The DCEU is, unfortunately, continuing its poor run of form after the cancellation of Batgirl by Warner Bros., proving that DC properties are still being mishandled in the world of film and TV. Despite the film being almost complete and set for a late-2022 release, Batgirl was canceled by its parent studio, throwing the already faltering DCEU into further disarray. What this means for the future of DC properties at Warner Bros. Discovery remains to be seen, yet the decision only goes to further prove that DC properties, the fans that support them, and the creatives hired to make these projects deserve better than what is currently being offered.
Warner Bros. cancelation of the Batgirl movie is only the latest misstep in the handling of DC properties from the studio, with the DCEU having been plagued with issues since the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Upon the latter's release in 2016, the DCEU was hit with its first obstacle after the film received poor reviews from critics. This poor run only continued with the release of David Ayer's Suicide Squad and the similarly poor reviews received by that DC outing.
However, after this, the DCEU was seemingly getting itself back on track with the releases of Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Shazam!, and Birds of Prey, all of which received positive reviews. Commercially though, only the former two films performed well at the box-office, with the latter two underperforming despite positive reception. After this, with the less-than-stellar reception to Wonder Woman 1984 and the clamor surrounding Zack Snyder's Justice League, the DCEU seemed to hit more speedbumps that have only continued to slow down a potentially fantastic franchise. All this has created a sleeping giant, stuck in the shadow of cinema's other significant superhero franchise and unable to create the continued success that has served Marvel so well. It's little wonder that some supporters are beginning to despair.
Batgirl's Cancellation Is Just The DCEU's Latest Issue
The cancellation of Batgirl is the latest in a long line of issues for the DCEU. However, it is an issue that is arguably bigger than many the DCEU has faced up to this point, and is extremely worrying for both the creatives behind the film and the fans who longed to see it. Batgirl was initially set to release in late 2022 and was directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah of Bad Boys For Life and Ms. Marvel fame. The film was set to star Leslie Grace in the titular role, and see the return of Michael Keaton's Batman and J.K Simmons' Commissioner Gordon alongside Brendan Fraser as the film's villain: Firefly. Unfortunately, though, Warner Bros. canceled the film despite it being all but complete.
Citing the poor test screenings the film had and the untheatrical, mid-budget style in which the movie was created as reasons behind the cancelation, Warner Bros. decided to cut their losses and completely shelve the film, not even opting for a release on streaming service HBOMax. While the studio has insisted they were pleased with Grace's performance in the lead role and their collaboration with the directing duo, the film's cancelation leaves many disappointed. Not only would Batgirl have given fans their first solo Barbara Gordon adventure (outside of Titans), as well as providing the first Hispanic lead in the DCEU, but it would've been one of the few DCEU films that received little-to-no studio interference. Unfortunately, studio interference has come in the worst possible way, omitting the film completely from future releases and preventing audiences from seeing the hard work put into the film by the many cast and crew members. This is in many ways indicative of wider problems that have plagued the studio since before the Batgirl controversy. As a result, Batgirl's cancellation is very much the tip of the iceberg.
What Is Going On With The DCEU's Superman
Another of the many issues facing the DCEU that, unfortunately, continues to prove that the franchise can't catch a break is the gross mishandling of Superman. Superman is one of the most famous, beloved superhero characters of all time and is seen by many as someone who should be front and center for any DC shared universe. While this initially was set to be the case with the DCEU, with Henry Cavill's Superman having starring roles in three of the first five DCEU releases, the character hasn't appeared in any noticeable capacity since 2017 (not counting Zack Snyder's Justice League). Outside of faceless cameos in properties such as Shazam! and Peacemaker and brief references in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, Superman or Henry Cavill have not been part of the DCEU in any significant way in recent years.
Even the trailer for Shazam! Fury of the Gods, featuring references to multiple DCEU superheroes like Flash, Aquaman, and Batman omitted any mention of Superman. This has led many to question just what the situation is with the Man of Steel and Warner Bros., with the studio seemingly distancing themselves from the character. This led many to believe that Warner Bros. was building up to an internet-breaking appearance of Henry Cavill at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 to announce his return to the role. Unfortunately for many though, the panel came and went with no hint of Henry Cavill or Superman. Seemingly, Warner Bros. is focused on their new era of the DCEU, featuring characters like Shazam, Black Adam, Aquaman, and the Flash, though the latter is plagued with multiple issues itself. With no confirmation of any Superman appearance, especially not with Henry Cavill in the role, on the horizon, the mishandling of one of DC's biggest properties is just another issue that has plagued the faltering DCEU.
The DCEU Doesn't Have A Clear Franchise Identity
This mishandling of Superman, alongside the cancelation of Batgirl and the creative disparity between the DCEU's many projects over the years, has made it clear the DC properties have no clear direction or franchise identity like that of its main rival: the MCU. With Marvel Studios recently announcing multiple MCU movies and shows up to Phase 6, and Warner Bros. canceling a near-$100 million movie just months from its planned release window, it is clear that DC properties lack any sense of franchise cohesion and identity when their biggest rivals have for over a decade.
