DC Boss James Gunn Explains Why The DCEU Failed So Miserably

DC boss James Gunn reveals the reasons for the failure of the DCEU as he prepares to start production for his new franchise.

The DCEU, which debuted with Man of Steel in 2013, was Warner Bros’ lofty attempt to rival the staggering success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

However, it got lukewarm responses from critics and failed to dominate the box office. Although DCEU has critically acclaimed films like Blue Beetle, Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad, it has never been able to have that MCU-esque mass appeal. James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the franchise in 2022 to reboot it softly into the new DC Universe. 

Recently, several fans took to Threads to ask questions about Gunn’s new approach to revamping a near-dead franchise. Here’s how the man responded:

In his replies, DC’s boss criticized the franchise’s lack of creative coherence and cited it as the main reason for the failure of the soon-to-be-closing franchise.

Gunn also said they’re trying to include video games and animated projects into the DCEU plan to make it a complete package. 

However, not all of them will be within his universe, as many might consider Elseworld stories to base their creatives on.

Gunn’s comment on the lack of consistency does ring true for the franchise. Abrupt retcons by directors to suit their visions have been a jarring characteristic of many DCEU creatives. For instance, Atlantis feels very different in Justice League compared to Aquaman. Thus, fans have never been able to form a concrete image of the DCEU in their minds. 

One big reason is that the franchise has always lacked a father figure to oversee everything and maintain consistency throughout the franchise.

On the contrary, MCU has thrived under the leadership of Kevin Feige, who has orchestrated the development of all the projects. 

Although the MCU is currently in a slump with the fans having superhero fatigue, Feige still holds on to his grand vision for the franchise’s direction, guaranteeing a more coherent expansion of the universe.

With Gunn and Safran leading the charge, the DCU can finally look to match the success of its biggest competitor.

The two have already announced an eight to ten-year plan for the franchise, segregated into several chapters. Although Gunn will be the director of Superman: Legacy, he’ll work closely with other makers like The Brave and The Bold’s Andy Muschietti and Swamp Thing’s James Mangold. It will enable the directors to find the perfect middle ground between their imagination and Gunn’s overall plan for the franchise. 

Only time will tell whether it is enough to resurrect the franchise, but we can be sure the process is going in the right direction!

About DC Movies

DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book publishers. It produces material featuring numerous well-known superhero characters, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, and Green Arrow. Most of this material takes place in a shared fictional universe, which also features teams such as the Justice League, the Suicide Squad, and the Teen Titans. The company has also published non-DC Universe-related material, including V for Vendetta, and many titles under their alternative imprint Vertigo Comics.

Film adaptations based on DC Comics properties have included serials, live action and animated films, direct-to-video releases, television films and documentary films.