8 Reasons Why The DC Extended Universe Deserves Another Chance

2016 was not an easy year for Warner Bros. After the mixed reception to Man of Steel back in 2013, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (a guaranteed $1 billion hit on the surface) and Suicide Squad were meant to turn everything around for them, creating a DC Extended Universe in the process which would have been every bit as popular and successful as Marvel's. Things didn't exactly go as planned, however, and with fans and critics alike rejecting the darker tone of those aforementioned movies, the studio has gone back to the drawing board in an attempt to course correct. Now, all eyes are on Wonder Woman and Justice League to make up for past mistakes, something which is absolutely essential as these various solo outings all take one step closer to beginning production. Unfortunately, some seem to have already written off the DC Extended Universe as a failure. In my opinion, that's ridiculous, especially as this world is still very much in its infancy. What you'll find here is a close look at why despite the mistakes they've made up to this point, Warner Bros. still deserves another chance. I'm in no way saying that they've been hitting home runs with their past few efforts, but there's no reason to throw in the towel just yet. 8) Batman V Superman Wasn't That Bad The Ultimate Edition of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice proved that a lot of mistakes were made in the editing room for the theatrical cut, but even so, it still wasn't as bad as some critics would have you believe. The movie admittedly relies a little too much on convenience (for example, just how did Lex Luthor figure out the secret identities of the titular heroes?) but the fact that it wasn't "fun" enough - as some would say - really doesn't justify the backlash that it received. It's fair to say that we could all probably have lived without the poorly CG'd Doomsday, but there was a lot of great action and character work here, not to mention the debut of arguably the best big screen Batman to date. Sure, Zack Snyder made some mistakes - for one, the Dark Knight should never indiscriminately kill - but to write off the DC Extended Universe because of Dawn of Justice is idiotic, especially when there was more than enough in this film that worked, a lot of which helped opened many doors for these iconic characters. 7) They're Only Just Getting Started Iron Man was a strong start to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but many people seem to forget that it was followed by the very underwhelming The Incredible Hulk. Iron Man 2 also wasn't great, and while Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor were pretty good, neither of them were critical or commercial darlings like subsequent releases have been. In fact, it wasn't really until The Avengers that this world was embraced by all, and that was a four-year process. The DC Extended Universe is still in its infancy, and while there's no denying that Warner Bros. seems to be struggling in a way that Marvel Studios never did, they should still be given the chance to find their footing. It's possible that it's too late for Wonder Woman and Justice League, as both were well into production by the time some big behind the scenes changes started being made, but with a long list of solo movies on the horizon that are all packed full of great talent, we may be on the cusp of greatness. WB needs their next two films to be hits, but even if they're not, I'd still say that we should wait until projects like The Batman roll along before writing off the DCEU completely. 6) These Characters Are Too Great To Be Left On The Shelf For whatever reason, some "fans" would love to see the quick demise of the DC Extended Universe once Justice League is released. That's utter madness, because if Marvel can make the likes of Ant-Man and Doctor Strange into A-List superheroes, why on Earth would you want to leave Batman, Superman and the Flash gathering dust on a shelf? We're talking about some of the world's most iconic comic book superheroes here, and while some have previously appeared on the big screen or even have current hit TV shows, their worlds have barely even begun to be explored. Ben Affleck may have set his sights on Deathstroke for The Batman, but we still need to see his Caped Crusader clash with Jared Leto's Joker and the various inmates of Arkham Asylum. Aquaman, meanwhile, will take us beneath the sea, and The Flash has the potential to explore the speed force in a way that The CW simply can't afford to. And let's not forget about Green Lantern Corps, which has a whole universe to delve into. 5) The Right Man Is Finally Steering The Ship Perhaps Warner Bros.' biggest issue has been the fact that their DC Extended Universe doesn't have a Kevin Feige to take charge of these characters and plan out their futures in a cohesive way that will excite fans and regular moviegoers alike. That all changed last year though when Geoff Johns was given