10. Getting Rid of Some of the old DCEU Actors…
Starting with the most obvious issue here, getting rid of all the actors we have come to associate with these characters has already gotten people soured on the new direction of this franchise. Ben Affleck, Jason Momoa, and Gal Gadot gave good performances of these famous comic book characters that people were excited to see more of.
The biggest blow, however, is the departure of Henry Cavill as Superman. After having his time as Superman in a constant state of flux for so many years, he was finally confirmed to return as the character in Black Adam. Then, only weeks later, it was confirmed that Cavill wouldn't return in the new DC universe, making the Black Adam post-credits scene completely pointless. Depressingly, this is the last time we ever see Cavill in the red and blue.
The reaction to this by fans has not been good, to say the least. They have called for Gunn's firing, with the hashtag #FireJamesGunn trending on Twitter. You can understand Gunn and Safran's desire to get rid of all the baggage from the previous DCEU, but it's still a painful loss for fans that will make it hard for them to get on board for the new reboot.
9. But Keeping Others
Conversely, there have already been some actors from the DCEU who will leap to the DCU. It's already been confirmed that Amanda Waller and characters from Peacemaker are staying in, while Zachary Levi has hinted that he is staying on as Shazam. Understandably, this has outraged fans because it seems like Gunn is showing "favoritism" towards certain actors, given that he directed Suicide Squad and he is friends with Levi.
This would obviously be frustrating for fans, but this would be confusing for casual viewers. After all, having Levi's Shazam interact with a completely different version of Superman would definitely have people scratching their heads. Not to mention these old actors possibly coming into the DCU as entirely new characters. For example, there have been rumors that Jason Momoa could play Lobo in the DCU, which will confuse audiences even further.
It's a very odd way for James Gunn and Safran to get things started. If they really wanted a clean slate, they should go with a complete reboot with new actors. There's no benefit to keeping some actors and getting rid of others, as it will anger fans and confuse casual viewers.
8. Completely wiping the Snyderverse
Similar to getting rid of the actors, completely wiping out everything from the Snyderverse is a mistake on Warner Bros. part. The Snyder Cut of Justice League wasn't perfect, but it was an improvement over the one released in theaters. Even the most anti-Snyder purists have to admit that his storytelling is something people are interested in.
The teases of Robin and other easter eggs showed that Snyder at least knew how to do some excellent world-building. Not to mention that the Snyder cut of Justice League set up future movies that people really wanted to see. Regardless of your feelings toward the Snyder cut, it was downright awesome seeing characters like Desaad and Darkseid in live-action.
Again, it is understandable that Gunn and Safran want to avoid the baggage that comes with the Snyderverse. After all, some "fans" of the Snyderverse were very toxic and are now making unreasonable demands like continuing Snyders DCEU on Netflix. However, Snyders ideas were exciting and showed respect towards the comics. At the very least, the new heads at DC Studios can incorporate some story ideas that Snyder had planned into future movies.
7. Superhero Fatigue
Superhero fatigue has been talked about by the old heads for years now, but the last few years have started to see this theory become a reality. That doesn't just include DC, either. Phase Four of the MCU was easily the worst so far and dampened fans' excitement about the future of the "Multiverse Saga." Sure, none of Marvel's recent movies have been bad, but there's been a noticeable inconsistency in the quality of their films.
With DC, there, unfortunately, has been more bad than good. And now the entire DC universe is starting over at a time when superhero movies' popularity is beginning to wane. These movies still make money, even with the pandemic ravaging cinemas. The Batman made $800 million, and even lesser MCU movies like Multiverse of Madness and Love & Thunder made $950 and $750 million, respectively. But that's been joined by worse reviews and a feeling among fans that quantity is being prioritized over quality.
DC has always been behind its rival when it came to making quality films about its characters. Now, they're starting from scratch in a market that is becoming more saturated by the day. Sure, good storytelling can always gain back people's interest. But with so many new comic book movies failing to stand out, starting over doesn't seem like it will automatically lead to success.
6. Obscure Characters Is A Risk
Now, if there is one person to trust when successfully adapting relatively unknown characters, it's James Gunn. After all, he made audiences fall in love with a talking tree and a talking raccoon. But even devoted fans of him will probably agree he's going way out of left field with some of the choices for film and TV.
Paradise Lost, The Authority, Creature Commandos, Swamp-Thing, and Booster Gold are incredibly obscure characters that make up about half the DC Studios slate. The first three will be made up of characters that even hardcore fans have never heard of. Even the latter two, who are fan-favorites, will be a hard sell to more casual audiences. Also, while Viola Davis is a fantastic actress, devoting an entire series to her character is an odd move. Paradise Lost is especially bizarre, considering most DC fans would just like to see Wonder Woman herself, not her side characters.
Sure, Gunn and Safran are mixing obscure characters with heavy hitters like Batman and Superman, but even they aren't a guarantee to do well. Batman Vs. Superman and Justice League wildly underperformed at the box office despite having some of the most recognizable characters in comic book history. If those huge names can't put a dent in the box office, then what hope do these unknowns have?