This isn't to state one franchise is better than the other, and is simply to point out the clear lack of direction the DCEU has been given under Warner Bros., with countless soft reboots, character omissions, and studio interferences on many DC movies over the years. Initially, with the strong connections between all DCEU films from Man of Steel to Justice League, it seemed the DCEU was off to a strong, interconnected, albeit rushed beginning. However, Warner Bros., unfortunately, took the poor reception to films like BvS and Suicide Squad and panicked, interfering with what should have been a guaranteed home-run in Justice League.
From then on, Warner Bros. seemingly began crafting their DCEU projects with no overarching franchise identity, opting to make standalone movies focusing on different characters. While this wasn't necessarily a bad move, the creators hired to make the many films after Justice League clearly received a lack of clear franchise direction from the studio, with films like Aquaman, Shazam!, and The Suicide Squad all featuring overt links to past DCEU properties. At this point, it is still unclear whether Warner Bros. wants to have an interconnected universe of different characters, despite the lack of some of the DCEU's biggest earlier characters in Ben Affleck's Batman and Henry Cavill's Superman, or a franchise consisting of standalone adventures. The cancelation of Batgirl, and the obvious problems plaguing The Flash and star Ezra Miller, only add to the confusion and prove the DCEU has no clear identity or plan for where the franchise is heading under Warner Bros.
The Snyderverse Still Looms Over The DCEU
Outside of the recent issues concerning Batgirl and The Flash, one of the biggest mistakes ever made with the DCEU began with Warner Bros. handling of Justice League. Initially, Zack Snyder was hired to be the creative overseer of the DCEU, with the filmmaker being hired to write and direct Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, and the latter's sequels. However, upon the negative reception to Batman v Superman, and Zack Snyder's exit from Justice League to cope with the tragic death of his daughter, Warner Bros. hired Joss Whedon to rework Justice League to fit the new direction the studio had concocted for the DCEU. This meant drastically changing the style and tone of Zack Snyder's initial film, and almost completely altering the direction of the story that would've led to further Justice League sequels.
In the years since Joss Whedon's Justice League was released, a movement began online to release Zack Snyder's initial vision for the film. This became an unexpected reality in 2021 when Warner Bros. allowed Snyder to finish his version of the film to release on HBOMax. The film was released to a much more positive reception than 2017's Justice League from both fans and critics alike, causing the Snyderverse, a dubbing for Snyder's DCEU vision, to become an even bigger shadow looming over the DCEU and Warner Bros. Since then, the calls for Snyder's vision to be restored to the DCEU have been deafening, with many wishing for Snyder's vision for the sequels to Justice League to be the future of DC properties under Warner Bros.
While it is extremely unlikely for this to happen, Warner Bros. DCEU properties since 2017's Justice League have shown evidence of the Snyderverse still looming over DC properties. One of the ways in which this has been obvious is the distancing of characters like Henry Cavill's Superman. With the character being such a large part of Snyder's initial plan for the DCEU, Warner Bros.'s omission of Cavill and Superman is no accident, with the character mistakingly being synonymous with the Snyderverse by the studio. For some reason, Warner Bros. seems to think that including Cavill's Superman in their universe means the acknowledgment that the Snyderverse lives on, which isn't the case. The calls for Cavill's Superman to be in the DCEU are simply proof of the popularity of the character, proving that Warner Bros. only needs to find the right story to tell. The fact that they are distancing themselves from the character though only proves the Snyderverse still looms over the DCEU.
With other references to the Snyderverse characters featuring in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Peacemaker, and The Suicide Squad, alongside Jason M0moa's Aquaman receiving a 2023 sequel, it is clear that Warner Bros. cannot escape the good things that Zack Snyder introduced to the universe. Not only do these films, and upcoming ones, and also the conscious choice to omit Cavill's Superman prove that the Snyderverse is still affecting the DCEU, but also the handling of the character of Batman.
Is Ben Affleck The DCEU's Primary Batman Now?
Beginning with Batman v Superman and continuing with Suicide Squad, Justice League, Shazam!, The Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker, Ben Affleck was the primary Batman in the DCEU. While not appearing personally in all of those projects, the version of the character is referenced at multiple points, like Cavill's Superman. However, unlike Superman, Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne has been confirmed to appear in 2023's The Flash, should that film see the light of day. Despite this confirmed appearance, the question of who would be the DCEU's primary Batman has been placed into further disarray following Batgirl's cancellation.
After Warner Bros. decided to move away from the Snyderverse, including Ben Affleck's Batman, it was revealed that the studio was opting to bring back Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader for the first time since 1992's Batman Returns. Apparently, Keaton's Batman would appear in multiple DCEU films, ushering out and eventually replacing Ben Affleck's iteration as the main DCEU Batman. These projects were rumored to include Batgirl, Aquaman 2, and The Flash, with the latter solidifying Ben Affleck's exit. However, with Ben Affleck, not Keaton, confirmed for Aquaman 2, and Batgirl's cancelation removing another of Keaton's rumored appearances, it is now even more unclear who the DCEU's primary Batman is. This is just another problem that is plaguing the DCEU, with many hoping that the franchise's future will become clearer in the near future.
