While the DCU is likely headed for a reboot, an on-screen Flashpoint event similar to the comics would need to avoid some key problems. Caused by the Flash after trying to prevent his mother's murder, Barry Allen inadvertently reset the DC's comics timeline, creating the New 52 and subsequent Rebirth era of the DC Universe. However, the reboot wasn't as successful as it could have been, and the DCU can learn from its mistakes.

With Barry Allen's decision to save his mother, the domino effect on the timeline created the dark parallel reality known as "Flashpoint." Barry never became the Flash, Bruce Wayne died while his parents became the Batman and the Joker, Superman was held in captivity by the government since childhood, and Aquaman's Atlantis went to war with Wonder Woman's Amazons, effectively causing WWIII. Although Barry eventually regained his powers and tried to reset the timeline, the result was a more normalized yet rebooted reality. While it's widely believed that Ezra Miller's Barry may cause a similar universal reboot in 2023's The Flash, the DCU reset can be much better.

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The DCU Has To Commit To Its Reboot

James Gunn, Superman, batma,n wonder woman, and shazam.

Although the Flashpoint event reset the majority of the DC Comics universe, there was a failure to fully commit once The New 52 reboot was established in 2011. Certain titles such as Batman and the preexisting lore of Gotham City largely continued as if nothing had happened, while others were clean slates. Although the intent of the reboot was to encourage a wave of new readers, this model was very confusing in DC's attempt to cater to its preexisting readership as well. Likewise, The New 52 and Rebirth continued to get even more challenging as older events and characters were reintegrated over time.

Comparatively, a future DCU reboot needs a brand-new identity that isn't a half-measure. While fans of the DC universe birthed by Zack Snyder's Man of Steel starring Henry Cavill's Superman will understandably be upset and disappointed, a full reboot is better than keeping some elements from the Snyderverse while also attempting to create a new universal status quo. It would only lead to more confusion, much like the original Flashpoint event.

Why Connecting To Older Movies Worked For Marvel But Won't For DC

Xavier in Doctor Strange 2 and Tobey Spider-Man in No Way Home

Because a new and unified identity will be so crucial for a DCU reboot, a new timeline shouldn't connect to past films outside its universe as the MCU has done with films like Spider-Man: No Way Home or Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Again, avoiding confusion is the key reason. However, it should also be noted that the majority of DC's movies haven't been received as well or remembered as fondly as the original X-Men and Spider-Man franchises pre-MCU.

If the goal of a universal reboot is to start fresh (which seems to be the direction James Gunn is taking the DCU), connecting to past films in the future won't make much sense. Regardless, learning from the missteps of the comics' Flashpoint event feels like a solid opportunity to ensure that a DCU reboot in any form is well-received in the long run. Even though it will likely have the initial growing pains of being very different from the current DC film universe, full commitment will be crucial for its ultimate success.

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