James Gunn’s DCU feels like it’s been increasingly confusing the more time has gone on, and it hasn’t even started yet. While initially pitched as a clean slate for DC, which desperately needs one after the recent, extreme tanking of the DCEU, that does not appear to be what’s happening.
Here’s where the DCU stands, a confusing blend of replacing major DCEU heroes, but also probably…not replacing some others for reasons that remain unclear.
Superman – The most infamous change was removing Henry Cavill as Superman in exchange for a younger version for Superman Legacy, the film Gunn himself is writing. The new Superman has been announced as David Cornswet, who is exactly 10 years younger than Cavill. This comes after an attempted return of the character to DC in a Black Adam cameo orchestrated by The Rock, who has also not been invited back to play that role in the DCU.
Batman – While we just saw Ben Affleck’s Batman in The Flash, it seems extremely unlikely that he will return for The Brave and the Bold, the DCU project that will focus on Bruce and his son Damian. No casting has been announced for this yet. This will exist alongside the separate “Elseworlds” series based on Matt Reeves The Batman played by Robert Pattinson, which is getting a sequel and at least one HBO spin-off show.
Wonder Woman – This is the news that brought all this up, that Gal Gadot has said that she is now working with James Gunn on Wonder Woman 3, despite previous reports of a third film being cancelled. Further inside reports describe this as a “reboot” with the same actress, and likely no Patty Jenkins as director, who WB seems to have soured on after Wonder Woman 1984.
Aquaman – We have Aquaman 2 still to come as what appears to be the last “real” DCEU movie on deck, hoping to replicate the billion dollar success of the first one, but also following a string of truly bad and underperforming DCEU movies. While there were previous reports Jason Momoa would also play Lobo, Gunn said that no actor would play two roles in the DCU, and Peter Safran has said that Aquaman was always envisioned by Momoa as a trilogy, so that would have to be during the DCU and retain Momoa in the role.
The Flash – Ezra Miller now has the unfortunate honor of being the star of WB’s biggest bomb and one of the worst box office losses in movie history. The Flash will lose $200 million, however, at least before that performance, Gunn seemed to suggest despite the odd continuity with the DCEU/DCU it would cause, and despite Ezra Miller’s uh, crime spree. Gunn and Safran have focused on Miller recovering from their mental health issues, but have not ruled out their return to the role. Though after this massive loss, it does seem unlikely, and there has been no announced future Flash project, with or without Miller, even before the film came out.
Then you get into lesser heroes and villains. What happens to the Suicide Squad cast including Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn? If she stays, is Jared Leto’s Joker still the DCU Joker? What about Gunn’s Peacemaker, born in the DCEU and featuring Momoa’s Aquaman and Miller’s Flash in cameos? It’s really muddy when Gunn and Safran do not seem interested in wiping all these roles and starting over.
It does not make much sense that if huge roles like Superman and Batman are being recast for this new era, that similarly big parts like Wonder Woman, Aquaman and The Flash keep their actors in place, roles that began in some cases 7-8 years ago when Gadot first appeared as Wonder Woman in Batman V. Superman. Why muddy the transition like this? Why make the Cavill decision look even worse? It doesn’t add up.
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