James Gunn's new DCU is inching closer and closer to fruition as fans eagerly await new information regarding the pseudo-reboot of the DC Extended Universe, including which iconic character may act as the lead therein. Although Gunn is known for his candor with fans, he has kept much of his plan for the future of DC's cinematic universe close to the chest, betraying very little about his plans for the iconic characters therein, including Batman and Superman. Though each of these characters has his merits and deficits when it comes to leading Gunn's DCU, only one will emerge as the anchor of the new franchise.James Gunn's first confirmations regarding the DCU came late in 2022 after the shocking announcement that Henry Cavill's Superman would not be returning for future projects despite his cameo in Black Adam. The DC head later revealed that the DCU would be adapting a younger Superman, rebooting the character in a film that will be penned by Gunn himself. Later rumors have suggested that many characters will be rebooted in service of the new franchise, including Batman. With both of DC's top superheroes set for new iterations in the next few years, it seems highly likely that one of these two will become the anchor of the DCU moving forward.
DCU Needs A Character To Lead It (Superman & Batman Are The Obvious Choices)
The DCU reboot must take hints from the MCU, the only truly successful superhero cinematic universe so far, in order to succeed where the DCEU failed. A core trait that contributed to the MCU's success that the DCEU sorely lacked is a central character through whose eyes the events of the larger franchise can unfold. For the MCU, that character was Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, who kicked off the franchise with 2008's Iron Man and remained an integral part of the universe until his death in Avengers: Endgame, eleven years later. The DCU needs to learn from the MCU's use of Tony Stark for its own success.
Even four years after his death, the MCU cannot escape Iron Man's legacy. This is because he provided a stable, consistent presence throughout its early years as the pseudo-protagonist of the franchise. With ten appearances throughout the MCU's Infinity Saga, Stark became a defining voice in the franchise's overall tone and story. After the mishmash of conflicting ideas that was the DCEU, James Gunn's new franchise is in dire need of the consistency offered by a singular protagonist. Given DC's history in comics, television, and movies, the best choice for the DCU's main character moving forward is one of its two most popular characters, either Batman or Superman.
Why Batman Shouldn't Lead The DCU (Despite Some Benefits)
A brand-new Batman is essential for James Gunn's new Justice League lineup, and while the Dark Knight must be an important character within the DCU, he would be the wrong choice to lead the franchise. The darker tone inherently associated with the character works great for stories set in the appropriately dreary Gotham but would ultimately clash with broader stories involving other superheroes. This became clear in the DCEU, which attempted to create a darker universe of DC characters in its early years, only for it to not quite work in several projects. By the time the franchise lightened the mood, it had already lost its momentum.
Furthermore, now that Batman and the other of the Justice League are likely to be recast, the Caped Crusader faces yet another challenge: standing out amidst the many other live-action iterations of the character in recent years. Batman has undergone many reboots over the years, more so than any other fictional character, and constantly finds himself reinvented to feel fresh and different in each new version. Not only does the DCU's Batman have an uphill climb in standing out among his prior iterations, but he must also simultaneously contend with the Batman of Matt Reeves's universe. Ultimately, Batman currently has too much baggage to act as the DCU's anchor.
Moreover, the DCEU already tried and failed to make Batman the center of its universe. Although Ben Affleck's Batman was well-liked, the character bore the brunt of the DCEU's problems. DC attempted to expand his role in the franchise with cameos in films like Suicide Squad and by making him the Justice League's founder, yet it came as a detriment to the character. Batman was consistently overshadowed by the other heroes of the Justice League, both onscreen and behind the scenes. Despite Batman's importance to the franchise, his solo movie was unable to get off the ground, leading to Affleck's departure from the role and the DCEU's subsequent collapse.
As exciting as the Caped Crusader's next iteration is for the DCU's future, Batman will be a challenge for James Gunn without being the center of the new franchise. While the character would have certain benefits in bringing together the Justice League, including his unlimited resources, he would not be the right fit for what James Gunn is trying to do with his emerging cinematic universe. The DCU's Batman needs time to grow outside of the shadow of his fellow superheroes and shouldn't have to deal with the added weight of carrying the entire franchise on his back. There is, however, another DC hero custom-made to bear such a burden.
Why James Gunn's Younger Superman Should Lead The New DCU
Superman is the perfect lead character for the new DCU. Ahead of Superman's live-action recast, it is clear that James Gunn and the other DC executives have elected to begin their DCEU reboot with Clark Kent and his secret Kryptonian counterpart. Gunn's Superman reboot is the only DCU project confirmed to be in the works, mirroring the DCEU's start with Man of Steel. Whereas the original franchise began with Superman and subsequently brushed him to the side, the DCU has a chance to learn from its predecessor's mistakes by keeping the character at the forefront of its story, guaranteeing a bright future ahead for the forthcoming cinematic universe.
Although the Snyderverse took a major misstep in making Superman darker with each subsequent DCEU appearance, the character's original tone can better serve that of the DCU. As a symbol of hope and justice, Superman can lead the franchise better than his Gotham City counterpart, whose darker tone works better in a confined story than a sprawling crossover. Kal-El's inherent optimism and kindness would only be intensified by making him the DCU's core figure, giving the franchise a brighter tone than the DCEU. Moreover, Superman's brighter tone makes him a figure that other heroes can rally behind, whereas Batman's darker tendencies tend to rub his teammates the wrong way.
Perhaps the best reason to make Superman the central character of the DCU is to finally give the hero the attention he deserves. Henry Cavill's Superman is associated with the chaos of the DCU transition, but the problems regarding his character were evident long beforehand. Despite kicking off with his solo film, the DCEU seemed largely uninterested in exploring the future of its version of Superman, leaving him by the wayside. Conversely, James Gunn has the opportunity to reverse this unfortunate trend by finally putting Superman at the forefront, making him the most important character in the DCU moving forward, an anchor to a burgeoning franchise with a bright future.
