It Will Take DC Years to Recreate the Magic of Their Controversial 71% RT Hit

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Before James Gunn revealed his plans for the DC Universe in early 2023—a series of projects called “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters”—DC Films was already struggling. Things didn’t improve much afterward, either. Several films continued to be released as part of the old DC Extended Universe, including Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. These followed the highly anticipated release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League (often called the Snyder Cut).

Whether you’re excited about it, dislike it, or are still unsure, the new DC Universe (DCU) is starting strong. The stories are building on what came before in the old DCEU, and we’re already seeing it happen with shows like Creature Commandos and Season 2 of Peacemaker, plus the new Superman series. Even more shows – Supergirl, Lanterns, and Clayface – are planned for release before the year is out.

While the DCEU had its flaws, it was special to see Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman together in movies like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. It might be a long time before we see all three of these iconic heroes team up again in the new DCU.

Zack Snyder Gave Us a DCEU Trinity Right Away

Many critics felt the DC Extended Universe was moving too quickly. After just two films – Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – they jumped into Justice League. This approach was risky and didn’t seem well-planned. It differed greatly from Marvel’s strategy, which spent years introducing characters and building a connected universe before launching The Avengers. Marvel took the time to establish the necessary background and storylines, giving The Avengers a much stronger foundation.

The films quickly followed one another – Man of Steel led directly into Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, with Suicide Squad released shortly after. Then, Wonder Woman and Justice League came out just months apart. Despite the fast pace, the team-up of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman against Doomsday in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was a key moment for the DC Extended Universe.

Whether you loved or hated how the DC Extended Universe handled Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, it’s possible the studio didn’t fully appreciate having those iconic heroes. The DCEU actually gave us a live-action team-up of these three, trying to make them the face of the franchise, similar to how Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor represent the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is different from Marvel’s other popular heroes like Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Hulk.

James Gunn’s DCU is Hopefully in No Rush

Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are all core characters in the DC Universe, and surprisingly, they all originally appeared in the comic Creature Commandos. David Corenswet has already played Superman in his own movie, but we don’t know yet when Batman or Wonder Woman will get their own live-action introductions in the DCU.

As a fan, I think it would make total sense to see Batman show up in a Clayface movie – he really fits with that villain’s world. But honestly, I’d be even more excited to see him team up with the new Superman, Lex Luthor, and Green Lantern in Man of Tomorrow! I’ve heard a Batman movie is in the works with the team behind The Flash, but we don’t know when it’ll happen. I wouldn’t be surprised if we first saw Batman as a quick appearance in someone else’s film before getting his own standalone movie.

So, word on the street is Wonder Woman is finally getting her own show, which is fantastic! But it looks like we’re still a ways off from seeing a proper DC Universe ‘trinity’ on screen. Superman’s getting two movies before either Batman or Wonder Woman really get going, meaning it could be years before we see all three of them together in a big way. Honestly, as a fan, I’m a little impatient, but it’s good to know these things take time.

The DC Universe shouldn’t rush into forming a big team like the Justice League as quickly as the previous DC movies did. Since we don’t know when we’ll see characters like Batman or Wonder Woman appear outside of animated shows, it seems James Gunn and Peter Safran are building things slowly and carefully. That will work well, as long as they introduce compelling characters along the way.

James Gunn seems to be positioning John Stewart as the lead Green Lantern for the new DC Universe, and with characters like Batman and Wonder Woman also planned, the groundwork for a future Justice League is clearly being laid. However, Gunn’s strength as a filmmaker is his ability to shine a spotlight on fantastic, but often overlooked, DC characters, and there’s no need to immediately focus on the traditional ‘trinity’ of heroes.

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2026-03-28 17:11