Summary DC Studios’ highest-grossing films offer valuable lessons for James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe, such as not rushing into major crossovers without proper character development.
Financially successful projects like “Suicide Squad” have shown the value of using lesser-known characters and expanding the range of stories adapted from DC Comics.
The DC Universe should prioritize directors’ visions, as proven by the success of The Batman and Joker, and focus on standalone stories before bringing heroes together in crossover films.
DC’s highest-grossing films can teach James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe some valuable lessons. Gunn and Safran were hired as co-CEOs of DC Studios in November 2022, brought on board to revitalize DC’s live-action shared franchise after a lengthy period of turmoil and several disappointing releases. The duo immediately set into motion a reset of the franchise, effectively ending the DC Extended Universe that kicked off with 2013’s Man of Steel and revealing plans to begin the DC Universe with Waller and Creature Commandos in 2024 and 2025’s Superman: Legacy. Despite leaving DC’s past projects behind, Gunn and Safran can learn crucial lessons from DC’s live-action history.
2023 has marked a disappointing year for DC Studios, as Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, and Blue Beetle have released in the wake of Gunn and Safran’s announcement of the DC Universe’s reset, with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom following in December. While DC Studios will take the criticism of these projects on board when developing the new franchise, there are also lessons to be learned from some of DC’s highest-grossing projects. These ten films prove that there is still demand for stories adapted from the pages of DC Comics, and each one may help to make the new DC Universe stronger and more coherent than its predecessor.
10 Justice League Proves The DC Universe Shouldn’t Try Too Much Too Soon
Released in 2017 as the DCEU’s first major crossover event, Justice League ended up grossing a total of $657,926,987, despite being met with a mixed response. Originally developed by Zack Snyder, Joss Whedon took over after Snyder left the project for personal reasons, and Whedon’s intervention in Snyder’s original vision led to the two-hour film feeling crowded, cramped, and saturated. While Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman had seen some development in previous projects, other characters were introduced in Justice League without enough time to actually explore them. The DC Universe shouldn’t jump so quickly into a major crossover event without at least doing the appropriate character set-up first.
9 Man Of Steel Proves Origin Stories Don’t Always Need To Be Told
Man of Steel kicked off the DCEU in 2013 and ended up totaling $668,045,518 at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing solo Superman film of all time. While some criticized Henry Cavill’s depiction of Superman and Snyder’s general tone, there was a lot to love about Man of Steel. The fact that the film neglected to detail Superman’s origin story meant that the film could jump straight into the action, which is a technique that Gunn and Safran’s DC Universe will also employ. David Corenswet will debut as the DC Universe’s Superman in Superman: Legacy, which has been confirmed to also avoid detailing the hero’s origin story.
8 Suicide Squad Shows The Value Of Using Lesser-Known Characters
Upon its 2016 release, Suicide Squad garnered mostly negative reviews but still raked in a total of $746,846,894 at the box office, making it DC’s most successful team-up film ever. Even though Suicide Squad was criticized, one of the biggest draws of the film was the all-star cast and eclectic group of DC characters. Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn became one of the most popular DCEU characters following her debut in Suicide Squad – a situation viewers hadn’t seen the villain in before. The DC Universe should put more emphasis on smaller-scale characters, showing viewers a wider range of stories from DC Comics that have so far been neglected in live-action.
7 The Batman Proves That Directors’ Visions Are Key
Outside the DCEU, several successful disconnected projects have been produced, including Todd Phillips’ Joker in 2019 and Matt Reeves’ The Batman in 2022. The Batman totaled $770,962,583 at the box office, and was met positively by critics and audiences alike – which DC and Warner Bros. desperately needed at the time. The key to The Batman’s success was that Reeves had creative freedom over the project, and brought a very different spin to Batman than what had been seen in the DCEU. Gunn and Safran will be putting directors’ visions at the forefront of the DC Universe, which has already been proven thanks to James Mangold’s hiring for Swamp Thing.
6 Wonder Woman Proved That Disconnected Narratives Can Work
2017’s Wonder Woman became DC’s most successful female-led project, raking in $822,854,286 at the box office. Gal Gadot debuted as Wonder Woman in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but Wonder Woman explored Diana Prince’s history on Themyscira and her adventures during World War I. Being set in the past gave Wonder Woman a standalone feeling that worked to the film’s benefit. Joker and The Batman also capitalized on this. For the new DC Universe, it’s paramount that characters’ stories are developed separately from each other before the heroes are brought together in crossover films, so more projects should feel like standalone stories.
5 Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice Proves The Value Of A Strong Villain
Despite racking up $873,637,528 at the global box office, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice received generally negative reviews and saw a historic second-weekend drop at the box office. While the battle between Superman and Batman had been highly anticipated, the lack of development for Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne meant that it was hard to empathize with him. One of Batman v Superman’s biggest criticisms was in its depictions of its villains, namely Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor and DC Comics’ Doomsday. Gunn and Safran need to develop stronger villains for the DC Universe so that the mistakes of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice can be rectified.
4 The Dark Knight Proves The DC Universe’s Batman Needs To Be Realistic
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy kicked off in 2005 with Batman Begins, but its 2008 sequel, The Dark Knight, has been widely regarded as one of the greatest superhero films ever made and the first DC project to cross $1 billion at the box office, totaling $1,006,234,167. Christian Bale’s Batman was celebrated, Heath Ledger’s Joker quickly became iconic, and The Dark Knight’s grounded and down-to-earth textures made the action more intense. This must continue in the DC Universe’s stories, as viewers often find it easier to access a narrative that has a basis in real life. The Batman replicated this, so the DCU’s The Brave and the Bold could, too.
3 Joker Proved That Comic Accuracy Isn’t Always Necessary
Todd Phillips’ Joker released in 2019 to high acclaim, totaling a whopping $1,074,458,282 at the global box office and earning a number of accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix. Joker was the first live-action project to focus solely on the iconic Batman villain, but explored a very different story for the Clown Prince of Crime than those in DC Comics. This proved that, while many expect projects from DC Studios to stay true to DC Comics, it’s not always necessary to deliver a successful project. Joker’s realistic tones worked to its benefit, in much the same way that The Batman and The Dark Knight’s did.
2 The Dark Knight Rises Proves That Success Leads To Success
Even though many deemed 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises inferior to its 2008 predecessor, Nolan’s trilogy-capper grossed more at the box office, bringing in $1,081,169,825 in total. This proves audience loyalty to projects they had previously loved, as the fact that The Dark Knight was so successful meant that viewers returned to theaters and boosted the performance of The Dark Knight Rises. The antithesis of this issue has faced DC’s more recent projects, as their disappointing performances have likely damaged the success of subsequent projects, so the DC Universe will need to be careful to deliver strong stories every time and retain audience loyalty.
1 Aquaman Proves The DC Universe Needs More Fun Projects
Even though it perhaps wasn’t expected, Aquaman became DC’s highest-grossing live-action project ever in 2018, grossing a total of $1,148,528,393 at the box office. After being introduced in Justice League, Jason Momoa’s first solo film as Arthur Curry, a.k.a. Aquaman, gave his story a natural progression. Despite being met with mixed reviews, audiences flooded to see Aquaman, with the project proving the value of fun projects rather than the darker and lugubrious films that DC had previously released. Gunn and Safran have promised a more light-hearted franchise with the DC Universe, meaning Aquaman’s incredible success may be repeated again and again.