Kent/Superman), Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Amy Adams (Lois Lane)
If you are going to do a shared universe with DC, this one’s a no-brainer. The two-part element intrigues me. In addition to Batman and Superman, I’m guessing this will have all the big players in it, but it’s still too early to tell. I’m just thrilled Zack Snyder is helming this. By this point, he’ll know these characters better than anybody. I know people love to crap all over Snyder, but I think the man’s a great director, especially when it comes to superhero films. He’s always ambitious, and that’s the man I want attacking the Justice League.
The Flash (2018)
What We Know: Cast – Ezra Miller (The Flash)
From reading my opening, you already know I’m not super fond of shared universes, so the idea of both movies and television melding together absolutely disgusts me. It’s one thing to ask a general audience to connect movies, but television too? No way. I know people are losing their minds over this new Flash show, but get over it – the two won’t be connected. Keep them separate. As far as Ezra Miller goes, I’ve honestly never seen him in anything, although he seemed to get a lot of praise for his work in We Need to Talk About Kevin. I’m always in favor of a relatively unknown actor playing a superhero, so I got no problems with this one. We’ll see how it goes.
Aquaman (2018)
What We Know: Cast – Jason Momoa (Arthur Curry/Aquaman)
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. HELL YES! Come 2018 (but probably sooner), no longer will Aquaman be joked about on Family Guy. This guy is a flat out bad ass of a character, and I cannot wait for people to shit their pants when he controls an army of sharks on an IMAX screen. This might be the announcement I’m most excited for. Get ready, America – Aquaman is about to invade the multiplex with a big ass trident.
Shazam (2019)
What We Know: Cast – Dwayne Johnson (Black Adam)
We’ve known about this one for a while, and I like the idea of The Rock playing a villain. Shazam is a pretty cool character, and I’m interested to see who gets that part. Out of all the characters announced today, Shazam is definitely the most out there.
Cyborg (2020)
What We Know: Cast – Ray Fisher (Victor Stone/Cyborg)
I was excited about this one more than I thought I would be. I don’t know much about the character other than he’s half human/half machine. I guess what it all comes down to though is The Terminator, and that was a pretty good idea for a movie, so why not? The fact that they got a stage actor is always a good sign. The costume for this one will have to be handled with great care though, because there’s definitely potential for Cyborg to look silly. If they pull it off though, this one could be pretty damn cool.
Green Lantern (2020)
What We Know: Absolutely nothing.
I think it’s safe to say this will not involve Ryan Reynolds. We’re looking at a total reboot here. While I don’t think the 2011 Green Lantern film was a total atrocity, it was certainly a massive disappointment. Had that movie been successful, the DC cinematic universe may already be underway. Aside from Aquaman, I’m probably most excited by this announcement. Green Lantern has boundless potential as a character and film franchise. We are talking about a guy who can create whatever he wants out of green energy, and then fight with it. The type of epic battle scenes that could take place here are unprecedented. Unfortunately, the 2011 version went as lame as you can with it, and completely scared people off from the character. I think nine years is enough time though to wash that taste out of your moth. I can’t wait for this character to get another chance, because he deserves better.
Standalone Superman and Batman Films Also Confirmed – No Release Dates Yet
While no release dates were announced, Superman and Batman films were 100% confirmed within the 2016-2020 timeframe. I would sure hope so, as these guys are the top dogs. You need them. As far as another Superman movie goes, count me in. I love Cavill as this character, and I’m ready for another round.
In regards to the Caped Crusader, I’ll always take another Batman movie. Come on now, let’s be serious. While it will be difficult to follow Christopher Nolan, he did leave a lot of big name villains on the table that are still waiting for a definitive take, such as the Penguin, the Riddler, and Mr. Freeze. And because this will be a Batman who’s much older, we can assume his entire rogues gallery has already been established. Will the Joker be in it? I’m sure the Joker exists in this world, he has too be. At this point though, I’m not ready to discuss the next Joker. When that day comes, you’ll hear about it. What I do know is that Batman’s next solo adventure will most likely be directed by Ben Affleck, and I can’t imagine a better director to take the reigns from Nolan. I’ll be looking forward to that one.
The Dawn of Tomorrow…
Whether I prefer shared universes or solo franchises, at the end of the day, I just want to see good movies. I know people have waited a long time for this, but I think there’s an advantage for Warner Brothers waiting this long. They’ve learned what not to do. Don’t be The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Don’t sacrifice story and character so you can foreshadow a movie that’s three years away.
If I can stress one thing to Warner Brothers though, it would be this – don’t be like Marvel. If DC sets their tone as fun and jokey, this whole universe will fail. That I can promise you. It works for Marvel, but if you try and duplicate their movies, we’ll get another Amazing Spider-Man 2, and the audience will turn. I want something different from this universe. Something original. Something that demands why it’s a good idea for Batman to interact with guys who live underwater, and people who can create jets out of green energy. Whatever it is though, we’ll all be watching.
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Daniel Cohen is the Film Editor for Pop-Break. Aside from reviews, Daniel does a weekly box office predictions column, and also contributes monthly Top Tens and Op-Ed’s on all things film. Daniel is a graduate of Bates College with a degree in English, and also studied Screenwriting at UCLA. He can also be read on www.movieshenanigans.com. His movie crush is Jessica Rabbit. Follow him on Twitter @dcohenwriter.
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