The DCEU has brought some of the most popular comic book characters of all time, from Superman to Aquaman, to the big screen and introduced epic storylines fans have loved. However, the cinematic universe has been a little shaky at times leading to some of the storylines leaving fans disappointed.
In some cases, these storylines could have simply been poorly received and fans would rather just forget about them. In other instances, the storylines introduced an interesting new direction or development only to leave it unexplored.
Cut: Batman And Wonder Woman's Flirtation
While there were a lot of changes Joss Whedon made to Justice League that angered fans, perhaps the most unnecessary was hinting at a romance between Batman and Wonder Woman. And it all seems to come from a physical attraction to each other and nothing more.
Though Batman and Wonder Woman have been a couple in other stories, this felt very forced. With Ben Affleck's Batman apparently returning in The Flash, it is possible these two heroes could meet again, but they would be wise to avoid any such misguided romances.
Expanded: Harley And Joker's Breakup
Though Harley Quinn began as a henchwoman to Joker, the character's importance in the DCEU has surpassed even the Clown Prince of Crime. In fact, Birds of Prey was largely about Harley getting over her breakup with Joker and finding her own independence.
As much as it was fun to see Harley take centerstage, a messy breakup between two unhinged supervillains would have been a lot of fun to see. The DCEU has yet to really delve into the relationship between these twisted characters and to see it come to an end would have been explosive.
Cut: Steve Trevor's Return
Steve Trevor made for a terrific character in Wonder Woman as he was heroic, a love interest, and never took the spotlight away from the star of the show. So fans were happy to learn of Chris Pine's return to the role in Wonder Woman 1984, but the result was not what they expected.
The plot device of Diana wishing Steve back made sense but having him take over another man's body added a creepy factor to it all. And in the end, his return felt largely unnecessary and added little to their tragic relationship.
Expanded: Martian Manhunter Is On Earth
Not only did Zack Snyder's Justice League improve many of the iconic heroes from the theatrical cut, but it also added another fan-favorite member of the team. Martian Manhunter was revealed to be on Earth disguised as General Swanwick the entire time.
As fun as it was to see the character appear, without any context it seemed a little random. If Martian Manhunter's role in the story would have been more integral, fans could have learned more about his time on Earth and why he was posing as Swanwick.
Cut: Luthor Framing Superman
The showdown between Superman and Batman was highly anticipated, but Batman V Superman was a bit of a mess in terms of its plot. The biggest issue was the convoluted storyline of Lex Luthor trying to frame Superman as some kind of murderer.
Having Superman at the center of a senate hearing seemed like a waste of time for this movie. Superman's fight with Zod in Man of Steel gave enough reason for people to distrust Superman and Luthor's plan ended up not meaning much for the overall story. Had it been cut, more time could have been spent between the two iconic heroes.
Expanded: Bloodsport Nearly Kills Superman
Idris Elba's Bloodsport was one of the best and deadliest characters in The Suicide Squad. As he was introduced in the movie, it was revealed that he was in prison for putting Superman in the hospital with a Kryptonite bullet.
The backstory immediately made Bloodsport into a formidable force in the movie, but this was also a pretty cool bit of information to just include as exposition. It would have been great to see this showdown between Superman and Bloodsport that ends with the Man of Steel almost dying.
Cut: Rick Flag And June Moon's Romance
Joel Kinnaman returned as Rick Flag in The Suicide Squad and the character was a huge improvement over how he was used in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. The biggest issue with the character was saddling him with a dull romance with June Moon.
Having June possessed by The Enchantress made for a very boring villain to begin with. It was made worse by trying to make audiences care about their supposed tragic love story. In the end, it only robbed the opportunity for Rick Flag to be an interesting hero.
Expanded: Joker Kills Robin
One of the most intriguing things about Ben Affleck's Batman was that he was already long established as a crime fighter by the time he was introduced. However, this also teased fans with some really exciting storylines they never got to see.
When Batman was shown in his Batcave, a Robin costume was seen with mocking graffiti written on it suggesting Joker killed Robin. This would have been an excellent dark storyline to explore in a prequel to show how this version of Batman became so brutal.
Cut: Doomsday's Arrival And The Death Of Superman
Despite having a very exciting premise of two iconic heroes battling each other, Batman V Superman tried to do far too much in one movie. By the time the big fight ended, the movie was still trying to cram in some iconic storylines from the comics.
The arrival of Doomsday, one of Superman's most famous villains, in the third act was a rushed mistake. It made for a much less interesting final battle even with Wonder Woman joining the mix. The movie then tried to fit in the unconvincing death of Superman as well. The overblown climax left the movie feeling like a real mess and buried its more interesting elements.
Expanded: The Knightmare Sequence
Though many fans were thrilled to finally see Zack Snyder's true vision for his Justice League movie, it showed fans the future of the franchise that will never materialize. The epilogue of the movie hinted at where Snyder wanted to take the sequel with the infamous Knightmare sequence.
The short clip was set in a desolate future in which Darkseid had taken over the world. Seeing the ragtag group of survivors, including heroes like Batman and Cyborg as well as villains like Joker and Deathstroke, promised a wild and thrilling adventure.