James Gunn recently addressed the villain plans for the DC Universe and how it was affected by Zack Snyder’s vision for the now-defunct DCEU, and it’s a much safer and more exciting route. Although it wasn’t known when the DCEU launched with Man of Steel in 2013, Snyder planned to build toward a confrontation between the Justice League and Darkseid.
However, due to negative reviews of some of the earliest DCEU movies, as well as studio changes, Snyder ultimately departed the franchise and his plan for Darkseid never came to fruition. The villain did appear in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, but only briefly. Steppenwolf served as the main antagonist in the film, which set up Darkseid for a bigger role later on in Snyder’s franchise.
Now, the new DC Universe, which launched this summer with Gunn’s Superman movie, is just starting to develop its overarching story. The most recent release, Peacemaker season 2, ended with the introduction of a new dimension named Salvation, which is adapted from DC Comics. In the comics, the storyline involving Salvation also leads to Darkseid, so fans have theorized that’s who the big bad will be in the DCU.
Recently, though, Gunn debunked those Darkseid theories, saying the DCU won’t be adapting the villain any time soon, in part because of Snyder’s plan. Gunn said, “Using Darkseid as the big bad now is not necessarily the thing… because for a lot of reasons. Zack [Snyder] did it so cool in his way and because of Thanos and Marvel.” Gunn’s plan here, and his reasoning, is the best possible decision for the DCU.
Why The DC Universe Avoiding Darkseid Is The Best Decision
By choosing to avoid Darkseid, the DCU is deliberately distancing itself from Snyder’s DCEU, which is a good thing. Although Snyder’s DC movies have plenty of fans, they were not crowd-pleasers — certainly not in the same way that Superman was this summer. Since Darkseid is now associated with Snyder’s darker DC films, it makes sense for the new and brighter DCU to avoid the villain, if only to avoid confusing their new audience.
Beyond that, it’s incredibly important for Gunn to give viewers something new and different. The reason Superman worked so well is that it was a superhero movie unlike any other, which is a genuine feat considering the number of superhero films that have been released. Using a villain that’s appeared as recently as 2021 and resembles a Marvel villain as widely known as Thanos would make it nearly impossible for the DCU to give audiences something truly fresh.
Gunn understands superhero movie audiences perhaps better than anyone in Hollywood, and he’s attempting to deliver a franchise that appeals to all viewers, from the diehard comic book fans to the casual moviegoers. That takes a careful balance of looking at what’s done well in the past, with villains like Thanos, and trying something new.
As of now, it’s unclear who the big villain of the DCU will be, or if there will even be one singular antagonist the heroes unite against. Gunn could go an entirely different route, and give audiences something completely new, which might be exactly what the superhero film genre needs. Ultimately, the DC Universe is building to something that doesn’t include Darkseid, and it’s the best thing for the fledgling franchise.
- Created by
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Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
- Cast
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Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Zachary Levi, Dwayne Johnson, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor, Idris Elba, John Cena, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Xolo Mariduena
- Movie(s)
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Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Shazam! The Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, Superman, The Brave and the Bold
- Character(s)
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Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Shazam, Darkseid, Amanda Waller, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Black Canary, Black Adam