5. Behind Marvel (Again)
Though DC has had some successes compared to their Marvel counterparts, it's generally accepted that the latter has been more consistent in quantity and quality. Sure, Phase Four has been the most inconsistent by far, but there still were enough good movies to keep fans interested. DC fans, however, have been waiting for consistency both in storytelling and quality for a long time. And now, they're starting all over once again.
It's nice that James Gunn and DC want to take their time and build a cohesive universe unlike its predecessor, but it seems like it's too late. DC fans have experienced so many ups and downs over the years that they have a right to be skeptical about whether this will happen to them again. Worse, they had to watch their comic book rivals go from hit to hit, both financially and critically.
The way this is going, Marvel will have completed SIX cohesive phases before DC has even accomplished one. That is incredibly embarrassing and shows how far Marvel is compared to their Distinguished Competition. The two universes will always be compared to one another, but it's a moot one when one is so far ahead of the other.
4. The Director Problem
It seems like Warner Bros. has a problem with meddling in their director's films. The studios fiddling with Justice League infamously led to fans demanding that Warner Brothers release Snyder's version. The Snyder Cut was still a mess but unquestionably superior to the theatrical version. There has been a vocal fan outcry (although not as Snyder) for Ayer to release his version of Suicide Squad. Even Cathy Yan and Patty Jenkins have admitted the studio has meddled in their respective movies.
In fairness, this isn't the case for everyone they have worked with. James Gunn directed
The Suicide Squad and clearly enjoyed his experience. Same for James Wan and David Sandberg, which explains why their characters are starting to look like they will merge into the DCU. But there has been enough meddling by the studio that it will be tough for the new regime to convince new directors to hop on.
Marvel Studios hasn't been perfect when it comes to their directors but they have a much better track record that could pull directors away from DC. Gunn is almost certainly going to direct some of these movies, and they could even re-use some directors from the DCEU. But convincing new directors to come on board will be quite the uphill battle when the brand has been so tarnished.
3. Gunn and Safran have never done this before
Though both men at the top seem to care deeply about the characters, it still doesn't remove the fact that neither has taken a job of this magnitude. Safran has been around the Shazam franchise, but that's a tiny puzzle of a much larger story. Gunn may have gotten some tips from Marvel Studios, but he has never had this much responsibility to keep up with.
Kevin Feigie is one-of-a-kind because despite so many studios trying to copy Marvels formula, they have yet to have someone like Feigie steadying the ship. Sure, Phase Four has been the most inconsistent so far, but that was mainly due to him being stretched too thin amid Marvel's move to Disney+ shows. But what made Feige special is that he didn't have a template to follow and took his time when he created this sprawling world. Gunn and Safran are jumping into a ten-year plan with no experience is a big risk.
Now, no one is saying that Gunn and Safran are some hacks that have no idea what they're doing. They clearly have the desire to focus on quality over quantity compared to the previous regime (they've stated that they will only move forward with a movie if the script is approved). Still, there's a feeling that they may have bit off more than they could chew for this shared world.
2. David Zaslav Has Fans Nervous
Initially, fans were ecstatic about the change in regime for Warner Bros. after the merger with AT&T and Discovery. They even held out hope that the Snyderverse could be revisited. Those hopes were quickly dashed, however, and it was then followed by the shock reveal that the Batgirl movie would be canceled. It wasn't the most anticipated film from DC, but it was still surreal to see a film deep into production get canned.
The fanbase is concerned that Zaslav could cancel other loved properties, such as the "Tomorrowverse" or the Young Justice series, just to cut costs. It was never 100% confirmed whether Batgirl got canceled because of its quality or tax reasons, but either way, it shows that Zaslav isn't afraid to completely get rid of something they don't have complete confidence in.
In all honesty, this studio has only one goal: make the most money. Of course, Marvel and Disney have the same idea in mind, but there's a devotion to try and bring in quality content. Batgirl's cancellation proves that there is nothing that the current regime will do to ensure that there are dollar signs in their eyes.
1. Warner Bros. Still Don't Know What They Are Doing
Overall, the actual reveal of the slate itself went over well despite the fan backlash of the Superman casting. It blended the big hitters with obscure characters that caused a lot of intrigue for fans. Still, there is reservation among the audience based on the studio behind it, Warner Brothers.
Remember 2014? We were supposed to have Green Lantern Corps and Cyborg movies by now. Instead, the Lanterns are being saved for TV, and there isn't a place for Cyborg in the DCU. Who's to say that some of these movies won't quietly get canceled either. The Batman and Superman movies are probably safe bets because of their popularity, but Warner Brothers could get freaked out by the obscure Swamp Thing and The Authority. There's also the confusion of whether this is a full-blown reboot or a soft "continuation" of the DCEU. Waller implies the latter, but Gunn and Safran didn't clear things up. And then, to confuse audiences even more, there will be "Elseworlds" stories outside the DCU that will include Matt Reeve's The Batman and Todd Phillips' Joker. This means we could see the same character played by two different actors very close to each other, making it hard for audiences to distinguish the two.
Hopefully, Gunn and Safran can take control of this shared universe without Warner Brothers butting in all the time. The issue with Warner Bros. is that they are always meddling with their shared universe despite claiming they want to stay out of it. If they do the same here, the DCU could share the same fate as the DCEU.