The DCEU Is Dead So Isn't It Time For A New Direction?

[The Dark Knight]

Look at how spoilt for choice Batman fans are with different divisions of preference. I think it really comes down to the power of the 78 film. That's the unifying force for a lot of people, and then you have others who push back against it, which creates a wrestle. We saw it plain as day during the Snyder era. The fanbase has a war between old and new, light and dark - but the dark wasn't as pitch black as it was purported to be.

[Edd Grayson]

Mind you, the other way of looking at it is that there are hardcore Fantastic Four fans who would probably LOVE to have the Superman fanbase's problems of having too many choices.

Tell me about it. At this point the unreleased 1994 FF movie is the best we have, in my opinion. It has a nice "B-movie" charm.

Not that 2005, 2007 and 2015 were much worse, they weren't.

[Travesty]

All that stuff works together to form divisions in the Superman fanbase. "I am of Byrne's MOS", "I am of Snyder's MOS", "I am of the Silver Age", "I am of Christopher Reeve", etc. There's no unifying force to hold everything together.

Well, if there's one thing that unites them, it's this one single panel they love to drop over and over again, like it's the basis for the character, lol. Granted, I don't hate the panel, but it's just so hackey seeing this exact panel constantly, with them claiming, "see, this is what we need in live-action. It's so easy".

[thecolorsblend]

All that stuff works together to form divisions in the Superman fanbase. "I am of Byrne's MOS", "I am of Snyder's MOS", "I am of the Silver Age", "I am of Christopher Reeve", etc. There's no unifying force to hold everything together.

Well, if there's one thing that unites them, it's this one single panel they love to drop over and over again, like it's the basis for the character, lol. Granted, I don't hate the panel, but it's just so hackey seeing this exact panel constantly, with them claiming, "see, this is what we need in live-action. It's so easy".

It's a good page and I love it. Esp since that one action has gigantic ramifications later in the issue. I adore the Silver Age On Steroids approach of All-Star Superman.

But that's very much Superman As Mythical God. And I think there's plenty of room in the marketplace for Superman As A Vulnerable Man. But not everyone else in the fanbase agrees with that.

Sometimes I don't think the Superman fanbase is all that unique. It may be a more extreme example of division and stuff. But I think the more likely explanation for why Batman fans tend to be befuddled by Superman fans is because the Batman fanbase is a lot more unified and cohesive. Batman fans have their favorite incarnations, of course. But the fact that other incarnations of the character exist doesn't seem to cause anyone fatal offense.

The Batman fanbase is unique in that respect. Because other fanbases (such as Spider-Man) can get very contentious with each other. Superman is the worst (or best?) example of that. But they're not the only fanbase with that problem. In fact, I might say that Batman is the only fanbase that DOESN'T have that problem.

[The Joker]

Previously Gunn said this:

Now Affleck has said this:

I would not direct something for the [James] Gunn DC. Absolutely not. I have nothing against James Gunn. Nice guy, sure he's going to do a great job. I just wouldn't want to go in and direct in the way they're doing that. I'm not interested in that.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/ben-affleck-air-production-company-grammys-memes-justice-league-1235353301/

The "the way they're doing that" part sounds ominous. Ben knows the plan and wants nothing to do with it.

Yeah, this comes across as shades of Keaton's departure from "Batman Forever".

Thanks, but at the same time, no thanks.

[The Dark Knight]

Sometimes I don't think the Superman fanbase is all that unique. It may be a more extreme example of division and stuff. But I think the more likely explanation for why Batman fans tend to be befuddled by Superman fans is because the Batman fanbase is a lot more unified and cohesive. Batman fans have their favorite incarnations, of course. But the fact that other incarnations of the character exist doesn't seem to cause anyone fatal offense.

The Batman fanbase is unique in that respect. Because other fanbases (such as Spider-Man) can get very contentious with each other. Superman is the worst (or best?) example of that. But they're not the only fanbase with that problem. In fact, I might say that Batman is the only fanbase that DOESN'T have that problem.

