The DCEU has gone through a lot of changes since its inception. After some initial growing pains, the movies have had their share of successes lately and things are looking up. However, a lot of changes need to be made before its truly on the right track. Luckily, DC’s comics are full of great characters and stories that the movies can use as inspiration.
That said, the DCEU has evolved in different directions from the comics, limiting what stories might be adapted. There are many factors at play: The tone of the DCEU is different, some characters don’t exist yet, and some events have been done too many times elsewhere.
10 All Of What The Snyder Cut Set Up Is Probably Never Going To Be Paid Off
The Snyder Cut of Justice League did a lot to change how people saw what was considered one of the worst superhero movies of the decade. It set up a lot of interesting things for the future, many of which fans want expanded upon. However, as successful as the cut was, there’s little chance of anything it set up being expanded on.
As it stands right now, Zack Snyder is pretty much done with the DCEU— it took fan uproar to get his cut made and even then, Warner Bros. gave him trouble. It’s doubtful he’ll want to work with them again and that means so much of what he set up will never come to fruition.
9 The Suicide Squad Renders The Secret Six Superfluous
Suicide Squad may not have been a success with critics but audiences loved it enough to grant it a (sort of) sequel, helmed by Guardians of the Galaxy writer/director James Gunn, titled The Suicide Squad. The Suicide Squad, though, isn’t DC’s only all-villain team that does good with extreme prejudice— there’s also the Secret Six.
Unfortunately for the Secret Six, the Suicide Squad kind of makes them unnecessary. Both teams tread the same ground, with the only difference being the Secret Six are independent of the authorities. As cool as the Secret Six can be, there’s no reason to put them in a movie with the Squad around.
8 JLA: World War III Is Just Too DC For The DCEU
While the Justice League has renewed interest thanks to the Synder Cut, it’s going to be a while before anyone sees a Justice League movie again. Even when they do, it’s doubtful it will be one based on JLA: World War III. Written by writer Grant Morrison with art by Howard Porter, the story saw the team battling the Anti-Sun, Mageddon, to stop its quest to wipe out all life.
While Morrison is easily the League’s most important writer, few if any of their stories will be adapted, and especially not this one. World War III is more DC than the DCEU usually gets around to, full of big-concept superheroism and unbridled hope that doesn’t really work with the current product.
7 Identity Crisis Is Way Too Problematic & Dark
Identity Crisis, by writer Brad Metzler and artist Rags Morales, is a superhero mystery story that sees the families of the heroes’ targeted by an unknown killer. While it’s a good mystery with some cool moments, the solution to the mystery is kind of underwhelming. However, that’s not the real problem— there’s some pretty egregious treatment of women in the comic.
The first murder is of Elongated Man’s wife Sue Dibney and the second issue reveals she was sexually assaulted by Doctor Light. This is just much too dark for a superhero movie, and the treatment of the stories’ women would be too much for mainstream filmgoing audiences.
6 Crisis On Infinite Earths Was Done On TV & That Precludes It From Coming To The Movies Anytime Soon
Crisis On Infinite Earths, by writer Marv Wolfman and artists George Pérez & Jerry Ordway, is one of the most important events comics of all time— but it’s highly doubtful that it will ever become a movie. While Earth-2 is just about to introduced to the DCEU, it’s unlikely that there will be any reason for Crisis On Infinite Earths to be adapted.
Even if there was a reason for it, it’s doubtful it would happen soon, since the Arrowverse already did recently it on TV. Doing it again so soon would just confuse viewers, and beyond that, it would take years before everything would be set up to make the story work in the movies.
5 The Wonder Woman: Earth One Saga Is Amazing But Would Be Too Polarizing For Audiences
The three-volume Wonder Woman: Earth One, by writer Grant Morrison and artist Yanick Paquette, re-contextualized the origin of Wonder Woman by leaning into the more feminist aspects of original creator William Moulton Marston. One of the best Wonder Woman stories of recent years, it’s amazing— but America is a bit too politically polarized for it.
Morrison plays up the utopian aspects of an all female society and there are many viewers out there who would feel themselves under attack by that sort of thing. Superhero movies are notoriously apolitical to center right so no studio would take on a story as far left as Wonder Woman: Earth One.
4 Flash: Blitz Is A Great Story But It Won’t Work In The Present-Day DCEU
Flash: Blitz, by writer Geoff Johns and artist Scott Kolins, is one of the highlights of Johns’ run on the character. It introduces a new villain, Zoom, a different kind of speedster that the Flash may not be able to beat. The story has everything it needs to be a great movie but there’s one problem- it’s a Wally West story, not a Barry Allen.
While it’s possible the story could work with Barry Allen, the difference in the two Flash’s personalities and MOs— Allen probably would have went back in time and stopped the tragedy that Zolomon, the future Zoom, wanted him to— make it an impossible story to tell and the big moment at the end doesn’t work as well with Allen.
3 Batman: Knightfall Is Too Familiar To Fans From Nolan’s Batman Movies
Batman: Knightfall is one of those Batman epics that everyone knows about- Bane attacks Gotham City, wearing down the Dark Knight before breaking him, forcing him to find a replacement. It’s a classic Batman story that could make a great movie. The problem being that parts of it have been done in The Dark Knight Rises.
While it’s been nearly a decade since that movie, that’s not really enough time for audiences to forget that most of the story has already been adapted. Maybe in the distant future it will get an adaptation but not any time soon.
2 Final Crisis Is A Darkseid Epic, But There Just Was One Of Those
The Snyder Cut of Justice League pitted the League against Darkseid and teased more to come in the battle against the God of Evil. Final Crisis, by writer Grant Morrison and artists J.G. Jones, Carlos Pacheco, and Doug Mahnke, would be a good place to take the story but there are some strikes against it.
Like a lot of Morrison stories, it’s very complicated and leans a lot into esoteric DC continuity. Beyond that, it’s just too soon for another Darkseid story. The future of the League and the DCEU is up in the air enough that a story with the scope and scale of Final Crisis is just impossible to pull off at this point.
1 Mister Miracle’s Chances Of Happening Are Slim To None
Not too long ago, comic writer Tom King and director Ava Duvarney were tapped to make a New Gods movie but it got cancelled. This cancellation means so much of the greater Fourth World saga is not coming to the screen anytime soon, including King and artist Mitch Gerads’ Mister Miracle. This is, simply put, a tragedy.
Mister Miracle is one of the best DC stories of recent years, highlighting the titular character’s battle with his personal demons as he battles the forces of Darkseid and how the simple joys make life worth living. With the cancellation of New Gods, there’s a good chance DCEU fans won’t be seeing this story on the big screen anytime soon.
About The Author
