Its that time of year again. DC has released its latest movie in the DC Extended Universe, Justice League, and fans are going to see it. Whether you loved the movie, or hated it (I’m somewhere in the middle), we all can agree that on the whole DC needs some help in righting the ship that is their extended universe. Putting these movies together are easier said than done, but there is really no reason for DC to continue with lukewarm outings and as such here are 10 things I believe DC can do to improve the DCEU.
1. Maintain the essence of the characters
This should be an easy one for DC. Their characters are iconic and so is the essence that makes them who they are. DC needs to bring that to the big screen. Now, in saying that I am not suggesting that they copy the characters exactly, but the core element of the character should remain. You expect Superman to bring hope to any scenario he is in and you expect Batman to bring the reality. There is nothing wrong with that. Barry Allen is funny, yes, but he is not goofy and completely awkward. In short, go back and look at what you did with Wonder Woman and copy that.
2. Tell a story that fits in the movie world
Fans of the comic books will believe that storylines should be brought to the big screen. That is a fatal flaw for comic book movies. Comic storylines have so many different plot threads and angles that is will be near impossible for one storyline to even fit in the scope of a movie, let alone several. Batman v. Superman failed because it attempted to do just that. Forcing Batman and Superman to fight within the confines of one movie while THEN pitting Superman against Doomsday is way too much. Pick one and go with that. If you need help, choose the plot thread that will lead you to complete your story without needing to reverse past decisions.
3. Remember what was done in previous movies
Suicide Squad placed Batman and Flash in the movie to signal that the Suicide Squad was a part of the DCEU. That was good, you know what would have capped it off. A two to three minute scene in Justice League with Bruce Wayne talking to Amanda Waller talking about either a) the status of the last mission, to see if any member of the squad was available, or b) confirming that he has a team now and that Task Force X should stand down on a more permanent basis. It won’t take much, but it would be tremendous to the fans to see the connection continuing. Also, Flash seemed more in tune with his abilities in Suicide Squad than in Justice League, which is it? Consistency matters.
4. Avoid the spin-offs
Breakthrough characters in good movies don’t always deserve to have their own movie. Sony made this fatal mistake when it thought it would be great to announce a Sinister Six movie. Why? Who would want to go see it? DC is making the same mistake with some of its spin-off concepts. A Joker and Harley Quinn movie? No. This is only to continue to capitalize on the hype that Harley Quinn had in Suicide Squad. In all the incarnations of the Joker, no one thought that while AWESOME, they should have their own movie. This is why, despite the section of fans demanding it, there should not be a Black Widow or Hawkeye movie. There is no purpose behind it and would only serve to be a waste of time.
5. Use secondary characters as the glue
This is one from Marvel’s playbook, but hey, if it works, it works. Cinematic Universes not only contain the superstars, but the secondary characters. Using the latter will solidify the universe. DC has for instance, the GCPD, Daily Planet, S.T.A.R Labs, and Cadmus labs, USE THEM!!! Mentioning a main characters supporting cast or seeing them in a particular movie is a great way to tease the fact that the main character is a part of the universe. It doesn’t take much and people who catch the hints will be extremely excited about the way the universe is shaping.
6. Don’t force the cinematic universe
This goes in line with the previous item. There really is no need to announce that you will have a cinematic universe. I know, us fans will connect the dots and ask for it, but that doesn’t mean you have to tell us you are doing it. Connections should feel organic, either through plot or sub-characters, but don’t waste the moments for the sake of fan fare. If you establish a connection, remember it and enhance it later. Sometimes the little things are far more rewarding. That said…
7. Don’t miss the opportunity to make a moment
With the total sum of the DC characters at its disposal, it is easy for the company to drop several hints to draw in on key moments that will leave the fans talking for months to come. While Batman v. Superman was not good on the whole, people couldn’t stop talking about Batman’s fight scene. That moment is a key that works and sticks with the fans. Imagine if at the end of the big fight in Justice League, Superman goes in for the final blow to “incapacitate” Steppenwolf and out of the boom tube comes a figure with red eyes who pushes Superman back and simply says, “Patience Kryptonian, your time will come” and teleports away. That would instantly capture the attention of all in the audience and signal that the bigger threat is coming.
8. Don’t use the Flash to reboot the DCEU
There are talks that the Flash movie will be Flashpoint, a critically acclaimed storyline in which the Flash goes back in time to save his mother and the result sends shockwaves to the DCU causing a reboot of sorts all the characters. This is a bad idea if even the adaptation of that storyline is shown in theatres. For starters, the flash just learned to use his powers right? So for him to have the wherewithal to go back in time is a bit of a stretch. Second, consider that the reverse flash is the one who ultimately was responsible for killing Barry’s mom, and we haven’t met him yet in the DCEU. Oh, he is from the future as well. See how convoluted it is? There is a lot to unpack in one movie and that is just the consequences to the Flash. The DCEU is not irreparable, attempting to reboot the universe is not the way to go.
9. Trust the popularity of the characters
Outside of Spider-Man, DC has the most well known characters in the mainstream world. This allows for DC to have some flexibility with how they introduce their major characters. Think back to Batman ’89. Tim Burton did not waste time retelling the origin of Batman, he trusted that everyone knew that. The only reason Nolan did was he wanted flesh out Batman’s Year One story and introduce Bruce as a member of the League of Shadows. It is not required to go through the same steps other companies would have to in order to get to the same point. DC should trust that the people know the main characters and focus on introducing the audience to the world around them. This would allow people to gain a better understanding and appreciation for the movies they are watching.
10. Have fun
This is not a cop out. It doesn’t feel like the people affiliated with the DCEU are having fun and that is not good. This is an amazing time where characters we once imagined would never make it to the big screen in this fashion are right there before our eyes. DC has been in the movie game for quite a bit with Superman and Batman, but that may also be a bad thing. Rather than rushing, or attempting to rush, to get x number of movies out, do a few really good ones and see where it goes. Telling the right story with the right heroes and villains is what will make a great movie. Once the fun is there, you will see it in the final product and ultimately it will permeate to the audience watching.
And there you have, Do you agree? Disagree? Did I miss something? Let’s discuss