10 Biggest Surprises About The DC Universe So Far

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The DC Universe has already surprised prospective audiences with its early announcements, driving excitement with some unsuspected decisions regarding its upcoming slate of movies and TV shows. After the short-lived DCEU movie series, it"s safe to say that DC needed to make some dramatic changes regarding how it approached creating a cohesive comic book movie universe. Creative director James Gunn has already made some starting statements so early on in the DCU"s lifespan.
DC Studios revealed the first batch of projects for the universe will be titled Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, likely analogous to the MCU"s Phases. Within this first chapter, the DCU has already pleasantly surprised fans with revealed story details, methods of determining what is canon and what isn"t, and statements about the artistic vision of the franchise as a whole. Unlike most cinematic universes that try and fail to replicate the MCU"s success, the DCU will be making some boldfaced new efforts.
10 Damian Wayne Is In The DC Universe Robin will be as important in the DCU as he deserves to be

Custom image by Nicolas Ayala If there"s one area of the Gotham City mythos that"s gone woefully underrepresented in the Batman movies, it"s the presence of The Boy Wonder, Robin. Robin has only had one-and-a-half real live-action iterations, with the awkward edgy take from Joel Schumacher"s Batman films competing with Nolan"s halfhearted John Blake from The Dark Knight Rises. At long last, not only will Robin be returning to theaters with the DCU, but specifically, Damian Wayne"s Robin. Damian Wayne is the latest Robin in the comics" canon, the son of Batman and Talia al Ghul.
This has some interesting implications for the DCU"s Batman considering that Damian is usually portrayed as the latest in a long line of Robins. It stands to reason that Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, and Jason Todd would have all already came and went by the time of the DCU"s contemporary storyline. Not only is a large and well-developed Batfamily finally on the table, but it seems as though Batman will once again be a grizzled veteran of crimefighting by the time audiences meet him in the DCU.
9 The DC Universe Has A Confirmed Clayface Movie All sorts of Batman villains have a new chance at the spotlight

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Lately, Batman"s popularity has begun to steep over into its villains. Todd Phillips" Joker duology imagined a starkly different world to most comic book films with its stunning depiction of Joker sans Batman, and The Penguin provided an in-depth look at a fan favorite of Matt Reeves" The Batman universe. But James Gunn has revealed that in the DCU, even Batman villains yet to have a live-action interpretation are up for starring in their own solo projects.
Shockingly, a movie centering on the Batman villain Clayface has been confirmed for production in the franchise. Multiple villains in various DC projects have gone by Clayface, usually following the origin story of an actor who is the victim of a freak chemical accident that turns them into an amorphous blob monster. Even more interestingly, it"s been stated that the upcoming Clayface movie will be something like a superhero horror movie, a particular film genre blend that hasn"t really been attempted since The New Mutants.
8 Mortal Kombat One Exists In The DCU The inclusion begs some strange questions

The dedicated Clayface movie won"t actually be the villain"s first appearance in the DCU, as the shapeshifting monster has already shown up in Creature Commandos. Here, Clayface is seen pretending to be a college professor, spending his off-time out-of-character relaxing in her home. Shockingly, as Rick Flagg Sr. and Frankenstein sneak up on him, Clayface is shown to be playing the fighting game Mortal Kombat One.
This inclusion in and of itself is quite the surprise, especially when seeing unaltered footage of the game"s photorealistic graphics compared to the stylized art of Creature Commandos" world. The mere presence of the franchise in the DCU raises some bizarre questions as well, considering that the previous game, Mortal Kombat 11, featured The Joker as a guest character. Above all else, the scene was quite the unnecessary moment of Warner Brothers" property brand synergy rivaling Space Jam: A New Legacy.
7 The Authority Having Their Own Project Is A True DCU Surprise The Justice League will need to wait a while longer

James Gunn"s many superhero projects are known for their penchant for taking lesser-known or obscure comic book characters and re-imagining them into fan-favorites. This trick was pulled once in the DC Universe already with The Suicide Squad, and now it seems as though Gunn is content to keep more popular superhero teams on the backburner in favor of some fresh faces. It"s been confirmed that the little-known DC superhero team The Authority will be getting a DCU feature long before the Justice League does.
Considering how rushed and disappointing the Justice League"s formation in the DCEU turned out to be, perhaps this is a more prescient decision than it sounds. The Authority is a unique superhero team that first originated in another comic continuity, Wildstorm, before immigrating to the DC universe. Even for James Gunn"s standards, The Authority is quite a deep cut to ask audiences to care about, especially over the Justice League themselves, but if anyone could pull off such a feat, it"s Gunn.
6 Only Bits And Pieces Of Other DCEU Projects Are Canon James Gunn is allowed to be picky about what from the DCEU counts

