10 Radical Ideas To Save The DC Extended Universe

The DC Extended Universe needs saving. People have argued that the poor critical reception for the films to date is because they’re made for the fans, not reviewers. They’ve pointed out that Batman Vs. Superman made nearly $875 million at box offices worldwide, while Suicide Squad is coming up on $600 million only weeks after release, despite the worst reviews to date.

Firstly, to correct some misapprehensions: it’s estimated that marketing for a Hollywood blockbuster hits $200million per movie, over and above the production budget. A good, approximate rule of thumb is that the studio will see roughly half the money a film drags in worldwide.

That means that Batman Vs. Superman probably needed to make around $900million worldwide to break even, and Suicide Squad, about $750million worldwide.

But even if these films are loss leaders, intended to introduce a colossal, multi-billion dollar franchise, it’s the overarching narrative that’s killing the DCEU. Marvel’s story, loudly trumpeted anywhere and everywhere, is one of massive creative and financial success, despite the glaring issues raised with many of the movies released under the MCU banner.

The DCEU, on the other hand, is being characterised as a hamfisted series of dismal, dreary financial flops. That’s a problem, for a franchise intended to run and run.

Last week, Jack gave us his fifteen-step plausible, constructive plan to rehabilitate of the DCEU. Here’s the flipside: ten increasingly radical and outlandish ideas to do likewise. Keep an open mind...

If your only significant experiences of an alien god-creature were constant destruction and loss of life on a scale equivalent to massive earthquake damage or nuclear attack, all while he clumsily fends off creatures from his own planet that have come specifically to attack him… well, you wouldn’t be erecting statues to him, let’s put it that way.

The world’s reaction to Superman’s demise in Batman Vs. Superman is completely disproportionate. They shouldn’t be honouring this strange visitor from another planet who brings catastrophe and murder wherever he goes, they should be thanking whatever gods they believe in that the terrifying b*stard is dead.

Because he is a terrifying b*stard. He's not a good guy to be around. This is a Superman who'd be your last call, when things were at their worst, because you really wouldn't want to bother him. That's not a Superman that anyone who knows the character even a little would recognise.

All of which means that, far more urgently than a Justice League movie, the DCEU needs a new Man Of Steel movie to make up for some of the damage that Zack Snyder’s done so far... and given that Henry Cavill is the only person as closely associated as Snyder with the failure to represent Superman in these films, Cavill should probably be recast.

Ideally, we’d have a new Superman when he inevitably comes back to life in the Justice League movie, but that ship has sailed. However, it’s not too late to give a new face to the next Superman film proper. If Warners et al don’t have the guts to sack Zack The Hack himself, then Cavill should be the next logical place to look.

What would a new Superman look like? He'd be more relaxed, less moody and brooding. After all, what does Superman really have to be tense, irritable or depressed about? The key thing that makes people love Superman isn't his phenomenal power and strength, it's that he's one of us... only better. People trust him to do what's right, not because he's powerful, but because they believe he's a truly good man who'll always put other people first. There are villains that wouldn't kill Superman, even if they had the chance... because he's Superman.

Zack Snyder's Man Of Steel isn't that guy. Perhaps the next one can be.