There was a time when it looked like Marvel Studios and the MCU had a legitimate rival in Warner Bros.' DC Extended Universe, but the shared world without an official name has largely proven to be a disappointment.
This December, we'll say goodbye to the franchise when Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is released. The DCEU will be rebooted as the DCU in 2024 and, while that's set to be an odd mix of new and old concepts and characters, it's also been a long time coming.
Where did things go so badly wrong for the DCEU, though? Looking back over the past decade, it feels like it was destined to fail from the star. With that in mind, we've relived 10 years of history to bring you a closer look at 10 decisions that doomed the DCEU.
You can read through this feature by clicking on the "Next" button below!
10. Promoting Man Of Steel Like The Dark Knight Trilogy
From Christopher Nolan's role as executive producer to Hans Zimmer being enlisted to compose the movie's score, it was clear Warner Bros. wanted to evoke memories of The Dark Knight Trilogy while promoting Man of Steel.
That was evident from the movie's trailers too and, when the Superman reboot was eventually released, Batman Begins it was not.
Man of Steel should have been advertised as a Zack Snyder movie, tempering expectations while also making it clear we were 100% getting his vision for the character (rather than Nolan doing for Superman what he'd done for Batman). Ultimately, it was just a bad way to kick things off.
9. The Dawn Of Justice Came Too Soon
When Snyder hit the Hall H stage at Comic-Con to announce plans for a Batman v Superman movie by reading an excerpt from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, we all lost our collective minds.
A little more questionable, however, was the decision to add that awkward Dawn of Justice tagline to the movie's title.
What should have been a story revolving solely around Batman and Superman squaring off (before inevitably teaming up) became a launching platform for Justice League. Rushed cameos and Wonder Woman's DCEU debut felt superfluous as Warner Bros. looked to imitate the MCU's success in one movie rather than several.
8. Batman v Superman Crammed In Too Much
As if throwing Wonder Woman and company into the mix wasn't enough, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice also included Lex Luthor's debut, an appearance from Doomsday, and a bizarre dream sequence teasing Snyder's future plans.
It was too much too soon, and the fact we got The Dark Knight Returns and The Death of Superman in one 150-minute movie remains a perplexing move.
Whether it's down to Snyder or the studio, too many ideas were thrown at the wall back in 2016 and none of them really stuck. In fact, it was the decisions made here that largely began the DCEU's downward spiral.
7. Suicide Squad's Course Correction
Shocked by the largely negative critical response to Batman v Superman (and a disastrous second weekend at the box office), Warner Bros. decided Suicide Squad needed to forego its similarly dark tone and be lightened up.
To do so, catchy pop songs were added, filmmaker David Ayer's ideas were largely neutered, and several edits resulted in an absolute mess of a movie.
Rather than staying the course, Warner Bros. panicked and just assumed moviegoers didn't want a darker take on superheroes. If anything, the success Joker and The Batman have found in recent years proves they do, but next up for some sweeping changes was Justice League.
6. Joss Whedon's Justice League
We may never know what really led to Joss Whedon being hired to write new scenes for Justice League, but he was soon tasked with also directing them. Somewhere along the line, the man who'd helmed two hit Avengers movies literally lost the plot and, based on what we've heard, acted like a spoilt brat on set.
Between that and the fact he was attempting to reshape Snyder's near-finished movie, it's no great surprise the end result was a disaster.
Warner Bros. executives, keen to get their bonuses by releasing Justice League on time, allowed the blockbuster to go out in a state of upper disrepair with its Superman rocking a CG jawline and very little about this version actually working. The studio had utterly failed to replicate the success of The Avengers.
5. Trying Too Hard To Be Marvel
In case it isn't already obvious, Warner Bros. desperately wanted to replicate the success of the MCU with its unnamed DCEU.
However, being 5 years behind Marvel Studios meant they had to rush things to the point where nothing really worked. Abandoning DC's premier superhero team after Justice League bombed, the focus then shifted to movies like Aquaman, Shazam!, and Wonder Woman 1984.
All of those attempted to imitate the MCU with mixed success, but that tone wasn't really what fans were looking for. The poor imitations continued and, while there were some critical and commercial hits, the franchise clearly didn't know what it wanted to be.
4. Releasing The Snyder Cut
On the one hand, we fully support the decision for Zack Snyder's Justice League to be released. The filmmaker was able to realise his vision after that 2017 travesty but this didn't get rid of the vocal #ReleaseTheSnyderCut contingent. It simply birthed the #RestoreTheSnyderVerse movement.
By showing fans what they could have had, Snyder's supporters were left more desperate than ever to see more of what the DCEU might have been. With a fanbase now fully divided, it became apparent neither side would ever truly be happy.
Say what you will about Snyder, but everything we've seen and learned about his "SnyderVerse" plan is vastly better than what the DCEU has become.
3. Dwayne Johnson Was Given Too Much Power
The pandemic slowed the DCEU's roll and both Wonder Woman 1984 and The Suicide Squad were released on streaming. The former was a critical flop, while the latter received unanimous praise for delivering an R-rated and - you guessed it - darker take on the DCEU.
As work on Black Adam resumed, Warner Bros. clearly believed Dwayne Johnson was the actor who could rescue this franchise. Instead, he attempted to build it around himself, going around studio brass to bring back Henry Cavill's Superman and laying the groundwork for the BAEU (Black Adam Extended Universe).
When the movie flopped, everything that followed was an embarrassment for those involved and, yet again, fans found themselves on conflicting sides.
2. Everything About The Past Year
Black Adam was a disaster only made worse by Johnson leaking financial data and plans for a Hawkman movie, and it's all been downhill since then.
The long-delayed Shazam! Fury of the Gods bombed, while The Flash - hailed as the "greatest superhero movie ever made" - was another disappointment ruined by reshoots inserted by yet another new regime. Blue Beetle at least stands a chance of being a moderate hit but isn't even close to being a true success.
The past year has sealed the DCEU's fate and flop after flop both put the final nail in the franchise's coffin and hurt the superhero genre as a whole. Some will be tempted to blame Black Adam, but no, it's largely due to a major misfire back in January.
1. The DCU Slate Reveal
Warner Bros. Discovery ended the first month of 2023 by revealing James Gunn and Peter Safran would take charge of DC Studios to relaunch the DCU with a new slate of movies and TV shows. On the one hand, it was tremendous news and a step in the right direction. On the other, it was the dumbest possible move.
Revealing "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters" effectively confirmed that 2023's DCEU offerings meant nothing. That's a big part of why they've flopped and a lack of transparency from DC Studios hasn't helped matters.
We're getting a new Superman and Batman but what about Wonder Woman? Why go see Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom when Jason Momoa is expected to play Lobo in the DCU? Fans conditioned to think about what's next by Marvel Studios simply concluded that the DCEU no longer mattered.
And, sadly, they were right.