One interesting thing about the move from the DCEU to the DCU proper is the fact that filmmakers will get a chance to pick and choose which elements from the previous cinematic universe will make the transition into the new continuity. Some of the projects that came in at the tail end of the DCEU, especially James Gunn projects like The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, will be carrying over somewhat into the DCU. Gunn has described a somewhat nebulous approach to what exactly is canon from the old movie series.
For instance, the majority of Peacemaker can be considered canon for the DCU, barring the abrupt cameos of the now-defunct DCEU Justice League. Gunn has further elaborated that elements like Rick Flagg Jr."s death in The Suicide Squad only carry over because it was specified in Creature Commandos, not because the entirety of the film remains canon. Other late-term DCEU hits like Blue Beetle and Shazam! Fury of the Gods may also be able to qualify. It"s quite surprising that the studio would allow for such a nuanced approach to establishing canon.
5 Each DCU Entry Will Have Its Own Distinct Style And Tone Each DCU project will be allowed to shine in its own way

Custom image by Felipe Rangel One major criticism often leveled at blockbuster franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that all of the MCU films feel too samey. The MCU has long suffered criticism that its films follow a generic formula too strictly, feeling way too identical in terms of tone and visual identity. It seems like the DCU is already getting ahead of this problem with James Gunn"s insistence that each project will be able to carry its own unique signature, both emotionally and visually.
For instance, while the upcoming Clayface film might be more of a horror movie, Creature Commandos is obviously a black comedy. Both of these further clash with the hopeful and optimistic tone of the upcoming Superman, further diversifying the DCU"s portfolio. It"s a good thing that artists will be able to have more control over their unique creative visions rather than be forced to adhere to the same factory standards that the MCU is often beholden to.
4 The DCU Is Willing To Give Green Lantern Another Chance It's finally been long enough for the will-powered heroes to get a new shot

By Arya Fong Ryan Reynolds" Green Lantern movie from 2011 is an infamously bad comic book film that left a lasting stain on the reputation of not only the hero of Hal Jordan, but the entire concept of the Green Lanterns themselves. As a result, the DCEU made no attempt to include the Green Lantern corps beyond the briefest of cameos of the obscure alien Lantern Yalan-Gur in Zack Snyder"s Justice League. Luckily, it seems the stigma studios attached to the character is finally wearing off.
It"s been announced that a series simply titled Lanterns will be set to join the DCU as part of its first crop of projects. The series will tackle a wide variety of Green Lantern Corps members and subjects, possibly including Nathan Fillion"s Guy Gardner from Superman, though Hal Jordan and Jon Stewart are confirmed as the leads. After becoming the new laughingstock of the DC universe, it"ll be nice for Green Lantern to have another chance to be taken seriously.
3 Live-Action And Animated Projects Will Share Actors The DCU will maintain consistency with its cast

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For as much as the various projects in the DCU might diverge from one another tonally, the franchise has stated a commitment to keeping actors consistent. Specifically, the DCU will even maintain the same actors with the same characters between both live-action and animated projects. Thusly, Creature Commandos may have already revealed future castings for live-action films or TV shows that have yet to be revealed.
Already, the effects of this policy will be starting to become apparent, as Frank Grillo is confirmed for Peacemaker season 2, reprising his role as Rick Flagg Sr. after starring in Creature Commandos" voice cast. This should also mean that Alan Tudyk, who voices Clayface in the same show alongside Dr. Phosphorous, should be at least the voice of Clayface in his upcoming solo movie. This rule may prove difficult to maintain, but it"s a bold commitment for the series to make, proving how much the DCU respects animation.
2 Themyscira Will Be Getting A Dedicated Prequel Series The DCU isn't afraid to branch out quite heavily

Another of the many different subgenres the DCU will be crossbreeding its superhero theme with is the beloved fantasy drama TV series. Wonder Woman is quite the popular DC character, usually recognized as the final of the "big three" that carries the universe"s popularity alongside Batman and Superman, but she"s still quite the distant third. Yet the DCU is already promising a show that delves further into Wonder Woman"s lore with Paradise Lost, another upcoming TV show for the franchise.
Details about Paradise Lost are still murky, but it"s known that the show will take place largely on the mythical island of Themyscira, possibly thousands of years in the past. Beyond that, it"s been suggested that Donna Troy, the original Wonder Girl, will have a heavy presence in the narrative. Themyscira has already been alluded to as a myth that was proved to be real in Creature Commandos, with classic Wonder Woman villainess Circe making an appearance, so it"ll be a welcome surprise to get a more in-depth look at the location via TV.
1 The DCU Will Be Introducing A Bane And Deathstroke Team-Up Movie As if a Clayface movie isn't surprising enough

Custom image by Andy Behbakht Clayface isn"t the only Batman villain that will enjoy a dedicated TV show in the revamped DCU. Even more shocking than a solo movie about a villain as relatively obscure as Clayface was the announcement that a team-up movie featuring Bane and Deathstroke is also in the works. This is particularly interesting, as it would mark the first time a supervillain duo got top billing on a major comic book movie project.
Bane has gotten two live-action movie incarnations before, with The Dark Knight Rises and Batman & Robin, both of which being inaccurate to the comics in their own unique way. Meanwhile, Deathstroke was only ever a brief cameo that failed to set up a future film in the DCEU. Seeing the two of them lead a dedicated project together is a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. The DCU has consistently proven that it isn"t afraid to take risks, if nothing else.
Upcoming DC Movie Releases

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