9 Changes Warner Bros Wishes It Could Make To Its DC Universe
8. Tonal Consistency
Even avid fans of the DC cinematic universe have to admit it’s a tonal mess. Much of the criticism surrounding Man of Steel and Batman v Superman is in some way related to the dour atmosphere around Metropolis and their fun-free depiction of Supes.
Two films in and it became obvious to Warner Bros that dark and brooding wasn’t the way to go - especially where heroes like Superman are concerned - and this sudden realisation hurt Suicide Squad, which ended up being a mess of tone-softening reshoots and clunky post-production.
When Wonder Woman came along with overtones of optimism and stacks of charm, the DC movies found the right balance, and this is something they’re clearly striving to maintain in Justice League.
Banter-laden and upbeat is a better fit for these characters, but tonal consistency is now a glaring issue in the sense that Man of Steel and Batman v Superman don’t really feel like the same universe as lighter offerings such as Wonder Woman.
Warner can, to some extent, work the tonal shift into the story by having Superman reborn in a more traditional form in Justice League and have Batman, inspired by the Man of Steel’s sacrifice, see the world in a better light, but you can bet the studio would go for a lighter tone from the beginning if it had the chance to start afresh.