The DC Extended Universe Is A Rotting Corpse, Even If It Doesn’t Want To Admit It

The DC Comics movies coming in 2023 are like the proverbial Schrödinger’s cat: until you open the box (and here you’ll probably forgive me a handy pun with box, or box in English, and box office, box office) , You don’t know whether they are alive or dead. Judging by official statements, the protagonists of all four films could return in the new DC Universe created by James Gunn and Peter Safran, as well as disappear entirely depending on convenience.

In reality, the situation is probably more complicated – and at times confusing – than that, and the fact that these characters may return in the future is just a feeling that Warner Bros. Discovery has chosen to give us so far. Not to be considered dead are films and characters that have not yet reached theaters, in some cases possibly with significant economic damage. The idea is that the two heads of the DC studio have already clearly defined their future plans, and only a sensational result can make them change the situation.

the four movies we’re talking about are Shazam! fury of the gods (Released in March), glitter (out in June), blue beetle (August) E aquaman and the lost empire (December). All the movies were announced long time ago and postponed repeatedly due to various problems (unlike bat girl, which was intended for streaming but was canceled entirely). movies that don’t seem capable of ending the DC Extended Universe at large, as they also pointed out hollywood reporter A few weeks ago: «Why does it feel like the DCEU is dragging towards a conclusion instead of culminating in a celebration of a decade’s worth of stories?». Maybe because it is just like that?

Originally there was no programming, now there were other projects and the ones that were already ready are coming into the room, even though the last few months have been heavily worked on (a reason cited for the various delays Was). Let’s be clear right now: It probably just wasn’t possible for these movies, and for the DCEU, to go any other way. Cancellation didn’t seem like a realistic option given the high or low budget. And of course Warner Bros. couldn’t keep the news of the birth of the DC studio under wraps for a year, believing that was the future of their narrative universe.

So the situation becomes almost the same for the production company as well lose lose, and then we’d throw the films out anyway and hope for the best possible result, right? It is too bad that, as everyone knows, those who lived in hope died in despair. Shazam! fury of the gods was actually a real flop, one of the worst box office results ever for a film featuring a DC Comics character, but also for a superhero film in general, grossing $133 million worldwide, 110 Against the budget of 125 million. The result was even lower than that achieved by some of the films released during the years of the pandemic.

Wherein we can expect something better from Warner Bros. glitter, also thanks to a “pimp” plot centered in the multiverse on the appearance of two Batmen, played by Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton, returning to the character after more than 30 years. A very nostalgic fan service move for all intents and purposes (which, mind you, has undoubtedly won yours truly, who grew up with Tim Burton’s Batman and as a result already has tickets for the June 15 screening. owns).

Currently, analysts are projecting the film’s opening weekend gross to be around $75 million. Batman by Matt Reeves (which raised $134 million in 2022), but better black adams (67 million) and above all of the above Shazam! fury of the gods (30.1 million). In any case, according to some insiders, Warner Bros. has a lot of confidence in the film, even beyond the obvious public statements, thanks to screenings that went extremely well. Even someone like Stephen King said he really enjoyed it.

In short, between the four films glitter It seems most likely that there will be a continuation in the future in one way or another, even though there is still a lot of uncertainty according to director Andy Muschietti: «I think we are all waiting to see whether How will this film go? Naturally, there is excitement for the continuation of the story, especially if this film turns out to be successful. Clearly, DC has an architecture that is being born and built. The question is, will this new architecture be able to accommodate this history? The cool thing about the multiverse is that it’s possible. The multiverse allows for all these different worlds to co-exist and interact, and so, hopefully, yeah, I mean, we just don’t know yet. This is true”.

In this regard, Peter Safran clearly stated that glitter “DC Will Reset The Universe,” But That Will Only Cause Confusion: Where Will They Stand Then blue beetle And aquaman and the lost empire, Why release them after a film dedicated to the speedster, if the latter should mark the end of the DCEU and the beginning of the DC Universe? And that might be okay too, he points out. theartSelf glitter « was not immediately followed by blue beetlewhich is expected to launch a new franchise, and sequels to aquamanWhich should be the second chapter of a trilogy».

As for the future of the protagonist played by Jason Momoa, on the one hand there is Safran himself who reiterates that «Jason has always seen Aquaman as a trilogy», suggesting that therefore the character may actually be seen in the new universe. there will be a future, but there are rumors of other lost kingdom Judging by the screenings, this is one of the worst DCEU movies ever made. If this were true, it certainly would not have led to a negative result at the box office, but all the conditions would have been there for another flop. And if the law of receipts was indeed in force, there wouldn’t be much hope for the character to return in the near future.

In any case, it looks like Jason Momoa will be a part of the new DC Universe in one way or another. He continues to say that he will always be Aquaman, but that he could play other characters as well (and the most likely seems to be Lobo). But all of these statements give away a lot of Zachary Levi’s thoughts about Shazam being “situational.” especially given the great negativity aquaman and the lost empire It’s been taking it along for a while (between the DCEU shutdown, actress Amber Heard’s court incidents, constant rescheduling and rearrangements and accumulated delays).

Instead the negativity seems to be draining away blue beetle

After the release of the first trailer, which garnered a total of 19 million views and almost 400,000 likes within a few hours. Current forecasts speak of $250–300 million in worldwide receipts for the film directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, fueled by the fact that it will be the first superhero film starring a Latin American character. which can have the same effect as the first one black Panther From Marvel Studios, supported by an entire community.

In short, the situation seems pretty clear for the DCEU’s four final films from at least one perspective: more confusion is added to confusion. something that is not good for the audience and not even for the people who worked in the movies, as the above article by gloss theart Signed by Richard Newby: «I think the public deserves definite conclusions and a transition that makes sense, how glitter Which Is A Real Ending And Leads To A Reboot, Not A Conclusion To The DCEU With A Sequel aquaman Which shows a third chapter that the studio has no real intention of realizing ». Despite his wish for optimism, the cat now seems more dead than alive.

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