Batman films have had two big heavyweights in my opinion, Burton and Nolan. That's why we saw a lot of the tension around 2005-2012. A newcomer came in to challenge the mantle and others found themselves preferring the new take. But that has largely dissipated, and in the long run these two sets of films existing has been good for the franchise. We now get to see a mixture of these influences, fantasy and militaristic 'realism' - Snyder's Batmobile is a good example of that blend, that doesn't put all the praise on just one interpretation, which is the case with live action Superman.

Even Man of Steel, with its points of aesthetic difference, relies on the structures of the first two Reeve films. Superman has content but a lot of it is now historical. The Reeve films, STAS, Dean Cain, Smallville and even Superman Returns aren't exactly current and the desire is always for something new. If Gunn wants a lighter Superman I'd rather he mimic STAS. But I can't see this journey being smooth sailing.

The briefs being removed with Batman happened without much fanfare, but with Superman it's a dogfight. There are fans who legitimately behave as if Superman shouldn't raise his fists and always be smiling. The extremes in the Superman fanbase are very hard to reconcile. With the passage of time Snyder is just going to look better in my eyes by pulling off the Band-Aid.

[eledoremassis02]

From yesterday. It looks like we may get to see ZSJL in theatres?
https://twitter.com/ZackSnyder/status/1639064549109424128?s=20


Zack Snyder
@ZackSnyder
Super excited for this incredible 3-day event to benefit AFSP. Look for the link to purchase your tickets tomorrow at 8am PDT. Thank you Warner Bros. for all your support helping to make this happen. #AFSP #FullCircle #Snyderverse #ArtCenter #WarnerBros #DC #AMCTheaters

[The Dark Knight]

They're trying to make Blue Beetle the potential first film of the new DCU - and I hope it's another flop. The trailer did nothing for me. It's just another Shazam formula film that feels so tired and predictable now. The director hasn't done himself any favors either. I'm suspecting the movie will make some money but I'm hoping it is reduced. People like this director don't like me, and I don't like him.

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2023/04/05/dcs-blue-beetle-director-tweets-then-deletes-post-wishing-for-donald-trump-assassination/

[thecolorsblend]

They're trying to make Blue Beetle the potential first film of the new DCU - and I hope it's another flop. The trailer did nothing for me. It's just another Shazam formula film that feels so tired and predictable now. The director hasn't done himself any favors either. I'm suspecting the movie will make some money but I'm hoping it is reduced. People like this director don't like me, and I don't like him.

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2023/04/05/dcs-blue-beetle-director-tweets-then-deletes-post-wishing-for-donald-trump-assassination/

At this point, Ted Kord may as well have never existed. Weird how Reyes is the only Blue Beetle who ever seems to get adapted.

As to Ángel Manuel Soto's tweet, I mean, what do you expect from a pig but a grunt? It's a stupid thing to tweet out to the whole world. But let's face it, Soto is in a community where saying stupid things like that costs him nothing.

[Silver Nemesis]

Blue Beetle will bomb.

The writing's on the wall for the superhero genre. It's had its day. Joker and No Way Home are the only superhero movies released post-Endgame to cross the billion dollar mark. Most of DC's recent movies have all either tanked or barely broken even, and even the MCU is seeing diminishing box office returns and declining viewership for its increasingly poor TV content. The bubble has well and truly burst and general audiences want something different. There will always be a market for icons like Batman and Spider-Man, and a select few will continue making a profit, but the time has passed when you could churn out movies based on any C-list Marvel/DC properties and expect a gross north of $600 million.

I predict Joker 2 and The Flash might do all right, but the rest of DC's upcoming slate, including Aquaman 2 and James Gunn's Superman movie, will struggle and likely underperform.

The fact the director of Blue Beetle openly called for murder against a politician he doesn't like won't help matters. If someone from the other side of the aisle had written something similar, you can bet he'd have been given the Gina Carano treatment. Evidently the industry's moral outrage only flows in one direction.