Last week, Twitter was exploding with rumors that Henry Cavill was no longer playing Superman. While the rumor wasn’t proven right, it wasn’t necessarily proven wrong either. With the success of Wonder Woman in the now hazy future of Superman, how does the future for the DC Cinematic Universe fare? Is this merely a small dent in the grand plan, or is this the beginning of the end?
The Future of the DC Cinematic Universe Lies in a Plan of Steel
The Death of Superman?
When the rumors broke that Henry Cavill was no longer going to be playing Superman, the world seemed to lose its mind. With no other confirmation, other than articles quoting other articles, it seemed sketchy, but possible given the rocky history that the DCEU has been having. When Cavill’s agent tweeted that the “cape was still in the closet” and to wait for a statement from Warner Brothers, there was some hope for fans. However, Warner Brothers comment wasn’t as helpful and definite as people would have liked. Without a clear yes or no, the future of Superman and the DCEU couldn’t look hazier.
Be peaceful, the cape is still in his closet. @wbpictures has been and continues to be our partners as they evolve the DC Universe. Anticipate a WB statement later today.
— Dany Garcia (@DanyGarciaCo) September 12, 2018
While statements from major studios usually prove or disprove rumors, the statement Warners Brothers made was more of “we want to work with him, but we don’t know for how much longer.” This type of statement doesn’t show strength in the future, even in the many Worlds of DC. This can be seen in the articles already fan casting the new Superman. The way this situation was handled made it clear to me that the end of the DCEU should be near.
The Future According to Me
With all that has happened in the DCEU, I believe it’s time to cut their losses and disband the current iteration and storylines. While doing a DC cinematic universe could be successful, and should definitely not be ignored forever, the current timeline needs to be abandoned for a more improved, better received one. As mentioned in another article about the future of the DCEU, a hard reboot could give them time to get a clear image and story in mind. Taking the time to build it up and reestablish the faith in these movies is important.
To help, the introduction of the Worlds of DC can allow them to still make DC movies without them being in one timeline. This allows them to further find what works for movies and can be used in the future. They can test out different characters and find writers and directors to recruit for the future universe. They can still release movies like Aquaman and Shazam, but not include them in connected stories. Most importantly it gives DCEU some time to recover and reestablish themselves.
A True Extended Universe
In the title, DC Extended Universe, although not officially titled that, the use of extended is misleading. The CW shows, the movies, and quite possibly the new DC Universe shows are not connected. While simply changing the name would help, actually connecting the different mediums of entertainment. This could be one way to distance themselves from the MCU, in a good way. DC has always done well in the TV world, so making use of this success could help the movies and make them more interesting. Actually making use of cameos in the shows and movies would be fun for the audience and something to increase viewership. While the problem with this would come down to contracts and cost, finding a way to make it work could make it a more successful universe.
Last Word on the Fate of the DC Universe
With all of the shortcomings in the DCEU, with the Henry Cavill rumors recently, the future is not looking bright. It may be time for a fresh start. The suggestions I made may not be easy to do but are things that need to be considered for a more successful universe. As much as I wanted to see DC have a better movie universe than Marvel, that possibility seems less likely now. While they could turn things around with the upcoming movies, the likelihood of them turning the entire thing around seems slim to none. In the inspired words of Superman, “The DCEU is dead. Bury it.”
Main Image Credit:
Embed from Getty Images