The daybreak of a brand new DC Universe is upon us, with James Gunn and Peter Safran planning a brand new slate of movie, TV and gaming initiatives. However earlier than we get there, we have now 9 months of what feels just like the final gasps of the DCEU, which is coming to an finish, virtually poetically, a decade after it made its debut with Man of Metal in 2013.
First out of the gate is David F. Sandberg’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the sequel to Shazam! (2019), which proved to be a modest sized hit and was thought-about one other course-correcting step in the proper course for the DC franchise, the third to be precise, however who’s counting? Some critics even referred to it as the very best movie within the DCEU to this point. A sequel ought to, in concept, be an enormous draw because the opening salvo for the three different DC movies scheduled this 12 months, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Misplaced Kingdom. So why does it really feel just like the DCEU is limping in direction of a conclusion relatively than culminating in a celebration of a decade of storytelling?
Early social media reactions to Fury of the Gods have been enthusiastic and optimistic, whereas evaluations have been comparatively optimistic, if softer than the unique. However the field workplace projections recommend a much less enthusiastic opening. Definitely, conscious of the numbers the movie is going through, Warner Bros. and New Line’s advertising for the movie has develop into a determined plea to “come see,” with TV spots spoiling the movie’s massive cameo which in some way feels ever sadder than Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson all-but revealing Henry Cavill’s Superman cameo throughout press on the purple carpet.
So, what’s it about Fury of the Gods that’s standing in the way in which of it being a lightning rod? Effectively, it comes all the way down to quite a lot of elements. Whereas the sequel has no scarcity of expertise, bringing on Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler as antagonists. They play the Daughters of Atlas — Hespera, Kalypso, Anthea, respectively, characters who aren’t from the comics. This makes it considerably tougher by way of advertising and pointing audiences to particular comedian books they’ll reference and construct enthusiasm off of. The second situation is that Shazam’s most iconic antagonist, Black Adam, bought a solo film, which flopped on the field workplace final 12 months, and stole the thunder away of any chance of the Shazam versus Black Adam matchup audiences have been hoping for because the movies have been introduced. However the greatest boulder standing in the way in which of Fury of the Gods is that with a brand new DC cinematic universe on the way in which, what are audiences being requested to spend money on?
Now, you could possibly say that the deserves of the film needs to be checked out individually, and never by way of what it units up, or the post-credit scenes which will by no means come to fruition in one other movie. Actually, that’s what I might argue myself. See the film for the film and never for a way nicely it serves as a teaser trailer. However I feel, if we’re being sensible, that isn’t the way in which individuals watch these motion pictures, not less than not totally. A Shazam film that has the assured promise of a conflict with Black Adam or the character becoming a member of the Justice League merely performs otherwise with audiences than a Shazam film that teases the return of Sivana and the Monster Society of Evil in a film that doesn’t appear prone to get made. It shouldn’t be that manner, however it’s. Already, social media chatter has returned to the identical question about these pre-reboot movies, “what’s even the purpose?” The purpose is to see movie, however I don’t know if that’s sufficient of a convincing argument for a franchise that, not less than critically, although not for me personally, has had extra hits than misses.
Whereas the brand new co-head of DC Movies, James Gunn has stated that all the pieces is on the desk to probably proceed within the DCU, and Shazam!, not less than the primary movie, doesn’t have any continuity breaking references, all of it feels a bit of bit muddy in clarification for audiences who’ve been advised a reboot, with a brand new Batman and Superman, is coming. Phrases like “delicate reboot,” with parts of The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker grandfathered in, may be thrown out, and that is perhaps the case, however meaning nothing to basic audiences who’ve been raised on MCU movies highlighting a single continuity wherein “all the pieces issues,” regardless of it being a advertising ploy. However it’s a ploy individuals consider in, and that’s one thing that Warner Bros. Discovery doesn’t have with regard to their present crop of DC Movies, which between the frequent shifts in management, the divisive nature of the films, actors uncertain of their future as these characters, and a complete Batgirl film being shelved, the present state of affairs has taken on an, “eh, we don’t actually know if it issues but” stance.
Gunn’s bulletins about Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, the beginning of the DCU, have been actually thrilling and generally, bought quite a lot of people extra optimistic about the way forward for DC onscreen, exterior of Batman movies, than they’ve been in a very long time. However it does really feel just like the announcement comes on the detriment of the movies already scheduled for launch that fall exterior of that. It’s paying homage to when 20th Century Fox launched Darkish Phoenix and The New Mutants after the Disney merger, and everybody was already anticipating the MCU’s rebooted model of mutants. And certain, we will hope the standard of the DCEU movies this 12 months will surpass these movies, but when the advertising for Fury of the Gods, which didn’t even play a Tremendous Bowl spot, is any indication of what we will anticipate for the remainder of 2023, then it looks as if WBD is already counting their losses and actually simply hoping Michael Keaton’s return as Batman can push The Flash to a billion.
There’s a scarcity of readability by way of how these DCEU movies hook up with Gunn and co-boss Peter Safran’s DCU, if in any respect, and the wait-and-see method would be the most obvious but it surely additionally doesn’t promote tickets. Fury of the Gods was initially set to come back out after The Flash, and Sandberg lately gave that as the rationale for the costume adjustments within the movie, which have now modified merely due to magic. It’s not an enormous situation. However when you think about that The Flash was initially going to result in sure adjustments seen in Fury of the Gods and Aquaman and The Misplaced Kingdom, with now-axed cameos referencing these occasions, it does really feel like the problems of a comic book e-book occasion which were blended up and pages have been eliminated.
Equally, The Flash, the subsequent movie set to be launched, is alleged to function a conclusion to the DCEU and arrange the DCU. And that may be wonderful if it weren’t being instantly adopted by Blue Beetle, which is meant to launch and new franchise and the Aquaman sequel which was alleged to be the second chapter in a trilogy. Oh, and by the way in which, Jason Momoa will seemingly be taking part in a special character within the DCU, however in keeping with Peter Safran, gained’t be taking part in two completely different characters, which contradicts Momoa’s assertion that he’ll all the time be Aquaman. So, what we have now is the top of a cinematic universe and a brand new one being born concurrently and probably utilizing items from the one ending if it appears financially viable, which even for comedian lovers is a disaster too difficult.
It could be nice to see these 2023 DC motion pictures succeed, each financially and critically, and possibly Fury of the Gods will beat out predictions and present that audiences are nonetheless invested in these movies regardless of a reboot within the wings. However I feel there must be some readability about the place these franchises stand by way of the DCU. If the plan is to finish them right here, inside the confines of the DCEU, then I feel audiences deserve definitive conclusions and a transition that is sensible, like The Flash being an precise finale and main right into a reboot relatively than the DCEU ending with an Aquaman sequel that tees up a 3rd installment that the studio doesn’t truly plan on making. Whether or not you’re excited for the DCU or not, I feel that the actors and filmmakers who’ve contributed to a decade of tales set within the DCEU not less than deserve readability and the Aristocracy as they ship this closing chapter.
