If 2017 has taught us anything, it’s that creating a successful cinematic universe isn’t as easy as Marvel makes it look. The DC Extended Universe was supposed to be the challenger that could give the MCU a real run for its money. Between proven box office heroes Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, as well as the Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg, what could go wrong? As it turns out, a lot. Justice League was far from a failure, but it didn’t live up to the studios’ oversized expectations. However, there may be hope ahead for DC fans, and today’s Nerdist News is taking a look at the DCEU’s possible future.
There are spoilers ahead from Justice League‘s post-credits scene. Hopefully you’ve seen it by now. If not, consider this your final warning to turn back!
Join our host and the only surviving member of the Justice League Detroit team, Jessica Chobot, as she walks us through reports from El Fanboy about the implications of Justice League‘s post-credits scene. According to that rumor, the scene between Lex Luthor and Deathstroke was about more than just Justice League 2. The rise of the villains may be driving force of several DCEU movies before the studio even gets around to a Justice League sequel.
The prevailing theory behind this report is that Warner Bros. wants to move away from cosmic bad guys like Darkseid in the wake of Steppenwolf’s uninspiring turn in the first Justice League film. The movie made a big move in that direction by closing with Luthor’s suggestion that he and Deathstroke should have their own Injustice League to counter the new team of heroes.
El Fanboy suggests that the new team of villains will be going by the Legion of Doom name that originated in Challenge of the Super Friends animated series. And we’re not talking about a one-off appearance. Instead, it sounds like DC is inverting the Marvel formula by bringing the villains together one at a time. There’s talk that Deathstroke could even get his own movie, while Suicide Squad‘s Joker, and potentially Black Manta from Aquaman serve as the next recruits.
The DC universe isn’t hurting for great villains, and this could be just the thing to bring back a sense of excitement to these comic book adaptations. And if the studio can make Justice League 2 feel like a major event, then that could pay off by expanding the playing field for an even larger number of DC characters.
What do you think about this possible new direction for the DCEU? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!
Images: Warner Bros. Pictures
