The DCEU Reboot seems imminent. Since director Zack Snyder started collaborating with Warner Bros., DCEU has received mixed reviews. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe was much older at the time, even having released The Avengers (2012) a year before Man of Steel came out, Zack Snyder tried to set a creative direction for future projects.
Zack Snyder ultimately left the project in 2016, and Joss Whedon came to the rescue to finish the theatrical cut of Justice League. It was one of the biggest critical failures for the DCEU, from which Snyder massively benefited after releasing Zack Snyder's Justice League in 2021. It all points to the fact that the DCEU Reboot might be a good way to wipe the slate clean.
Now that James Gunn and Peter Safran have taken the DC Studios reins, some significant changes are coming via a DCEU Reboot. A report by The Hollywood Reporter revealed that some projects are getting scrapped. We could even see Jason Momoa as Lobo despite him being a very profitable star for DCEU.
The future of DC films amid a DCEU Reboot explained
Why is a DCEU Reboot happening?
James Gunn and Peter Safran are co-CEOs of DC Studios. While Gunn has a terrific track record, having written and directed the Guardians of the Galaxy films, The Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker, DCEU still presents quite an overwhelming problem to solve. We've seen the release of two completely different Suicide Squad films only a few years apart from each other.
Justice League also suffered heavily from internal pressure and intervention, which led to the poorly received 2017's Justice League. To top it all off, DC films are all over the place. We just saw the release of Black Adam (which failed to be a box-office hit) without Shazam being present.
Moreover, there is a huge tonal difference in all the DCEU films. Shazam, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Black Adam, and the Suicide Squad are very distinct from each other. While The Suicide Squad is a dark comedy at times, Black Adam and Wonder Woman stand in stark contrast.
Ezra Miller's The Flash is supposed to bring a change of course for DCEU as we know it, but the actor's controversy stands in the way of the film reaching out to audiences as well as maintaining goodwill for the company.
Amid all this, James Gunn has a creative vision that is distinct from anything that's out there in the DCEU. We've already seen it in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker season 1. To bridge that gap while making space for upcoming projects, a DCEU Reboot is extremely necessary.
What would a DCEU Reboot lead to?
Gal Gadot's future in the DCEU is in jeopardy, as Patty Jenkins has walked away from DC Studios. According to THR, Gunn and Sarfen think that Wonder Woman 3 does not fit the current plan they have for the DCEU, which is why we will not see the Wonder Woman project that has been under development for quite some time.
The DCEU reboot also puts Henry Cavill's future into question. Henry Cavill recently announced that he would be returning as the Man of Steel in the DCEU once again. However, THR also reported that plans for Man of Steel 2 have also been scrapped. It's unclear whether we'll see Cavill in other DC projects as well.
Jason Momoa is reportedly taking on the mantle of Aquaman for the last time in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Instead, he's in talks for the role of Lobo with DC Studios.
This is a pretty big change considering that Aquaman is the most profitable film from the DCEU. James Gunn announced the Blue Bettle film via Twitter, which is expected to be released sometime in 2023.
As far as The Flash is concerned, Warner Bros. still plans on releasing it in 2023, despite its troubled timeline and controversy. Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton are both set to return for the project.
Gunn also wants more obscure characters to find life in the DCEU, which is why a DCEU Reboot is not only necessary but long overdue. It's an uncertain future for the DCEU, but a DCEU Reboot and planning cannot go wrong.