James Gunn"s 2024 DCEU Reveal Makes Its Ending Even More Confusing 1 Year Later

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James Gunn reveals another confusing decision the DCEU made prior to its early conclusion, confirming why the previous DC franchise had to be rebooted. Despite leaving several narratives still left open, the DCEU came to a definitive end in 2023 with James Wan"s standalone Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Various DCEU characters are returning in the DCU, but they"re all soft-rebooted versions of their DCEU selves. As confirmed by DC Studios CEO James Gunn, the new DC Universe is presenting a brand new continuity with no direct connections to anything that came before.
On September 14, 2024, James Gunn posted an image of DC Comics" Emilia Harcourt, saying that "a heap of mess is in store" for the character in the DCU"s upcoming Peacemaker season 2. One fan asked Gunn whether Harcourt"s return implies that Shazam: Fury of the Gods is canon to the DCU, as Shazam: Fury of the Gods" post-credits scene features Emilia Harcourt and John Economos arriving to recruit Billy Batson into the Justice Society. Gunn responded to the fan saying the following:

you don"t need to be confused. It"s not canon. I don"t know now or then what Harcourt of Economos have to do with the Justice Society.

Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Post-Credits Scene Reveals The DCEU Was Going Nowhere Shazam: Fury Of The Gods' Crossover Set-Up Was Impossible To Pay Off From The Get-Go Close Shazam: Fury of the Gods was released on March 17, 2023, almost two months after James Gunn"s announcement of the DCU"s "Gods and Monsters" slate. James Gunn and Peter Safran were confirmed to be helming DC Studios in October 2022, meaning that the end of the DCU must have been set in stone much earlier than Shazam: Fury of the Gods" release date. Hence, it makes no sense why Shazam: Fury of the Gods" post-credits scene wasn"t cut, as it must have been evident that its crossover tease was never going to be paid off.
It"s also likely that Shazam: Fury of the Gods and Black Adam"s directors and stars didn"t know where their respective characters were heading either
What"s more, James Gunn has confirmed that he had no creative input on Emilia Harcourt and John Economos" Shazam: Fury of the Gods appearance, which suggests that these characters" plans for Billy Batson were still undecided by the film"s release date, or that Harcourt and Economos" DCEU story would have been changed without James Gunn"s supervision in order to integrate them into a completely different storyline. In this case, it"s also likely that Shazam: Fury of the Gods and Black Adam"s directors and stars didn"t know where their respective characters were heading either.
The DCEU Somehow Remained Determined To Set Up Future Projects Until The End The DCEU Never Really Dropped Its Obsession With Setting Up Projects That Had Little Chance Of Happening

The DCEU"s decision to set up projects with no actual plans to develop them wasn"t exclusive to Shazam: Fury of the Gods. Directly after Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice received plenty of criticism for adding the Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg as cameos in the DCEU"s second installment. Since then, the DCEU wasted at least eight post-credits scenes, which appeared to set up important events and battles but were never revisited or even acknowledged. Some of these post-credits scenes went so far as to introduce new characters who had no relevance in the franchise afterward.
DCEU Post-Credits Scene
Forgotten DCEU Set-Up
Suicide Squad
Bruce Wane threatens to stop Amanda Waller"s Task Force X
Justice League
Lex Luthor invites Deathstroke to join the Injustice League
Wonder Woman 1984
Lynda Carter"s Asteria resurfaces in human society
Black Adam
Superman arrives to negotiate with Black Adam
Zack Snyder"s Justice League
Martian Manhunter encourages Bruce Wayne to expand the Justice League
Shazam!
Mister Mind begins to manipulate Doctor Sivana
Shazam: Fury of the Gods
Mister Mind tells Doctor Sivana that his plans are still on course
Shazam: Fury of the Gods
Emilia Harcourt and John Economos recruit Shazam into the Justice Society
Black Adam is a particular case, as Dwayne Johnson fought to have Henry Cavill return as Superman in Black Adam"s post-credits scene, which set up a battle between both DC powerhouses. Cavill even took to social media to thank fans for their support and promised to excel in the role in future movies. Yet, the DCU was announced shortly afterward, and Black Adam"s post-credits tease became Henry Cavill"s final appearance as the Man of Steel.
It’s Essential For The DCU’s Post-Credits Scene To Be Meaningful Post-Credits Scenes Are Promises That Keep Fans Engaged With The Franchise When Fulfilled Close The Marvel CInematic Universe popularized post-credits scenes in Phase 1, with movies such as Iron Man and The Avengers setting up incredibly ambitious projects that previously seemed unlikely to happen. These post-credits scenes were groundbreaking due to their unexpected nature, whereas more recent post-credits teases have become a requirement. Both the MCU and the DCEU have ignored several of their post-credits scenes, making the concept a rather unreliable form of advertisement for upcoming projects.

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