It’s no secret that the DC Cinematic Extended Universe (DCEU) has had a lot of shakeups over the past few years. From James Gunn basically rebooting “The Suicide Squad” sequel after David Ayer’s version tanked at the box office, to Gunn and Peter Safran becoming co-chairs and CEOs of DC Studios.
And like most changes in upper management, it is out with the old and in with the new. The final three releases on the DC Films slate pre Gunn and Safran’s takeover included “The Flash” and “Blue Beetle,” both of which underperformed at the box office. And then there’s “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” which has had a turbulent sea to say the least.
Overhauling the DCEU is Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s top priority. Which, it seems, was Gunn and Safran’s top marching orders when they took over.
A change that is going so deep that it seems none of the stars cast by Zack Snyder‘s “Justice League” will be returning. That means no Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, and eventually Jason Momoa. They will not be reprising their current roles, signaling the official death of the Snyderverse.
But that’s not to say we will never see any of these performers back in the DCEU. Momoa still has the “Aquaman” sequel hitting theaters in December. He could even be jumping to another character in the universe. Rumors have claimed his involvement with a possible Lobo project for years. If it happens, he could potentially make an appearance in Gunn’s 2025 film “Superman: Legacy,” or in a standalone film.
There are also some other holdovers here and there. Like Viola Davis, who played Amanda Waller in both DCEU live-action “Suicide Squad” movies, as well as in “Peacemaker.” She will continue to play the character in next year’s Max series “Waller.” As well as possibly appearing in the new “Superman” tentpole film.
John Cena will also continue his titular role in the second season of Max’s “Peacemaker.” Note; both of these are properties that Gunn either created or was involved in before he became co-chair. So these performers staying in makes some sense since it doesn’t seem like a total scorched earth campaign. (It’s worth noting Gunn has also said Ayer’s cut of “Suicide Squad” may still see the light of day.)
One of the major issues in the situation is who really makes the final call. In a partnership like Disney and Marvel Studios, it’s a lot more cut and dry. Marvel Studios controls the creative process, while Disney releases all the content. Considering the MCU was starting to take off when the acquisition occurred, why fix what wasn’t broken?
Whereas the DCEU has MAX creatively involved, meaning Gunn and Safran don’t have the same autonomy as Kevin Feige. This can get confusing as to who can do what and where. There are claims from a MAX source that the partnership has been seamless with executives Sarah Aubrey and Casey Bloys. Up to and including the upcoming Matt Reeves series “The Penguin,” which currently has shut down production due to the now-resolved WGA strike. It’s expected to resume filming when SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved.
To add to the chaos, some insiders are convinced that another company, most likely Universal Pictures, will buy Warner Bros. within two years. Which may or may not make all of the current turmoil a moot point. But at this point, that is purely speculation.
“The bottom line is they need to get DC to work whether Zaslav owns it, whether Brian Roberts owns it, whether somebody else owns it,” Wall Street analyst and venture capitalist LightShed’s Rich Greenfield said.
Only time will tell where all of this ends up. Speaking as fans all we have to say is, we just want good movies with the characters that we love. Disputes over who got chocolate in whose peanut butter gets fandoms nowhere, fast. We just hope the powers that be see this as well.
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” will hit theaters December 20th, 2023.
