The beginning of DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe hasn’t been fairly as clear because the launch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The speedy reboot from the earlier, equally named DC Prolonged Universe to this new iteration of DC’s cinematic universe has been lower than completely clear reduce, with a variety of tasks — from Gunn’s personal “The Suicide Squad” to “Blue Beetle” — making a muddied connection between the 2 continuities. All that stated, there isn’t any query that “Superman” is the correct starting of the franchise on the big-screen, kicking off a plan that Gunn has assured the press and public alike has been properly thought-out.
To that finish, “Superman” is packed (and arguably overstuffed) with particulars organising future items of the DCU. Characters like Rick Flag (Frank Grillo) and Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn) have temporary cameos, however they’re positive to persist in upcoming tasks. On the identical time, the most important benefit “Superman” provides the DCU might be seen the second the film begins. It is a element within the movie’s opening expository textual content, which explains the state of the world.
As revealed there, “metahumans” — as superpowered people in Gunn’s franchise are known as — have existed brazenly on Earth for hundreds of years. That in itself is probably the only largest distinction between the DCU canon and the MCU. When “Iron Man” kicked off the latter in 2008, the world depicted was primarily our personal — one which, over the course of the following “phases” of movies and Disney+ reveals, grew more and more chaotic as a result of of the introduction of superheroes and villains. “Superman,” then again, reveals us a world the place everyone seems to be already accustomed to such issues, and this may very well be an enormous boon to the property at giant going ahead.
The MCU has tied itself in knots with the logistics of comedian guide storylines
For some time, a part of the attraction of the MCU was seeing the world reply to increasingly comedian book-y developments. First, there have been just some superheroes, then the Avengers got here collectively, aliens began attacking Earth, it turned out wizards existed, and eventually half of all dwelling beings vanished earlier than, whoops, they returned. The franchise bought a whole lot of mileage out of turning “our world” right into a wild, chaotic place. However after some time, that method began to expire of steam.
You’ll be able to see this particularly clearly in the entire U.S. government-related MCU storylines for the reason that launch of “Avengers: Endgame.” Exhibits like “Secret Invasion” and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” are primarily about “actual” establishments coping with sci-fi phenomena on a worldwide scale. However, sadly, these plot threads simply aren’t that fascinating anymore. Spies are cool and aliens are cool, but it surely seems combining them merely robs them of what makes them enjoyable on their very own. In different phrases, characters within the MCU nonetheless react to weird issues the best way we’d in the event that they have been to occur in real-life. And whereas that is plausible, it additionally will get stale fast. There simply is not a whole lot of room for selection there.
At this level, your common comedian guide film viewer is extra accustomed to the zany storylines of the MCU than the characters of the MCU are, which creates a bizarre rigidity between the fabric and the viewers. However by establishing a really completely different type of world proper from the bounce, the DCU ought to be capable of keep away from that drawback.
The DCU is a breath of contemporary air
It is actually enjoyable that individuals — be they a meals cart man, a reporter, or a metropolis official – in “Superman” have already accepted that they dwell in a ridiculous world by the point the movie begins. That consolation wraps issues again round to being the reverse of ridiculous. As a substitute, it turns into probably the most regular factor ever to have brightly-clad individuals flying round preventing glowing monsters in the midst of the evening over the harbor. How else would the world be?
A lot time within the MCU has been wasted attempting to distance the franchise from the silliness of its comedian book-based storylines by placing a type of “grounded” spin to them. In the end, although, that distance simply pushes audiences additional away. Style tales aren’t participating as a result of they’re a lot like our actual lives, they’re participating as a result of you’ll be able to inform relatable emotional tales within the context of outlandish, grand fantasies. I care a lot much less about how the world reacts to Superman than I care about how Superman responds to any given drawback or emotional stumbling block. That is the place tales occur.
This distinction from the MCU can also be an enormous approach wherein Gunn is distancing his franchise from the DCEU. Zack Snyder’s earlier try at a linked cinematic universe for DC performed the identical sport as Marvel, leaning closely on superheroes hiding within the shadows … as in case you might presumably flip the intense purple suit-wearing man who runs sooner than time into Batman. What a breath of contemporary air to look at a film that does not act shocked by its personal subject material.
“Superman” is now enjoying in theaters.
