Shared universes are all the hype nowadays. After Marvel pioneered the idea with extremely profitable results and upping the level again with Agents of Shield, studios everywhere are scrambling to make the most out of a property they own the rights to by tying it all together in a box office-smashing crossover of epic proportions. Or so they hope, anyway.
That’s why fans can’t help but notice that the other elephant in the room is reluctant to join in on the frenzy. As of yet, Warner Brothers have shown no intention of connecting the DC Universe that is budding on the big and small screen. Connecting Arrow, which is enjoying a lot of goodwill from critics and audiences alike to the Cinematic Universe that was kicked off by the divisive Man of Steel seems like common sense. Throw in the Flash, Gotham and Constantine and you’re halfway there, right?
No. And here’s why: building a successful franchise around a shared universe is one thing. Ensuring its longevity is another.
Let’s look at DC’s big two. Superman and Batman have both been around for 75 years and are arguably the most recognizable superhero icons in existence. Both have featured in tv, movies, animated features and other multimedia for several decades of their existence. Batman is about to enjoy his second cinematic reboot since Tim Burton’s Batman came out back in 1989. In those two decades four different actors have taken up the cape and cowl, and Ben Affleck has joined the ranks as the fifth. And audiences around the world will love it. Because they love
Batman. Decades of exposure to different versions and interpretations of the Dark Knight has implemented the character,
the symbol, rather than the man behind it into people’s conscience. It's like Nolan's trilogy come to life.
Out of all the issues to be had with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, Henry Cavill rarely comes up. We love the way he looks as Superman, we have recognized his talent and potential. In the years to come, he will have to prove that he is truly worthy to stand next to the universally revered Christopher Reeve. If he does, WB will have done it again: the cinematic endurance of the character of Superman is ensured because the audience will have accepted a different interpretation of the most iconic superhero of all time.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man is without doubt the biggest breakout superhero of the last decade, and the driving force behind the marvelous success of the MCU. I say “RDJ’s Iron Man” because that’s literally what it is. That’s all we’ve had of Iron Man so far. Robert Downey Jr. IS Iron Man, and that is both a blessing and a curse. Will the character of Iron Man survive without the actor attached to it? Only time will tell. That is the big challenge for Marvel in the future.
WB will always have the fortified pillars of their big two to fall back on. This can also be seen as a double-edged sword. They will be less inclined to gamble like Marvel did, but on the other hand it allows them to take the gradual approach that they seem to be taking. Flesh out Green Arrow and the Flash on the small screen in their own shared miniverse. Do justice to Constantine and give Del Toro’s Justice League Dark the go ahead at the same time. Deliver people another interpretation of Gotham and its crazy characters, this time through the eyes of the GCPD. Announce a Wonder Woman movie in the VERY near future because the whole world agrees that stuff is way overdue.
We fans want it all, and we want it right now. But we also want it to be good, and we want it to last forever. All of these DC Universes have crazy potential if they work out right. Because WB has learned that having audiences accept different people behind those masks and different interpretations of those characters is integral to making sure they stand the test of time.
This is my first editorial, so give a girl some love and hit that red glove!