A Crisis on Infinite Earths movie adaptation is the most reasonable way for James Gunn to rework the DCU. Following the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, it was easy to predict that DC Films would go under major changes. The studio was reportedly looking for its Kevin Feige, and now that role will be filled jointly by Peter Safran and James Gunn. With the duo mapping out a new DC universe, audiences can’t help but wonder how much of the previous DCEU will continue – if at all. There is, however, a middle ground between trying to continue the current DCU and completely rebooting the franchise.
Given how complicated the DCU has become, both in terms of canon and behind the scenes, the newly formed DC Studios would have a lot of difficulty in simply continuing the current franchise. From major characters like Batman having an uncertain future to the Justice League not being on the big screen for five years, the old DCEU reached a critical point. While James Gunn has the potential to be the “DC Kevin Feige” that Warner Bros. Discovery was looking for, it’s not reasonable to ask DC Studios to create a solid universe when the current foundation has so many problems. That is why Gunn’s first major DCU problem should be a major crossover event, specifically a Crisis on Infinite Earths in-universe reboot.
The DCEU Has Become Way Too Complicated
Following Justice League’s box office failure and the series of behind-the-scenes controversies that followed, including but not limited to the “Release the Snyder Cut” campaign, the old DCEU as envisioned between Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice essentially ended. DC clearly had no hopes of immediately continuing the Justice League franchise, as no sequel was ever announced. Ben Affleck, who had played Batman in three movies at that point, announced that he would no longer play the Caped Crusader. At the same time, no project centered on Henry Cavill’s Superman was announced, and the DCEU suddenly had some of its main heroes out of the spotlight.
Although it was expected that the franchise now called the DCU would take some time to reorganize its universe after Justice League, years went by with no clear indication of where Warner Bros. would take the franchise next. DC tried to focus on lesser-known characters while the future of most of the Justice League heroes remained a mystery, a risky strategy that did not pay off in the long term. In the five years that followed Justice League, DC’s most successful movie was Aquaman starring Jason Momoa, suggesting that keeping other major characters like Batman, Superman, and the Justice League as a whole away from the spotlight was a mistake.
The absence of DC’s most famous heroes added to an apparent lack of planning, which led the DCU to have a lot of canon problems. For example, before Henry Cavill’s return in Black Adam, Superman’s last two DCU appearances never actually showed the character’s face. Likewise, Birds of Prey stated that Batman was missing and only showed the Joker from behind. At the same time, Michael Keaton was confirmed to be returning as Batman in The Flash, with the actor also set to reprise his role as the Dark Knight in the now-canceled Batgirl. More recently, Ben Affleck’s Batman was confirmed both for The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
It’s Too Late For The Flash To Reboot The DCU
Before the Warner Bros. Discovery merger and the formation of DC Studios, it was expected that The Flash would reboot at least some parts of the previous DCEU. For example, Michael Keaton would have been Batman in the Batgirl movie, suggesting that version of the Caped Crusader would have been integrated into the DCEU timeline following the multiverse events from The Flash. Given how Barry Allen is used to creating new universes and messing with the timeline in almost every iteration of the character, it would make sense for The Flash to be used as the DCEU’s in-universe reboot tool. The problem, however, is that whatever DC Films was planning has now changed with DC Studios.
With James Gunn building a new DCU, it may be too late for The Flash to serve as an in-universe reboot for the franchise. The Flash hits theaters in June 2023, around six months after Gunn begins to craft this new chapter of the DCU. Even if there is still time for The Flash to be reworked in order to fit with what DC Studios is planning, a consistent in-universe reboot that reshapes the DCU according to what James Gunn and Peter Safran are envisioning would be too much of a change for a movie that officially wrapped on October 2021.
James Gunn’s DCU Cannot Be A Complete Reboot
As confusing as the franchise had become, a complete DCU reboot that ignores all previous movies and recasts the Justice League would not work. There are several successful, consolidated sides of the DCU, as exemplified by Aquaman’s box office and the positive reception of Henry Cavill’s Superman return. Despite its flaws, the previous DCEU left its mark on pop culture as it set the stage for the past 10 years of DC movies. While a complete reboot would give James Gunn a lot more freedom to build this new DCU from scratch, the downsides of it would not be worth it. For example, recasting Henry Cavill as Superman would likely spark criticism.
Building something from scratch while also avoiding a classic superhero movie reboot seems impossible for the DCU. However, an in-universe reboot inspired by what DC Comics has done for decades can solve most of the DCU’s problems. This new DCU cannot alienate the franchise’s established audience, but it also cannot focus its efforts on fixing the mistakes of the previous DCEU. Whether DC should release the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad, for example, is a discussion that belongs to a previous moment of the franchise. At the same time, popular portrayals of characters like Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and John Cena’s Peacemaker should not be left behind.
Why The DCU Needs A “Crisis On Infinite Earths”
In the vast world of DC Comics reboots, Crisis on Infinite Earths is arguably the most important and recognizable superhero comic book event. While Flashpoint redefined DC Comics and its characters for a new generation of comic book readers, Crisis on Infinite Earths changed how both DC and Marvel perceived their comic book chronology. Already once previously adapted, for the Arrowverse, Crisis on Infinite Earths was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez and combined all the corners of DC Comics into a unique multiverse story that validated everything the publisher had done up until that point while also creating a more consistent DC Universe. More than 37 years later, that’s exactly what DC needs for its movies.
A Crisis on Infinite Earths DCU movie adaptation would allow DC Studios to bring together every possible character who has previously appeared in the DCEU. As such, this Crisis on Infinite Earths film could wrap up the stories of those who might not return, such as Ben Affleck’s Batman, while setting up a new universe in which names like Henry Cavill’s Superman, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, and Jason Momoa’s Aquaman can exist. A Crisis on Infinite Earths DCU movie could build up from The Flash’s multiverse story, and similar to the comics, it could end with a partially rebooted DC Universe. From then on, DC Studios would have a blank slate to rebuild the DCU.
