Suicide Squad 2 Was Amazing But It Doesn’t Redeem DCEU

The Suicide Squad sequel did more than just redeeming the first film. It set a new bar for R-rated violent comedy blended with satire and meta-humor. But as insanely entertaining as it was, it still does not make up for how the top-tier DC films have let us down! Here’s why.

DCEU’s main films haven’t always delivered the way they should. The failure of its top-tier films stems from a lack of planning and building a universe for the audience. This leads to a mish-mash of films that hit and miss but can’t come together to become something bigger and better.

Now, we can all debate how DC comics are better than Marvel comics all day long, and it might even be true. But with films, MCU takes it away, hands down!

Besides having a witty writing style and building sassy characters, there is a major reason why the MCU franchise has always managed to keep its fans enthralled with its films. This is simply because the MCU creators and the entire team curated which stories would be told from the comics and charted out the complete timeline.

It’s no joke, going through so much existing material, picking what would fit the narrative, the emotion, and the lens of the creators, and finally building an entire franchise around it. In fact, it’s easy to get lost in all of it. After all, it has happened with the DCEU, the X-Men films, and many other Hollywood franchises such as the Fast saga.

The lack of planning and building the foundation is pretty evident, and you can see it in each film. However, there are things that the DCEU did get right.

As someone who has spent considerable time watching, analyzing, and dissecting the DCEU films, let me walk you through the good, bad, and the ugly aspects of the universe.

DCEU Good Top Tier Films:
Man Of Steel | Wonder Woman | Aquaman (Partially)

Man of Steel - Official Trailer 3 [HD]

Let’s begin with the film that kicked off the DCEU – Man Of Steel. It was a refreshing reboot of the Superman film and was an instant hit. It wasn’t an out-of-the-world experience for the fans, but a much more grounded take on this formidable superhero!

The character work was immensely strong, and it showcased the extraordinary superhero with some innately human qualities. That’s what worked with the audience. DC comics is known to have some of the strongest written characters, and you can see that translate on the screen.

With Wonder Woman, too, the character work was pretty strong. The evolution of a naive Amazon warrior into an almost invincible superhero was impactful yet wholesome. To add to that, the choreography of action sequences and the vintage visuals made it the perfect big-screen experience.

Aquaman worked for many fans, but it didn’t for me. We all know it worked because of the hype around Jason Momoa and the impeccable visuals. However, to me, the complete experience was underwhelming. The character lacked the nuances the previous characters possessed, and it seemed to be more bling than have depth. But it was still better than the films that follow next.

DCEU Poor Top Tier Films:
Batman V Superman | Wonder Woman 1984 | Justice League

I don’t think I’ll even individually need to dissect the three films. The one common thread that brings these three films together is how excruciatingly underwhelming these films were. They weren’t just bad films because even bad movies will make you feel something and make you react. Be it cringe, laughter at how silly something is, etc.

But with these films, every frame lacked any sort of importance, and the storytelling was pretty unidimensional. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to roast or be mean to the makers. The amount of effort that goes into making any kind of film, good or bad, is enormous. So it’s just sad to see that the only emotion the film stirs in me is boredom and disappointment.

Justice League in the comics and direct-to-video films will truly put the Avengers to shame. I say this despite being a fan of the MCU. But that power just doesn’t come through to the audience.

I’ll give you a simple example that’ll testify to all my assertions. How well do you remember the scene where you first see Steppenwolf? Now, if you have watched the Marvel films, how vividly do you remember the scene where you see Thanos?

That’s the difference! The characters in the MCU stir an emotion in you, unlike the ones in DCEU. The three simple reasons for this are:

• Lack of character development
• Lack of setting up a strong foundation
• Lack of a plan to build the story arc and character arc that interact and complement each other

Another essential aspect that leads to the underwhelming film is how the films do not connect well. Each one feels more like a standalone film than a piece in the giant puzzle. So everything seems estranged, and you don’t feel like you’re picking up from where you left off when you see sequels or successive films.

Snyder Cut: Why It Should’ve Been Canon!

Snyder Cut was the perfect treat for a DC fan. It was if Christmas came early, and we were all rewarded for being on Santa’s list of good boys. The film is a 4-hour-long tale of how the superheroes come together to fight their common enemy.

The film is the perfect answer to all the problems I just pointed out.

• It sets up all the characters and their arcs.
• The film shows their journey towards becoming a team.
• Introduces the big bad guy – Dark Seid
• Sets up future films as well.
• And of course, the film gives the Joker that we deserved!

But I guess Warner Bros. is too thick-headed to make this version canon. Is it ego or denial or sheer stupidity? Well, I guess we’ll never know.

Snyder Cut could’ve been the saving grace for the DCEU. You could call it a second chance in disguise because of all the reasons I’ve mentioned above. Hence it should’ve been made canon.

DCEU’s Future Top-Tier Films:
The Flash | Aquaman 2

These two top-tier films are crucial for the DCEU since they will make or break the universe. I think DCEU fans are this close to losing it. They did give up on the universe after Justice League, but Snyder Cut reignited their interest and excitement.

The Flash and Aquaman 2 are set to release in 2022, and hopefully, they meet the writing standards of Man Of Steel and Wonder Woman. Alfred from the Nolanverse said “Why do we fall? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up!” I think the DCEU can’t fall anymore lower. It’s time it picked itself up!

About DC Movies

DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book publishers. It produces material featuring numerous well-known superhero characters, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, and Green Arrow. Most of this material takes place in a shared fictional universe, which also features teams such as the Justice League, the Suicide Squad, and the Teen Titans. The company has also published non-DC Universe-related material, including V for Vendetta, and many titles under their alternative imprint Vertigo Comics.

Film adaptations based on DC Comics properties have included serials, live action and animated films, direct-to-video releases, television films and documentary films.