The DCU is going through a lot of changes, and the franchise needs to take this opportunity to introduce a major Justice League member that was missing from the official DCEU. Plans for the future of the DCU aren't exactly known, with a lot of details about James Gunn's cinematic universe still being up in the air. However, one character would help the DCU differentiate itself from the DCEU while simultaneously making up for one of its biggest shortcomings.

Although the DCEU started out strong with 2013's Man of Steel, the franchise has been on a rocky path since then. After the failure of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2017's Justice League, Zack Snyder's initial plans were abandoned, and the franchise moved into a new era. While films like Wonder Woman and Shazam! fared better critically, the DCEU had no sense of direction, with none of the movies really building up to anything. However, James Gunn and Peter Safran have recently taken over DC Studios and are currently implementing a whole new vision for the DCU - one that needs to involve this Justice League member.

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The Next Justice League Needs Martian Manhunter

Martian Manhunter on a pile of choco cookies in DC comics.

Gunn and Safran's DCU needs to introduce one missing Justice League member: Martian Manhunter. Martian Manhunter is a major character in the comics, and now that a new era of the DCU is being introduced, he actually seems pretty likely. Martian Manhunter was almost in the DCEU, with him initially being planned to appear in 2017's Justice League. Although he was cut from the final film, he did appear in the non-canon movie Zack Snyder's Justice League. With Martian Manhunter's DCEU debut being narrowly missed, Gunn and Safran need to give the beloved Justice League member another chance in their DCU.

Martian Manhunter would be a strong asset for the new DCU. Martian Manhunter would allow the new DCU to stand out from the former DCEU, giving the rebooted franchise an identity of its own by exploring new characters that haven't already appeared in films over and over. Martian Manhunter is a popular character that wasn't properly utilized in the DCEU, meaning that his DCU introduction would have weight while not drawing comparisons to what's come before.

Why Martian Manhunter Wasn't In The DCEU's Justice League

Martian Manhunter in Zack Snyder's Justice League

Martian Manhunter did make an appearance in Zack Snyder's Justice League, but he didn't appear in the DCEU proper. Snyder initially planned for Martian Manhunter to be in his original cut of the film, but when Zack Snyder left 2017's Justice League, Joss Whedon took over after Snyder stepped down due to a family tragedy, and Martain Manhunter was cut altogether. Whedon cut many non-essential elements from the film to make it shorter and lighter than Snyder's original vision, and Martian Manhunter's cameo was one of several appearances and plot lines that remained on the cutting room floor.

It's understandable why Whedon cut Martian Manhunter from the film, as the character's origin is fairly complicated. Unlike the DCEU's other Justice League members, Martian Manhunter's cosmic backstory would take a long time to explain, and Justice League already had to do a Cyborg origin. So, Manhunter just didn't happen, and his brief cameo in the Snyder Cut of Justice League was simply a tease. While the way Martian Manhunter was treated is sad, the DCU could redeem the Justice League hero by reintroducing him soon.

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