The DC Extended Universe hasn’t had an easy road thus far. This is partially due to Disney and Marvel getting to the shared universe party early and absolutely dominating the Hollywood landscape with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 2008’s Man of Steel, the retrofitted start to DC’s would-be filmic empire, thereby dictating the rules for how these superhero tentpole releases are to be constructed in the public’s mind.
But the situation is also due to Warner Bros.’ apparent inability to stick the landing with each of the three DC movies that have come out thus far. Abysmal critical reviews, toxic word of mouth, or incessant studio interference – or all three – have limited the cultural reach and box-office totals of Man of Steel, Suicide Squad. (Which isn’t to necessarily say that these films are outright bad, or even significantly flawed. It’s to simply point out the very real fact that they have undermined the brand and have left a mixed taste in the mouth of the average moviegoer. This is, of course, the dead-last place that any studio would want to be in when starting up a five-year, multi-billion dollar business venture.)
This is why DC’s two 2017 releases are absolutely crucial to the shared universe, to Warners, and, frankly, to comic book fans all around the world. June’s Justice League are so critical, in fact, that we would argue they will literally either make or break the entire DC Extended Universe.
Here are 8 ways the former can happen, and 8 more why the latter could occur.
Save - No more studio interference
When director Zack Snyder and his filmmaking partners hatched the idea to make Superman franchise, but to simultaneously introduce the third modern big-screen incarnation of the Dark Knight, as well. And since this was seen as, at the least, a billion dollar idea, the temptation to stuff as many other set-ups for the future DCEU franchises was too great to resist (which led to other, smaller tweaks, suggestions, and revisions). By the time the film released last March, many viewers, whether they loved or hated the final product, saw the convoluted, overstuffed story as a point of concern.
Ironically enough, this led the studio to actually increase its second-guessing of David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, even (reportedly) taking the step to hire alternate editors to put together rival cuts of the movie in order to better fulfill audiences’ desires for a fun, more light-hearted romp with these iconic DC characters. The result here was an uneven tone and level of pacing, though it didn’t seem to hurt SS’s financial legs as much as its predecessor did.
One can only hope that, when it comes to Wonder Woman and, more importantly, Justice League, Warners has learned its lesson and has refrained from playing arm-chair quarterback with its next round of directors. Given that the company has long prided itself as being the most “artist friendly” of the major Hollywood players, the new approach would be an extremely fitting one, to boot.
Kill - Too little studio oversight
Of course, the backfire to having such a hands-off approach on the studio level is a very real possibility that ended up spooking Warner Bros. in the first place: the “auteur” model of filmmaking backfires, turning off audiences instead of earning their respect and, more importantly, their hard-earned dollars.
The idea works a little something like this: should the instincts of Patty Jenkins (that’s the director of Wonder Woman) or Zack Snyder (Justice League) prove to be an artistic cul-de-sac instead of an expressway to the big-time, viewers won’t particularly care how true to the filmmaker’s original vision the final cut ends up being. All they’ll know is that they were turned off by the interpretation of these beloved mythological figures. Even worse, in of franchising, one writer/director’s take on, say, the Flash, could prove to be fundamentally incompatible with the next helmer’s, causing huge gaps in characterization and, possibly, continuity – the true nightmare scenario for a shared cinematic universe.
Some oversight is necessary, of course (that’s why DC Comics’ Geoff Johns has been named the head honcho of the DCEU) but it’s a very delicate balance, and one that’s all-too-easy to mess up. It’s just that, if it happens in 2017, there might not be a third chance to get it right.
Save - 2017 is a critical and commercial success story
Warners’ desire to perfect the shared universe formula last year was, of course, born out of a desire to rake in the dough. The financial success of the DCEU's opening act would, in turn, pave the way for no fewer than nine subsequent installments that were already planned out.
