James Gunn, the new head of the DCEU, has announced a total reboot of the entire franchise. After many, many months, we still don't know what that is going to look like exactly. Comic-Con San Diego and Comic-Con New York have come and passed, and still no details besides some actor or another replacing the irreplaceable Henry Cavill as Superman.
After watching The Flash movie, honestly, all I can say is: That was it? With all the might (and money) of Warner Brothers and DC Comics combined, and after numerous delays... That's it? The story was a significant upgrade compared to most DC movies that have come out to date but there was still something off. And I don't mean the poorly done CGI.
The film recurred to the same old sins from previous DC installments. That bizarre compulsion, that desperate urgency, to introduce as many characters as possible and thus dilute the effect each one has on the plot or on the saga as a whole. Warner Brothers execs are aware that their DCEU experiment is light-years away from Marvel / Disney's universe of superheroes and have been trying to catch up for what feels like decades now. But by comparing their superhero project to another one that has had decades to grow organically, they are setting themselves up for failure. And oh boy, what a failure the DCEU thus far has been.
Black Adam? An inconsequential stand-alone movie. We won't be seeing the Rock again.
Aquaman? It sets up the character's origin story, but as a film, it was barely entertaining.
Wonder Woman 1 & 2? Why make two movies around her past? Were they unable to write something in the present? As a side note, there is a wealth of Diana's origin stories in the comic books. They used close to none of it.
Shazam 1 & 2? Wasn't DC's whole forte that they're "darker" and "grittier" than Marvel? Maybe with Shazam, WB was trying to reach a younger demographic, but it is hard to tell.
Batman v Superman? Not as bad as everyone says. Nonetheless a letdown.
Suicide Squad? The first one that is. A movie that barely holds itself together. Characters weren't memorable or distinguishable for that matter. The plot was... was there a plot?
Birds of Prey? Does... does anyone even remember that movie?
Justice League Snyder's Cut? Too. Damn. Long. And I'm sorry but adding slow-mo effects and emo-rock music doesn't make scenes any deeper. It's not enough to make it a good movie.
Yes. There is The Suicide Squad. The second one that is. Memorable characters. Weak plot but the witty dialogues, the hilarious character backstories, and the insane action make up for it.
In conclusion, only ONE out of FIFTEEN DC movies is a fun watch.
So yes, the DCEU is more than ready for a reboot. Arguably, it's long overdue.
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