The DCEU is now being referred to as the DCU, or DC Universe, but this franchise rebrand has already made a crucial mistake. While the term DCEU did not come from any specific DC movie director or Warner Bros. but rather from a 2015 article by EW on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the idea of a DC Extended Universe was later incorporated and mentioned by other DC Films creators. The DC movie fanbase and pop culture coverage as a whole also adopted the term DCEU to describe the shared universe that began with Man of Steel, yet that series of films and shows are now being re-imagined.Almost 10 years after Man of Steel, the old "DCEU” had to deal with a series of problems. From divisive movies like Batman v Superman to financial disappointments like Justice League, the DCEU saw its massive potential – the potential of the DC characters – not being fully achieved for a number of reasons. The fact that the future of most of the Justice League characters became uncertain following the 2017 film, plus the apparent lack of an overall plan, has made the DCEU’s recent years even more challenging. However, 2022 saw two different promises of a new DC Universe – one from Black Adam star and producer Dwayne Johnson and the other from DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn.
Black Adam Means Gunn & Safran Wouldn't Have A Clean Slate
On October 25, 2022, it was announced that The Suicide Squad director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran would lead a newly formed DC Studios for Warner Bros. Discovery. Gunn and Safran are set to map out the next decade of the DC Universe, which, according to Gunn, includes not only live-action movies but also TV shows, animation, and video games. While the word “reboot” was never used, James Gunn made sure to point out that the focus of DC Studios would be on the future of the DC brand. As such, elements like the Ayer Cut of 2016’s Suicide Squad would not be a priority.
However, less than a week before the DC Studios announcement, Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam had hit theaters after an extensive The Rock marketing campaign focused on how the Black Adam film would be the beginning of a new DC Universe. Dwayne Johnson teased several times that Black Adam would change the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe and that the film would serve as the starting point for new storylines within the DC Universe. The Rock even referred to Black Adam as Phase 1 of the DCU (via Twitter), which pointed to the film being envisioned as DC’s Iron Man – the first film of a shared universe.
Despite Dwayne Johnson referring to Black Adam as Phase 1, Black Adam was far from being a DCEU reboot. While Black Adam does not directly reference previous DCEU films, it features three characters from the “old DCEU.” In addition to The Suicide Squad’s Amanda Waller and Peacemaker’s Agent Harcourt, Black Adam also featured a Henry Cavill Superman cameo. Essentially, Black Adam’s storyline setups and James Gunn’s DC Studios plans seem mutually exclusive, at least for now, as the former means that the latter would not have a clean slate to build a new DCU movie franchise from scratch – be it with a complete reboot or not.
Is Black Adam REALLY The DCU's Restart?
After Justice League, there was never a clear indication of what path the DCEU would follow. The closest thing to an overarching plan was a DC FanDome 2020 panel focused on the idea of a multiverse featuring DC’s Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee, Arrowverse producer Greg Berlanti, and now former DC Films president Walter Hamada. With The Flash confirmed to feature Michael Keaton’s Batman and Keaton’s version of the Dark Knight set to appear on the now-canceled Batgirl, it seemed like the multiverse would define the next years of the DCEU. However, following the Warner Bros Discovery merger and Walter Hamada’s exit from DC Films, the DCU’s future was once again a mystery.
As the first DC movie released under the Warner Bros. Discovery era, Black Adam could have indeed been the DCU’s restart. Dwayne Johnson had a solid track with franchises, and while Black Adam as a character was not among DC’s most famous names, The Rock’s star power added to the return of Henry Cavill’s Superman could have served as the foundation of a new DCU. However, the fact that plans for a DC Studios led by James Gunn and Peter Safran were announced less than a week after Black Adam’s premiere suggests that there was no consensus within WBD yet regarding the DCU’s future – not to mention Black Adam’s disappointing box office.
Could DC Have Two Movie Franchises?
James Gunn and Peter Safran are about to conclude their plans for the future of the DCU whereas Dwayne Johnson was already mentioning things like a Black Adam vs. Superman fight not being the next step of the franchise but rather something for later down the line. As such, it becomes clear that The Rock’s DC Universe plans are different from what James Gunn’s DC Studios is crafting, at least for now. If Black Adam gets a sequel or things like a Superman vs. Black Adam movie happens, then there could even be two different DC franchises – one spinning off of Black Adam and another following Gunn and Safran’s plans.
That possibility, however, is highly unlikely. James Gunn’s DC Studios is promising a unified universe across movies, television, and even video games, meaning that having two versions of the DCU happening concurrently would not make sense. That considered, two other DC franchises currently have no connections to any shared universe – Todd Phillips’ Joker movies and Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Joker is getting a sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, while The Batman is getting a spinoff centered on Penguin on HBO Max and is expected to receive a sequel and other spinoffs. Curiously, Gunn revealed via Mastodon that Matt Reeves was one of his first calls after getting the job.
The DCU's Future Is Still Worrying
The idea of a new DC Universe carefully crafted by the newly formed DC Studios is exciting, but the DCU’s future is still worrying. The fact that The Rock’s Black Adam was promised to be the beginning of a new chapter of the franchise only for yet another new DCU to be promised only a few days after suggests the lack of certainty within the studio, which makes sense considering how many changes both Warner Bros. and DC have undergone in the last couple of years. The DCU’s future appears to be forever changing, although that scenario might end once James Gunn and Peter Safran’s plans for the franchise are officially revealed.
As of now, not even a complete DCU can be ruled out. Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 3 is no longer happening, which casts doubt on the future not only of Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman but of the entire Justice League cast. THR reports that recasting all the DC characters to start the DCU from scratch is a possibility, which would lead to a scenario where Man of Steel 2 starring Henry Cavill doesn’t happen and Jason Momoa plays Lobo rather than Aquaman. Five years after Justice League, all the questions surrounding the DCU’s future have never been closer to being settled.