What we need from The DCEU: Part 1
"No protectors here. No Lanterns. No Kryptonian. This world will fall, like all the others." Steppenwolf Justice League 2017.
The DCEU has definitely had its downs, but I feel it has so much potential. I will be discussing in the first part of, What we need from the DCEU, taking the universe as a whole and why it isn't working. This is only my opinion and not fact, but I feel as a story teller, there is something missing from the DCEU.
Man of steel
Let’s start off with the man of steel. Personally I enjoyed the Man of steel.
Man of steel tells a story of a very different Clark and a very different Superman. I feel this is why it is called the man of steel. This movie was made to set up Easter eggs and to setup a world and tell the over told story of Superman (I'm not even going to mention Batman and Spider-man). Yes this is maybe the second film series in a live action department for the man of steel, but let’s be honest this isn't the first time we heard of the Boy from Krypton crashing to earth raised by humans and ultimately becoming the hero we all know and love.
Yet this movie had for me such a fresh touch to this story, great quotes, inspirational moments and ultimately shock which a great story is known for.
Doesn't it feel a bit to familiar?
The snapping surprise, we the viewers and General Zod got in this movie was definitely a game changer, but I will talk about this story potential a bit later.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of justice
I think we all have an opinion about this movie, honestly I don’t think it is too positive.
Why didn't it work?
Well that is an easy answer, the DCEU wasn't established long enough for this movie. Yes we know the Dark knight. When we think about the dark knight we all have our own favourite, whether it's Christian Bale, Adam West, Micheal Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney ( Yes he definitely has to be on the list, yes I know we all didn't like him. No you can't have his suits those nipples was designed for George) I think Ben Affleck actually had the most potential to do give life to the Batman we all deserved the Batman we all needed... the Dark Knight returns Batman we all were hoping for.
Batman I feel was actually good, in my opinion, I really could relate to this version of Batman. Why you ask? I think because he looked like the Batman from the dark knight returns. Ben looks like a Bruce Wayne. Heck he even has the personality of a Bruce Wayne. Yet we all couldn't look past Daredevil.
Continuing with BVS, I would say wasn't the best movie I've watched, it had a lot of hype and I feel the story should have stopped before Doomsday. I feel a good superman super slap Lex into Arkham or Black gate would have been great and a satisfying end to the movie.
No, what happened as we all know Superman dies and Batman is reduced to a boy in a Bat suit missing his mom.
Don't get me wrong, super epic fight scene between Wonder Woman and Doomsday, you have made this movie a bit more bearable, Wonder Woman was definitely the best part of this movie.... A shame WB didn't call it Batman cries, Superman dies and Wonder Woman Saves the movie, just a little don’t get your hopes up.
The movie needed the most famous words ever spoken to Superman:
“I want you to remember, Clark…in all the years to come…in your most private moments…I want you to remember…my hand…at your throat…I want…you to remember…the one man who beat you.” Frank Miller, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
We needed Green arrow and we needed a universe setup for this battle. Yes, yes Gotham got the recoil from the battle of General Zod. But it felt too rushed, maybe a movie like Superman Batman public enemies could have been used to setup Batman v Superman.
Okay enough ranting on BVS.
Recommendations for DCEU:
The DCEU has a lot of potential as I've said on the beginning of this post.
The story of BVS would have been great on a later stage. Justice league should have been made on a later stage as well and not have been rushed. Did Warner brothers feel the need to compete with Disney and Marvel so badly that they forgot that a great story carries itself?
The ideal movie slate I feel should have been:
- Man of steel
- The Batman
- Wonder Woman
- Aquaman
- The Flash
- Justice league (Cyborg origin)
- Superman Batman Public Enemies
- Green lantern
- Martian Man Hunter.
- Green Arrow
- Justice League 2
- Wonder Woman and Super girl
- Young justice
- Batman: Under the red hood
- Man of steel 2
- Batman V Superman
The other problem with the DCEU is, we have seen so many versions of Batman and Superman. We need something new. Take Marvel for example, they took a comic not well known and made a movie which turned out being amazing.
It's time for Warner Bro's to stop milking Superman and Batman and tell new stories. I feel this is the reason why Wonder Woman did as well as it did. This was a fresh new Character which did not have a movie in the last 10 years. Aquaman was redefined in Justice League to be honest. My personal two favourite characters in Justice league was Flash and Aquaman.
I would like to say I am not negative towards DCEU. The DC comic book heroes will rise.
Any movie can be brilliant if you give the audience what they want. Stay true to the source material and create new and exciting environments for the characters to grow from.
This is Shadowing, signing off