This really cannot be overstated: both Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad’s inability to deliver a clear-cut, non-ambiguous, slam-dunk success story stands as the single biggest threat to the DC Extended Universe’s continued existence. What the studio needs now is a shining beacon in the sky; a bright and shiny signal that its films have been approved for mass consumption and that the DC brand is no longer mired in controversy, whether real or imagined.
The good news is that Wonder Woman, with its fresh take on the universe’s continuity, and Justice League, being the very first time that all of the associated superheroes team up to save the Earth on the silver screen, are probably the best possible candidates for such a makeover. With these two movies earning critical praise and massive hauls at the box office, the DCEU will be in the strongest shape it's even been in, and all those future films will look like exciting new adventures to be experienced instead of potential new landmines to be avoided.
Kill - 2017 is a critical and commercial retread of 2016
Let’s get this out of the way upfront: Dawn of Justice, while failing to reach any of the lofty heights that executives, analysts, and fans had fully expected it to (read: a billion dollars worldwide) wasn’t a monetary failure. It still managed to turn a solid profit, even if it's a somewhat underwhelming one. And Suicide Squad more than made a return on Warners’ investment, even outperforming a number of Marvel films.
Still, with that said, the DC brand has undeniably taken a hit, leaving many potential customers hesitant to jump aboard. Should WW or JL deliver more of the same in these respects – should they have the current crop of future DCEU properties and put a halt to the releases of the already-announced slate of films, Warners will likely start looking elsewhere for their next cash cow.
Let’s put it this way: the DC ship isn’t sinking, but it’s certainly starting to list. Should 2017’s movies blow up in its face, it’ll start to take on so much water, it’s hard to see a way out of an eventual shipwreck.
Save - 2018 looks promising
One of the more elaborate challenges in running a shared cinematic universe is having to worry about the next wave of releases being announced, marketed, and well-received by the diehard masses while the current crop is just coming to fruition. Should WB nail this year’s two big movies, it’ll be quite the achievement – the first out-and-out win for the DCEU, in fact – but it’ll mean very little if 2018’s wares aren’t viewed with just as much optimism and excitement.
As such, The Batman, which may end up being released next year as well.
Speaking of the next Bat-flick, there’s definitely also a silver lining to having the first in-universe Batman solo film come out next year: it could be used as a lightning rod of worldwide attention, with the resulting electricity being rerouted to its two cinematic siblings. Affleck just may turn out to be the savior of both 2017 and 2018 – a far cry from the backlash that attended his original announcement as Bruce Wayne.
Kill - 2018 gets written off
The Batman or no, 2018 won’t be anywhere near as easy of a sell as this year is proving to be.
In fact, next year is when things start to get increasingly tricky for DC. Whereas Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) has the benefit of getting some level of establishment in last year’s BvS and Justice League is, c’mon, the Justice League, next year’s The Flash and Aquaman are far lesser-known properties that have barely had any level of screen time to date. Yes, the former’s unrelated television series on The CW has certainly helped to boost the Scarlet Speedster’s profile, but it’s still going to prove to be a hard sell for the non-comic-reading or non-TV-watching viewer...before Justice League arrives this November, at least.
Let’s be honest: even Marvel, that master of the box office, has had some difficulty in gaining traction for its lesser-known characters. If audiences aren’t that keen on checking out Doctor Strange is still outperformed by Suicide Squad, then why would Aquaman have much better luck?
The ultimate success – or lack thereof – for these ’18 installments all begins with their very first introductions to audiences in the form of teasers, showings, and the like, which will occur this year. And if these first-looks flop, then it’s really going to be an uphill climb for Warners and DC.
Save - Wonder Woman is the breath of fresh air it appears to be
Despite Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Suicide Squad all featuring very different premises and casts, they all brandish very similar tones, visuals, and action beats. (Hence the now-famous joke about the DC Extended Universe never seeming to have any scenes that take place during the day.)
