DCEU: 10 Comics It Must Adapt To Beat Marvel

The MCU might be heading for Phase 4, but can DC actually catch them?

by Ewan Paterson
DC Comics

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently in the midst of experiencing potentially its most important year yet, but another comic book movie franchise has been experiencing changes of its own too - the DC Extended Universe.

Back when it was conceived in 2013, the DCEU was set to be Warner Bros' answer to the MCU. Zack Snyder, albeit a divisive filmmaker, had a proven box-office draw and what better way to mount that challenge, they thought, than with Superman?

The story since has been anything but smooth sailing, with Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad and Justice League all floundering amongst critics, while the latter failed to make any waves financially either. Couple that with a future slate of films that failed to really inspire any kind of confidence amongst audiences, and it's clear that, until recently, the DCEU was in dire straights.

However, it's equally true that some have been too quick to pronounce the series' death. Both Wonder Woman and Aquaman were immensely successful, and achieved that success by divesting from the original vision optioned by Snyder in his first two films.

Now, with a markedly different set of upcoming projects, a new Batman and a new direction, WB might finally be able to mount the challenge they hoped Man of Steel would in 2013. Here are the comics they should look in order to make it happen.

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Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.