10 Great Superman Stories That Could Save The DCEU

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has had a tumultuous time in the cinematic landscape, with its initial approach in creating an MCU-style interconnected universe yielding extremely mixed results in the seven years it has been around.

The franchise's primary mistakes include adopting a downbeat and somber tone that did not mesh well with the characters' sensibilities. In attempts to correct this, it actively undermined its initial endgame and ignored its admittedly sizeable fanbase.

Arguably the character most affected by the DCEU's radical change is Superman. The Man of Steel has a solid actor in Henry Cavill but he and the character are undermined by a dour tone, character development that was all over the place, and a lack of the hopeful, reassuring spirit that made Superman DC's flagship character for decades.

This mishandling of the character has led to three lacklustre films with Supes as the focal point, that just didn't live up to expectations, building an uncertain future for the Man of Tomorrow. However, hope still prevails, as the film iteration of the hero can be brought back from oblivion by adapting some of his most iconic comic stories.

A fair number of the most unique and captivating stories featuring the Last Son of Krypton are found in the ''Elseworlds'' line of comics, that were prevalent in DC's publishing circuit from the late 90s to early 2000s.

They place their characters in different settings than the norm, as such is the case in the 1998 comic storyline, Superman: The Dark Side.

The story posits the idea of baby Kal-El's ship landing on Apokolips instead of Earth, leading to him being raised by the villainous Darkseid instead of the loving Kents. Naturally, he grows up to become a force for destruction and fear in the name of spreading Darkseid's agenda across the universe.

Eventually, after a visit to Earth, Superman learns of his true heritage and purpose, and seeks to overthrow Darkseid to undo the chaos he has brought onto the cosmos.

This is an interesting ''What If'' scenario that would flip the script on the classic Superman origin story, and would properly introduce audiences to the Fourth World and its expansive lore.

Furthermore, if done right, it could be an interesting spin on a redemption story and reinforce Superman's status as a hope symbol regardless of the setting.