The DC Extended Universe doesn’t need a new Batman in the short term, but it does need to figure how Superman fits into its shared narrative. The DCEU got off to a bumpy start, with films like Man Of Steel, and Suicide Squad dividing both audiences and critics. After the theatrical release of Justice League — arguably the DCEU’s nadir — Warner Bros. scored a handful of unqualified hits with Aquaman, Shazam, and the two Wonder Woman films. Upcoming movies like The Flash and Black Adam are ready to step up and take the DCEU to the next level.
DC’s most famous characters by a considerable margin are Batman and Superman. Batman has had a long, successful run at the box office over multiple decades and iterations, while Superman has struggled to make a strong cultural impression in the 21st century in any media format. That’s a real shame, as DC is usually at its strongest when Batman and Superman are both well defined and culturally relevant.
The key to the DCEU’s continued success may lie in some counterintuitive thinking — Batman can take a long rest, while Superman needs a cinematic overhaul as soon as possible. Neither Batman nor Superman really needs the DCEU, but the DCEU definitely needs Superman.
Batman Doesn’t Need the DCEU
Batman is arguably the most successful comic book hero in film history. A new Batman film is almost always a cultural event, arguably even more so than the lion’s share of the wildly popular Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Yet, Batman’s current cinematic future is a little hazy. The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight, will take place outside of the DCEU in its own, more grounded continuity. After the wild success of the non-DCEU Joker, this is neither surprising nor particularly concerning. Batman doesn’t need other heroes or any grander narrative than what he brings to the table himself. His world is rich enough without any other DC properties.
Reports suggest that Ben Affleck is likely done playing the DCEU version of Batman that debuted in Batman V Superman. Affleck’s plans for a solo Batman movie were cancelled after the poor reception that greeted both Batman V Superman and Justice League — though he will reportedly suit up in the cape and cowl one more time for The Flash movie. The Flash movie will also feature the return of Michael Keaton in the role of Batman, almost certainly in an alternate reality as that movie explores the concept of the DC multiverse.
The DCEU Can Work Without Batman
Many fans have speculated that the events of The Flash will result in a new DCEU Batman, but it would be largely unnecessary at this point. Pattinson’s Batman will almost certainly be the primary version of the character in the pop-culture consciousness for the next few years, and there’s no Justice League sequel in the works that would require his services. Warner Bros. has made it clear that the immediate future of the DCEU will be less interconnected than the MCU, focusing on solo adventures rather than serving as lead-ins to superhero team-up extravaganzas. Aquaman and Wonder Woman have shown there’s a viable way forward with that approach.
Even if a Justice League sequel got off the ground, a lineup of Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, and Green Lantern would be more than acceptable to most moviegoers (Cyborg seems like a non-starter as long as Ray Fisher maintains he won’t work with DC Films’ head honcho Walter Hamada again). There’s simply no compelling reason to conjure a new DCEU Batman right now.
The DCEU Needs Superman
While Batman will be just fine sitting out the DCEU for a while, Superman is another story. Henry Cavill’s somewhat morose Superman seems wholly out of step with what the DCEU is trying to do at this point. Beyond that, Cavill’s Superman was far more polarizing than Warner Bros. was hoping: Cavill’s Superman has a large, devoted fanbase, but he’s also engendered considerable scorn and derision from those who feel his Superman is too dark and hopeless. There’s an argument to be made that Cavill’s Superman reflects darker times and that it’s a necessary evolution of the character — but that doesn’t seem to be what the DCEU is about these days.
It’s possible Cavill’s Superman could be salvaged in the DCEU. Cavill himself has shown an acting range that suggests he could play a more well rounded, earnest Superman with relative ease; he probably deserves another shot at the role with a new director who’s eager to embrace the classic tropes of the character more than Zack Snyder, whose deconstruction of Superman simply didn’t have the broad appeal WB was hoping for.
There have been reports that Cavill has turned down bit roles in other DC films like Shazam, feeling his version of Superman deserves another full-fledged solo film before he becomes just another color in the DCEU rainbow. That’s a fair stance on Cavill’s part, but it might ultimately be holding back the character. Man Of Steel was eight years ago, and reuniting that film’s impressive cast seems like a tall order almost a decade later, let alone without director Zack Snyder.
Just as likely is a straight reboot of Superman, perhaps brought on by the events of The Flash film. Rumors have swirled that director J.J. Abrams is keen to restart the man of steel, likely with a new cast. Warner Bros. could always go the route of The Batman and set that new Superman in a non-DCEU corner, but that would be a mistake. More than Batman, Superman is the genesis of the DCEU, and looms large over it, even as the franchise’s tone and intentions have changed. Also, quite frankly, Superman is in a much weaker position culturally than Batman and needs the boost of headlining the DCEU more than the caped crusader. Getting Superman right is not only important to the DC Extended Universe, it’s crucial to getting Superman himself back in the public’s good graces. Whether that be with Cavill or a new reboot, it needs to be in the DCEU.
