DC Studios is planning a new DC Universe, but with Zack Snyder’s arc remaining incomplete, they should give his story a true conclusion.
For the DCU to start a new era, it needs to give the Snyderverse a true conclusion. The DCU (formerly known as the DCEU) has been through a roller coaster of behind-the-scenes struggles, most notably on the reshoots for the 2017 version of Justice League. Though Zack Snyder’s original version of the film was eventually released in 2021 as Zack Snyder’s Justice League after a massive fan campaign, DC’s difficulties have continued since. This eventually culminated in the announcement of Henry Cavill departing as Superman after having just returned to the role in Black Adam.
Cavill’s departure seems to signal that DC Studios, under the leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran, is looking for a completely fresh start for the DCU. While that would be a sad end to the DCU as it began with Man of Steel, there are ways for DC Studios to make the transition from one cinematic universe to another more streamlined. In a nutshell, if DC Studios is electing to start anew, can and should give the Snyderverse its final bow.
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DC Fans Have Been Subject To Far Too Much Disappointment
Part of why the disappointment at Henry Cavill’s Superman departure is so widespread is that it is the latest example of major DCU story arcs or characters either being shortchanged or prematurely ended. The theatrical cut of Justice League was where that began, with Snyder’s planned Justice League sequels being scrapped and numerous other cast members left with uncertain futures. Superman himself has been one of the major examples with his headless cameo in Shazam! and silhouette cameo in Peacemaker before his short-lived return in Black Adam.
The constant question of Ben Affleck’s Batman future has also dogged the DCU since the theatrical cut of Justice League, while Ray Fisher’s dispute with Warner Bros. has never been resolved in a way to give him a Cyborg future. Enveloped in all of these problems is the lack of any concrete plans to bring the Justice League together on-screen again, despite the popularity of the characters cast by Snyder. Even if DC Studios have plans for a new take on the DC Universe, getting there will inevitably require another DCU disappointment, and an especially harsh one after the Justice League’s redemption through the Snyder Cut.
Snyder’s Arc Already Had An Endpoint In Mind
The most ironic part of WB’s panicked decision to jettison Snyder’s DCU plans is that his story would have been concluded already had they stayed the course. Snyder’s conception of the DCU was a Superman-centric five-movie arc, with spin-offs for individual characters to fill out the story. Following on Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Snyder’s outline of his plans for the Justice League sequels showed the League commanding the entire world in a showdown with Darkseid (Ray Porter). Affleck’s Batman story in the Justice League sequels would also culminate with him sacrificing himself in the final battle, with Lois and Clark’s son Bruce to become the new Batman 20 years later.
Had WB permitted Snyder’s five-film arc to run its course, none of the subsequent DCU problems would have happened, allowing them to properly prepare a subsequent reboot. Additionally, with the details Ben Affleck’s cancelled Batman movie revealed, coupled with the sordid behind-the-scenes stories of the Justice League reshoots, the unfulfilled promise of Snyder’s arc has understandably left a bad taste in the mouths of many. By leaving the Snyderverse effectively unfinished, Warner Bros. is also, by extension, leaving one of the most infamous mistakes in superhero movie history as part of the legacy of DC on film.
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Properly Ending The Snyderverse Arc Benefits DC Studios
What WB’s previous management failed to understand about calls to restore the Snyderverse is that it has always been about giving the story closure. Even after the Snyder Cut’s announcement, WB continued to fight against it, referring to it as “a storytelling cul-de-sac” despite the Snyder Cut’s multiple spin-off set-ups. DC Studios can avoid that with a final story to give the Snyderverse the definitive end point that WB fought so hard against.
With the Snyderverse properly concluded, it would also greatly help to mend fences with the Justice League cast and crew, allowing their story to be wrapped up without the feeling of being cut short. Additionally, the abuse allegations of the Justice League reshoots are also still a very sore spot. Snyder himself has stated that WB “tortured” him during the completion of the Snyder Cut, while the Justice League behind-the-scenes situation received even more attention through Joss Whedon’s disastrous response to Fisher’s abuse claims. The Snyderverse being fully concluded by DC Studios could finally allow the hatchet to be buried on Justice League‘s tumultuous production.
How DC Can Properly End The Snyderverse
The logistics of ending the Snyderverse are a lot trickier. Ideally, DC Studios could construct a full-blown send-off event to act as the last story of the Snyderverse, possibly modifying Snyder’s outline with different comic book stories. With James Gunn posting Kingdom Come artwork on social media, an adaptation of that famed comic book story would meld perfectly with the DC films Snyder has already directed. The animated movie Justice League Dark: Apokolips War could also make for a strong template for a final chapter for the Snyderverse, Apokolips War drawing heavily from Snyder’s DCEU.
While the dream scenario for restore the Snyderverse advocates would be for Snyder himself to oversee such a final chapter, his commitments to his Netflix projects like Rebel Moon would need to be weighed. With Gunn having revealed talks with Ben Affleck to direct an upcoming DCU project, Affleck taking the helm could also be a great way to wrap up the Snyderverse if he were amenable to doing so. Dwayne Johnson’s long teased Black Adam-Superman showdown could even potentially be incorporated into the story, allowing Cavill’s Black Adam appearance its intended pay-off. Moreover, releasing the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad would also help to conclude the Snyderverse properly.
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By never putting together a replacement for Snyder’s plan, WB’s previous regimes unfairly burdened the DCU’s cast and filmmakers with consequences of that. With that being said, with the DCU multiverse opening up via The Flash, the Snyderverse has become one DC universe of many, including the potential new one being started by DC Studios. That, above all, makes the case for the Snyderverse to be allowed to end on its own terms.
