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DCshows how not copy the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the key to succeeder . funny book adaptations ( which had already spawned blockbusters likeX - MenandSpider - Manin the 2000s ) reached a new tier of popularity whenThe Avengerscame out in 2012 . Marking the culmination of Marvel ’s ambitious Phase 1 , the film served as concrete proof the shared cinematic universe model could shape . In addition to earning far-flung vital praise , The Avengersalso broke box office recordsen route to grossing $ 1.5 billion worldwide . Its success foretell Marvel as one of the industry ’s powerhouse studio .
Unsurprisingly , The Avengersinfluenced a overplus of copycats depend to launch their own shared creation . of course , Warner Bros. attempted to develop a mega franchise around their DC Comics property , set off with 2013’sMan of Steel . But just four year later , the so - call DC Extended Universe suffered a ruinous failure whenJustice League’stheatrical cut fail at the box officeand was critically pan . As Marvel was gear up to releaseAvengers : Infinity WarandAvengers : Endgame , DC was leave assay to figure out what to do next .
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In the straightaway backwash ofJustice League , WB take a hop nicely with a dyad of well - received hits in the form ofShazamandAquaman , the latter of which became the highest - grossing DC movie of all - prison term . And they ’re now prompt forrard in a fresh direction with a slew of upcoming projects . seem at DC ’s new pic slate , it appears they have learned valuable lessons from retiring failures and have themselves arrange up for a very exciting time to come .
DC’s Biggest Mistake Was Copying Marvel
It ’s understandable why WB was concerned in doing their own shared universe a la Marvel , specially since they had their own horse barn of comic book characters do withdraw from . The crucial error WB made was in the execution . One of the reasons whyThe Avengersworked so well is because Marvel made standalone movies for Iron Man , Hulk , Thor , and Captain America first , flesh them out and allowing audiences to get place in their respective journeys before they crossed over . WB went in the diametric direction , arguably rushing to playact catch - up . Man of Steelwas followed up byBatman v Superman : Dawn of Justice(which also featured Wonder Woman ) and thenJustice League . Longtime DC buff were worked up to see their favorite heroes come together on the magnanimous silver screen , but casual moviegoers were meeting characters like Aquaman and Cyborg for the first clock time . There was n’t as much of a make - up toJustice Leagueas there was forThe Avengers .
In gain to attempting to replicate Marvel ’s model , WB also made the fatal fault in trying to copy Marvel ’s actual filmmaking . The studio apartment infamouslybrought Joss Whedon in to overseeJustice League’ssubstantial reshoots , basically changing the original photographic film Zack Snyder had made . In reply toBatman v Superman’spolarizing reaction , WB wanted to take the dealership in a dissimilar guidance , leaning more towards Marvel ’s lite , family - friendly approach . The end consequence was a mishmash of tone and styles that derail the master architectural plan before it even exact off . It remains to be project how much of an melioration the forthcoming Snyder Cut is , but Whedon’sJustice Leaguewas a non - starting motor as far as being a launch pad for a shared universe .
Like so many other failed shared existence , WB catch too far onward of themselves , planning a Marvel - esque slating of films class in advance before seeing what they really had . The DCEU did n’t terminate upas poorly as something like the Dark Universe(which was shut out down after one motion-picture show ) , but WB was still thrust to importantly change what they had in psyche . That batting order , which was unveil in 2014 , included aFlashsolo movie in 2018 andGreen LanternandCyborgmovies in 2020 . It shows how quickly affair can change in Hollywood , serve as trial impression Marvel was the exclusion to the rule . fortuitously , WB pick up their lessons and now they seem coiffure .
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DC’s New Movie Slate Is More Exciting Than Marvel Phase 4
Over the next couple of yr , DC ’s lineup consist of films likeWonder womanhood 1984 , The Suicide Squad , The Batman , Black Adam , The Flash , Shazam 2,andAquaman 2 . But this time , WB is n’t underline a singular , interconnected shared world like Marvel . Each of these projects was primarily conceived as a standalone vehicle where the focus is making a high - quality movie audiences can revel , as opposed to tying it into a larger picture . It ’s already been confirmedThe Batmanis entirely separate from the antecedently established DCEUand it is n’t necessary to seeSuicide Squadbefore watching James Gunn’sThe Suicide Squad . WB seems to have abandoned copying the MCU for something different .
This new model warrants a flock of creative freedom on the upcoming DC motion-picture show , allowing each one to have their own unequaled flavor and tone . As successful as the MCU has been , a common critique is that franchise feel somewhat homogeneous . Even episode helmed by notable auteur like Gunn and Taika Waititi still have to adhere to the common Marvel formula or comprise secret plan points to further arise the MCU ’s overarching account . At times , those movies can feel like the director ’s vision filtered through the Marvel lens . DC is going in a unlike direction now in terms of filmmaking feeler . The Batman’smoody traileris something that would n’t really fit in the MCU.The Suicide Squadcould bait its goose , old - school vibe to an radius - rating . Wonder Woman 1984 , despite star a fibre who was part of Zack Snyder ’s DCEU , wo n’t have connections toJustice League . Each film can be its own , disjoined affair , which create the opportunity for a variety of films that could invoke to many different target audiences .
DC is also open themselves up by hug the multiverse . This is most evidenced byThe Flash , which seesMichael Keaton and Ben Affleck reprise their Batman roles . To be comely , Marvel played with this concept viaAvengers : Endgame’sTime Heist , but there the parallel dimensions were merely revisit events from earlier in the continuity . The Flashis sustain two unlike cinematic batman from two different picture franchises , which is taking a much larger pace into the multiverse musical theme . Rather than count to maintain a single canon , DC is telling audiences thateverythingis canon and they do n’t have to worry about how affair fit together . It ’s an exciting way to tackle amusing book adaptations , taking advantage of the fact multiple iterations of these characters be in the comics . Robert Pattinson ’s Batman is the one who will headline continuation and followups , but that does n’t mean he has to be the only Batman on the with child screen door for the next fistful of year . This is n’t to say Marvel ’s done anything wrong ( the upshot speak for themselves ) , but their model does n’t work for everyone . It ’ll be interesting to see whatDCcomes up with and they seem brace for big and good things .
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