The DC Universe has a unique opportunity ahead of it. After a decade of DC films with mixed reception, the franchise is receiving a reboot with an all-new creative team, helmed by James Gunn and Peter Safran. The previous iteration, called the DC Extended Universe, kicked off with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel in 2013. While fan reception of the film was somewhat accepting, the darker, more realistic take on Superman it offered created a shaky foundation for the rest of the series.
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Additionally, the DCEU jumped straight from a solo Superman film to the crossover Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which had the lofty job of introducing Batman and Wonder Woman as well as teasing the rest of the Justice League. That movie largely set the tone moving forward. Some entries in the DCEU were good, and some were not so good. A lot of them left dangling threads or made baffling character decisions.
You are watching: 10 DC Universe Characters Who Could Redeem Their DCEU Counterparts
Now, with new leadership, perhaps the DCU can learn from both the good and the bad decisions made in the DCEU. In particular, a more accurate take on the DC mythos and characters could redeem some of the missteps of their previous versions, or lack thereof.
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DCU’s Batgirl Could Give Barbara The Focus She Deserves
Leslie Grace’s Batgirl Never Saw The Light Of Day
Inarguably, the biggest wasted opportunity of the DCEU is the cancelation of the already-completed Batgirl. The movie starred In the Heights star Leslie Grace along with Michael Keaton, Brendan Frazier, and J.K. Simmons. Batgirl was already in test screenings when Warner Bros Discovery pulled the plug. This decision was chalked up to poor reception during the screenings as well as ongoing creative shakeups for DC Studios and a change in strategy for HBO Max productions.
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Axing Batgirl was a controversial decision both among fans and among the cast. In particular, Leslie Grace stated that “there was definitely potential for a good film, in my opinion.” While the DCEU version of Barbara Gordon will most likely never make it onscreen, the DCU can still introduce her in a future story, whether she’s acting as a supporting player for Batman or headlining her own film.
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DCU’s Cyborg Could Make Up For The DCEU’s Lack Of Focus On Him In Justice League
Ray Fisher’s Cyborg Was Underutilized
Cyborg/Victor Stone has long been a fan favorite among DC enthusiasts, so his inclusion in the DCEU’s Justice League was at first exciting. Though he is more known for his stint with the Teen Titans, the New 52 reboot also cast him as a member of the League. Unfortunately, the production of Justice League was infamously troubled, with Zack Snyder stepping away due to personal tragedy and Joss Whedon taking over. Their conflicting visions created a mess of a film, and most of the scenes featuring Cyborg, played by Ray Fisher, were cut.
The later release of the Snyder Cut somewhat rectified this situation by restoring Cyborg’s original plotline. However, his planned solo film never came to be. Now that the DCU intends to introduce the Teen Titans, it is possible that Cyborg will get another shot at appearing on the big screen.
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DCU’s Lois Lane Could Give Us The Intrepid Reporter We Know And Love
Amy Adams’ Lois Lane Was Well-Acted But Lacked Her Signature Edge
Amy Adams is a phenomenal actress, no doubt about it. However, her Lois Lane is a polarizing figure in the DCEU. She is a serviceable romantic interest, and her role as the point-of-view character for portions of Man of Steel works really well in terms of putting the audience in her shoes. After that first film, Lois is relegated to the background. Her relationship with Clark Kent is still a major part of his arc, but she’s not given anything else of substance to do. Since Lois is typically characterized as a fiercely independent journalist, this portrayal is lacking.
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Through no fault of Adams’ acting, Lois is a one-note side character for most of her screen time in the DCEU. With Rachel Brosnahan taking over the role for the DCU, Lois will hopefully resemble her go-getter self from the comics and have more to do independent of Clark.
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DCU’s Martian Manhunter Could Be An Actual Justice League Member
Harry Lennix’s Martian Manhunter Barely Got Any Screen Time
One of the more surprising changes between the theatrical cut of Justice League and Zack Snyder’s Justice League is the inclusion of Martian Manhunter. The character cropping up in a film about the League makes sense, but the ways in which the movie included him were strange. For example, there’s one scene where a heartfelt interaction between a grieving Lois and Martha Kent is undermined by a reveal that Martha is actually Martian Manhunter in disguise. His scenes in Justice League feel tacked on as opposed to an organic inclusion in the film.
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If Martian Manhunter returns in the DCU, he will hopefully get a more prominent role as an actual member of the League. Both in the comics and the Justice League animated series, he’s a core member of the team. It’d be a shame if DC fails the character twice.
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DCU’s Lex Luthor Could Be More Imposing
Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor Was An Unusual Take on The Villain
Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor is a bizarre attempt at modernizing a character that didn’t need to change in the first place. The actor somewhat channels his Mark Zuckerberg persona from The Social Network for his Lex to mixed results. His behavior is erratic as well, shoving jolly ranchers into peoples’ mouths. Interestingly, his plans make sense as something Lex would do: pitting Batman and Superman against each other, experimenting to create a monster to destroy Superman, and faking insanity to avoid trial. Regardless, the execution is so off the mark from the character’s usual portrayal that he scarcely resembles Lex.
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Nicholas Hoult is set to debut his take on Lex in next year’s Superman. This iteration of the character will likely align more with his usual personality, allowing the DCU Lex to avoid the pitfalls of the DCEU version.