a promotion and a larger role in all of these upcoming releases. A veteran comic book writer who's no stranger to live-action adaptations after working on the likes of Smallville and The Flash, his love and knowledge of these characters has already reshaped the comic book universe with Rebirth and resulted in some of the best sales figures for DC Comics in years. As such, fans should be very excited about his new role here. With Johns now keeping a watchful eye over all of the projects in development, the interfering studio execs who made a mess out of Suicide Squad will hopefully be pushed to the side as someone with a real knowledge of how best to handle these properties steps forward and ensures the future is bright for them. 4) They Have Great Ideas Even If They're Not Executed Perfectly The costume and make-up designs (which recently scored an Oscar nomination) in Suicide Squad divided fans; the Joker, in particular, proved to be a hard pill to swallow for some, but it's hard not to admire the creativity that was on display. The Clown Prince of Crime's tattoos told a story, while the little touches like his metallic smiled teased a history where he likely had his teeth broken during a battle with Batman. There's no denying that the villain was misused in the film - even David Ayer thinks so - but even some of Man of Steel's most controversial decisions ended up paying off in a satisfying manner when they were revisited in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. The point is that while Warner Bros. hasn't always stuck the landing when it comes to the creative decisions being made in the DC Extended Universe, it's clear that they're looking to establish this world as something very different to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that's definitely not a bad thing. 3) Justice League Looks Seriously Awesome Whether we're talking about that Comic-Con teaser trailer or the recently released images, everything from Justice League so far looks pretty damn great. Throw in the fact that some big changes were made to the tone and story in the wake of that Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice backlash and this could well be the turning point the DCEU needs. Admittedly, Wonder Woman also stands a chance of being a big win, but it's really Snyder's upcoming film which fans have been fantasizing about seeing on the big screen for years now. Green Lantern's absence is regrettable, sure, but Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash all standing side by side has huge appeal, as does the presence of villains like Lex Luthor, Deathstroke and Steppenwolf. All the ingredients are in place for Justice League to be something truly special, and assuming Zack Snyder has mixed them together properly, we're going to be in for a real treat this November. 2) Have Faith In The Rock When Dwayne Johnson took to social media to promise that he'd sat down with DC Entertainment to discuss some big changes to the DCEU, most fans understandably rolled their eyes at the mention of buzzwords like "fun" and "optimistic." However, since then we've learned that he's signed up to star in a Black Adam solo movie, and while the necessity of that is debatable, it's hard not to have faith in the wrestler turned actor. His production company has become a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood and though the films he stars in may not be to everyone's tastes, they're a great deal of fun and pretty much always a hit at the box office. That's what the DC Extended Universe needs right now, and Johnson's charisma could help turn this world around in a significant way, especially if he ends up starring in Shazam and is pitted against Superman as a Christmas Day Instagram post indicated. Like it or not, The Rock might be the DC Extended Universe's saviour! 1) We Need More Superhero Movies The Marvel Cinematic Universe is great, but with Sony putting their Spider-Man Universe on the backburner after partnering up with Marvel Studios (thank God), we only really have the X-Men Universe as an alternative, and between the dismal Fantastic Four reboot and the disappointing X-Men: Apocalypse, faith has been lost in that. Simply put, the DC Extended Universe needs to exist, and while some snobbish film bloggers will tell you that we're on the cusp of superhero saturation, the box office numbers say otherwise. Warner Bros. still has the opportunity to turn things around and deliver some quality releases which may very well end up giving Marvel a run for their money and establishing some much-needed competition. It doesn't ultimately matter to us who makes the most money or gets the lion's share of praise, but a wider range of characters and franchises to choose from ensures that fans and moviegoers won't get bored with this genre anytime soon. Tell us, do you agree with these points and think that the DC Extended Universe is worthy of being given a second chance after letting fans down in 2016? Head to the comments section and give us your thoughts!