Five Ways To Improve The DCU

Nov 12

DC comic characters — Image Source: DC Universe

Most DC fans would agree that the DCEU has been a bit of a mess in recent years. With so many different storylines, castings, and abandoned projects, the entire DCEU has felt like a dumpster fire. After the announcement that James Gunn would be taking over as co-head of DC Studios in 2022, it gave many of us hope that he would return DC to its former glory and finally give the fandom something to be excited about again. While every fan has their own opinion about what should be done to make the new DCU better, I have compiled a list of the top five things that I think would make the DCU the best it’s ever been.

5. Clear Canons

Animated Batman — Image Source: *Forbes*

I made the word canon plural because for those of us that grew up in the 90’s we were accustomed to DC storylines that each had their own lane. We knew that Batman: The Animated Series was not connected to Michael Keaton’s Batman from 1989 or Val Kilmer’s Batman in 1995. We could have multiple actors playing and/or voicing the same character without it being confusing as to how the storylines worked. This is something that has been lost in recent years with more studios introducing multiverses and crossovers. One of the things that made DC so special was how many different visions there were of Batman, the Joker, etc., and how they each got their time to shine. This is something that Gunn absolutely needs to bring back into the new DCU.

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4. Smaller Projects

I love Batman movies as much as the next person, but I want to see more small projects, specifically on the small screen. For example, 2019’s Swamp Thing is one of the best DC shows to come out in recent years that wasn’t animated, and not only was it canceled after one season, but it was also canceled on a cliffhanger. The show had a horror atmosphere, stellar writing, and an outstanding cast, but according to what I could find online, it was canceled in place of larger projects. We need to allow more funding for smaller projects like this one! Star Wars has shown how impactful small-screen projects can be with shows like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka becoming some of the best-reviewed and most well-loved projects for the studio. I would love to see Gunn take some inspiration from Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau and put more stock in DCU shows.

3. Introduce Lesser Known Characters

My favorite DC character is Harley Quinn, but when she was brought into live-action for 2016’s Suicide Squad, she was a lesser-known character for fans who didn’t read the comic books. She has easily become one of the most well-loved characters in the DCEU with fans constantly requesting more content starring her. What helped Birds of Prey be so popular was the introduction of lesser-known characters like Black Canary and The Huntress. We need to see DC put more creativity into projects by digging into the comics and bringing us characters that most fans don’t know about. It is one of the biggest things that will breathe new life into this fandom.

2. Feature More Female Leads

Some of the most well-received content has been the movies and shows with female leads. For decades DC’s series and films were focused on male leads with the women acting as sidekicks or love interests. Harley Quinn and Wonder Woman were the first time we got mainstream content with strong female leads. We need more of this in the DCU moving forward. There is no shortage of incredible female heroes and villains in the comics, so there is no excuse for the DCU to continue with the same male characters taking center stage.

1. More Animated Projects

Harley Quinn poster — Image Source: IMDb

Gunn needs to lean into DC’s animated projects much more heavily than anyone has in the past. Whether you are looking at series like Batman: The Animated Series or Harley Quinn or you are looking at the best Batman movie ever made, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, you can see that they all have two things in common. One, they are easily the best DC content, and two, they are all animated. With the renewed popularity of animated content thanks to shows like Rick and Morty and Star Wars: The Clones Wars, there is no reason for all of the attention to continue to be placed on live-action projects.

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