Wonder Woman needs to break the mold just as much in this regard as it does with disrupting the male dominance of the genre. Fortunately, from all the different trailers and cast and crew interviews we've seen so far, it looks as if it’s going to hit the nail square on the head. Its bright colors, exotic locations, and period touches all make the visuals jump off the screen, as well as scream “new territory!” for the meta-franchise.
But there’s more. The more traditional, action-adventure premise and romantic lead, the action sequences, and, even, the humor (!) are also all new variations for the dark and brooding DCEU. No matter how the movie’s received either critically or commercially, it’s already proving to be a breath of fresh air, an invigorating take on what is quickly becoming stale ground. All of this adds up to a strong start for DC in 2017.
Kill - The new superheroes fail to inspire
Wonder Woman will introduce many new characters across its two hours, including none other than Diana Prince’s own mother, Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), who’s already been confirmed to return for Justice League. And JL, in turn, will unleash Nuidis Vulko (Willem Dafoe), Queen Mera (Amber Heard), Commissioner James Gordon (J.K. Simmons), in addition to taking the previously-teased characters of the Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and making them into fully-realized protagonists.
That’s a lot of new heroic faces, and if they come anywhere close to being as divisive as, say, Jared Leto's Joker was, then it may very well be game over for DC. What the series needs is strong, well-defined, and well-liked protagonists, superheroes in fact as well as in name. A murderous Dark Knight isn’t that – even if he’s meant to become the more traditional and expected hero over the course of this year’s events – and a “I’ve turned my back on humanity” Wonder Woman isn’t that, either.
Judging from the first trailer, Aquaman already looks to be just as gruff and dour as the Dark Knight and Man of Steel. Hell, even Cyborg looked to be having a hard time shaking the frown off his face. Should the Flash prove to be the only member of the team who is even slightly happy or upbeat, then the overly dark nature of the DCEU will be cemented, cutting off a large number of casual moviegoers and leaving behind only the hardest of the hardcore fans.
Save - Justice League is the DC movie we’ve all been waiting for
Bear with us for a moment here.
When Iron Man 2 first opened in theaters, it was received by many as, essentially, a shameless tie-in machine, a story meant to get the ball rolling on all the other MCU characters instead of servicing the arc of Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). It was only after the first Avengers arrived, paying off all those many setups, that many then went back and viewed the previous movie with a sympathetic eye. Investments are clearly deemed worthy by society – as long as they return a dividend.
There’s absolutely no reason in the world that Justice League can’t fare the same fate, taking all the many cues, cameos, and pieces of world-building from the likes of Dawn of Justice – and, to a lesser extent, Suicide Squad – and putting them to spectacular use. Once viewers get a chance to see a Ultimate Edition, at least) significantly more enjoyable.
If this is, indeed, the case, then the DC Extended Universe wouldn’t just have a home run, it would have a full-fledged grand slam, setting the stage for 2018 and beyond in one of the most exciting ways possible.
Kill - The villains continue to underwhelm
It’s no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a villain problem, one that dates all the way back to the original Iron Man nine years ago. While disappointing, Marvel Studios has managed to make it work for itself, offering up baddies as mere tools for the protagonist – and his entourage of ing characters – to use to continue their development.
DC, on the other hand, has always had a deeper, more complete roster of antagonists, one that has its roots in the 1930s and ‘40s. Translating these legendarily (in)famous figures onto the big screen, however, has proven to be something of a challenge thus far. While General Zod (Michael Shannon) was compelling and formidable, Lex Luthor has proven to be controversial and polarizing, Doomsday (Robin Atkin Downes) was a forgettable CG creation, the Enchantress (Cara Delevingne) was paper-thin in performance and motivation, and the Joker (Jared Leto) was even more divisive than Lex.
Should Warners continue down this trail – should, say, Darkseid not be the iconic, compelling figure that he absolutely needs to be – then not only will the meta-franchise have failed in this part of the adaptation process, it also will have missed its single biggest opportunity yet to capitalize on Marvel’s own mistakes.