15 Changes the DCEU Needs To Make For Its Upcoming Movies

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Image via Warner Brothers

Focus on Good Storytelling

Some comic story lines are iconic amongst fans, and for good reason. They are well-written, with good characterization and dramatic twists and turns. When the basis for a good story is already right there, you’d think the script process of moviemaking would be easier. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Take Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice for example. The story borrowed elements from The Dark Knight Returns, where Batman and Superman finally show down. But it had to be changed and rearranged to make sense in a story where they’re meeting for the first time. There is also elements from The Death of Superman, but again, changed and rearranged to fit into Superman’s life so far (being a new superhero with one big battle and a lot of controversy) and also within the Dark Knight Returns story.

Now, on top of all of that (which is already a lot), they had to add in some completely unique elements: a new characterization for Lex Luthor, a subplot introducing the Justice League, and a fight with Doomsday. It’s no wonder the story ended up all over the place.

Batman v Superman bit off more than any movie could chew. It tried to combine two totally different and equally beloved comic stories into something new, while still cramming in more subplots. It’s time to go back to the comics and pick a straightforward story to tell. There’s no need to try to do everything in one movie, especially at the expense of a good story.

Telling a good story is the key to making a good movie, and there’s plenty of good stories in the DC Comics canon waiting to be adapted.