Why the DC Universe Franchise Needs A Reset

DC Needs this reset. There’s really no other way to say it, but to say it plainly: the DC movie franchise needs a fresh start.

This is not a discussion about who should give the franchise that fresh start; it’s not a discussion about what strategy to use to give the DC Universe a new opportunity to build – or even about which name to give it (DCEU, DCU…). This discussion is about the one big question looming over all of this: 

Can the parts of the DC movie franchise that Warner Bros. already built continue? Or does there need to be a fresh start? 

…And it’s pretty clear which way we’re leaning. 

For anyone unfamiliar, here’s the current situation: In 2022 Waner Bros. merged with Discovery Channel to form Warner Bros. Discovery; new CEO David Zslav immediately went to work overhauling the entire plan and strategy for DC Entertainment, culminating in the announcement that a new venture, DC Studios, was being launched with filmmaker/producer James Gunn and producer Peter Safran in charge. 

Since that announcement, we’ve seen some massive changes made to the DCU franchise. Henry Cavill is officially done as Superman; Gal Gadot’s next Wonder Woman movie was canceled; Jason Momoa may be changing roles from Aquaman to Lobo, and even the newest film franchise, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Black Adam, has been put on ice for now. 

James Gunn has not been shy that big changes are coming to the DCU franchise under DC Studios – and there has been massive (toxic?) backlash since. “#FireJamesGunn” has become a running hashtag, as DC fans loyal to the current and/or recent version of the DC movies franchise have been unleashing vitriol on Gunn and co. before they’ve even made one official franchise plan announcement. 

Why The DCU Needs A Reset

It was easier to side with campaigns like #ReleaseTheSnyderCut when it was a fan-driven movement to let a director (Zack Snyder) finish the vision he started for Justice League before Warner Bros. stuck Joss Whedon in and recut the film. However, the continued call for some kind of return to Snyder’s version of DC is now just getting to the point of exhaustion (way beyond that point in many opinions). 

At this point, who does the call to bring back the SnyderVerse even go out to? The director (Zack Snyder) who is done with all this drama and has moved on to building entirely new movie universes (Army of the Dead, Rebel Moon)?

The stars (Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Margot Robbie, Joe Manganiello, Jesse Eisenberg, etc.) who have plodded along with this franchise, with more pointless fans questions and studio drama than box office wins? OR the more controversial actors (Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher) that have kept studio PR reps sleepless all year? 

The movie-going masses, who have not had any reason to look at DC as any kind of Marvel Cinematic Universe competitor in years, just showing up for top-brand standalone releases (The Batman, Joker), and not even supporting the shared universe franchise’s latest attempt at fresh blood (Black Adam)? 

…Who is left (outside of Twitter) to even believe that the franchise Snyder wanted to build is even something that can still exist, viably? The fact that Warner Bros. made Zack Snyder’s Justice League wasn’t the first victory in a longer war: it was clearly the culminating reward for a battle well-fought and won. But it’s over now. 

Again: this is no discussion about who should give the DCU a fresh start, or what strategy is best to do it. It’s just a simple conclusion that needs to be accepted: the past is done, and outside of some big fan service event that could very well bring back SnyderVerse faces (“Kingdom Come,” “Crisis on Infinite Earths”), the old franchise is not going to be a part of the new one – and it shouldn’t be.

The longer DC continues to try to mix old and new elements of the franchise together (see: Black Adam) the more confused the average fan gets, and the more unhappy EVERYONE seems to get, that either A) Snyder’s work is only being half-acknowledged, or B) DC is still feeding the divisive elements Snyder introduced, which not everyone loved in the first place. 

We’ve had enough examples now that half-cleaning measures don’t work. The Flash movie is the clear opportunity to reset the entire DC movie continuity – not to mention the only way that can basically leave the window open for SnyderVerse fans to get a well-deserved nod from the franchise down the line. So why fight it? 

Put the ball in DC Studios’ court: It’s on them to wow us and heal this franchise. They at least deserve the chance.