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DCU’s Joker Could Be A More Maniacal And Fun Presence
Jared Leto’s Joker Fell Flat
Another DCEU villain that did not land with audiences was Jared Leto as the Joker in Suicide Squad. His character was criticized from before the film was even released. Initial photos of him were met with ridicule by DC fans who disliked his tattoos and grill, among other design choices. After Suicide Squad came out, the movie’s terrible reception did not do Leto any favors. Moreover, he was completely overshadowed by the film debut of Harley Quinn, who many lauded as the best part of a horrible movie.
He later reprised the role once during a flash-forward sequence in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Otherwise, Leto’s Joker faded into obscurity, sandwiched between the more memorable turns from Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix. If the DCU elects to bring back this Batman baddie, its Joker could redeem the failure of Leto’s Joker to catch on.
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DCU’s Jimmy Olsen Could Live Up To His Title As Superman’s Pal
Michael Cassidy’s Jimmy Olsen Never Even Met Clark
Jimmy Olsen is a wholesome supporting character who brings out some of Superman’s best qualities as a mentor. Snyder decided to kill him off unceremoniously at the beginning of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice because he didn’t see a place for Jimmy in the DCEU. His Jimmy was significantly older and acted as a CIA operative. He was not named in the theatrical cut of the movie. This is representative of Snyder’s overall outlook, opting for a darker, pessimistic take on Superman and his world.
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Gunn is taking a different approach with Superman. As a result, he cast Skylar Gisondo to play a younger Jimmy more akin to his traditional depiction. Having Jimmy around brings levity to Superman’s world, so his inclusion in the DCU will show a different side of the franchise.
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DCU’s Green Arrow Would Balance Out The DCEU Only Referencing Him As A Joke
Green Arrow Was No More Than A Punchline
As a hugely popular character, it makes sense that fans were itching for Oliver Queen/Green Arrow to join the DCEU. In the lead-up to Suicide Squad, many speculated that Scott Eastwood’s character could be Oliver in disguise. Obviously, this didn’t come to fruition, but that didn’t slow down the fan community’s hopes of seeing the Emerald Archer on the big screen. This level of support for the character was probably bolstered by the then-ongoing Arrowverse, which started with a show centered on Oliver. Regardless, his DCEU debut would never come.
Instead, his existence in the continuity was confirmed by Peacemaker for a one-off joke. In the series, the title character has this to say about Green Arrow: “That dude goes to Brony conventions dressed as the back half of Twilight Sparkle with a four-inch-wide butthole drilled in the costume.” While the joke was typical Peacemaker irreverence, it didn’t exactly satisfy fans’ want to see the character. The DCU can easily rectify this by giving Oliver the spotlight he deserves.
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DCU’s Nightwing Could Finally Be Brought To Life Accurately
The DCEU Wasted DIck Grayson By Killing Him Offscreen
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Robin has an unusual history in adaptations. He used to accompany Batman in most television shows and films, but after Batman in 1989 chose not to use the character, it set a precedent. The first Robin, Dick Grayson, later joined the Batman franchise for Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. The latter movie was so poorly received that Warner Bros rebooted the series, and when Christopher Nolan took the reins, he decided not to include a proper Robin. Then, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice rolled around and revealed that universe’s Robin is dead.
Later on, Snyder confirmed the deceased Robin was Dick Grayson. This squashed any hopes of seeing him grow up and become Nightwing in the DCEU, a disappointing reality for many fans. See, Robin is a very popular character, especially among younger DC fans who watched Teen Titans and comic book readers. Dick and his fellow Robins are a huge part of the extended Batman lore, so it’s a shame that they’ve never truly been explored in a live-action film. Sure, Dick’s Robin has appeared, but his potential as Nightwing has been wasted.
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The DCU appears to be utilizing the Robins unlike the DCEU, with Damian Wayne set to appear alongside his father in The Brave and The Bold. Between that film, an animated Robin spinoff, and the Teen Titans film, DC has the chance to set things right by giving Nightwing and all of the Robins a chance to shine.
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DCU’s Darkseid Could Be The Thanos-Level Threat He Truly Is
Justice League’s Darkseid Was Underwhelming
Comparing Darkseid and Thanos is not unusual among comic book fans, but when taking their movie versions into account, it feels unfair. Darkseid is one of, if not THE, most threatening villains in all of DC. The way he was introduced in the DCEU was underwhelming at best. Because the setup for Justice League was rushed, the concepts of the anti-life equation and the mother boxes were dropped on audiences with little explanation. More avid DC fans understood what was happening, but these setups were more difficult for casual viewers to understand, especially with all of the film’s moving parts.
If Darkseid is reused, the DCU might ought to take notes from the MCU and introduce him as a looming threat. The DCEU did attempt this in Justice League by having Steppenwolf report to him like Loki reported to Thanos in The Avengers. However, the film suffered from bloat due to having to set up multiple main characters and the overarching conflict of the franchise. The DCU can avoid this pitfall by taking its time and planting seeds for Darkseid’s arrival.
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DC Universe
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Upcoming DC Movie Releases
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Superman
Release Date
July 11, 2025
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Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Release Date
June 26, 2026
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The Batman Part II
Release Date
October 2, 2026
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Category: Entertainment