there are too many differing opinions on what and how Superman should be, and too many bigots holding those opinions. this is why the MCU has worked. Very few people have strong opinions about the characters they've used. And the one time they did something with a mildly popular character, the mandarin, it got ugly.
There arent that many differing opinions. Right now it seems like there are only two: either Superman should be like Donners version, or he should be something more complex, darker, grander, violent or simply more divine. With either opinion, the frame of reference is first about the surface level popular impression of Superman (thats hes the friendly neighborhood Superman or the Jesus Superman), rather than what he has been in the comics, which is consistent enough to write a decent story. The problem isnt really about differing opinions; its that most film makers seem to forget that hes a
comic book character and not a Hollywood character. Zack Snyder admittedly came closest, but even he seemed far more interested in what audiences perceived about Superman rather than who Superman has been and the sort of hero he has been across the majority of comics.
I think they should start with Metropolis in regards to all that stuff.
I agree fully. But what I mean is that Superman isnt the lone magical superhero in an otherwise ordinary world. He exists in a world with sci-fi breakthroughs and meta humans and supervillains. Theres a way to do that in a credible way. And thats part of the solution to making a good Superman film.
JL, regardless of the set up, was never going to achieve the "impact" of Avengers, because Avengers came first and using the the Same MO of the MCU would only smell of "Me Too Syndrome" to the general audience.
Not really. JL didnt need to match the cultural event that Avengers was. But it did need to pay off the previous few films in a satisfying and rewarding way. The problem is that Snyder and WB were not approaching JL as if it was the culminating team-up film that Avengers was. Snyder approached JL as part 3 of a three- or I guess five-part story; a definite conclusion, rather than a door closing one chapter and opening another. That mismatch of expectation and intention is part of what doomed JL from the beginning.
No, I dont think the general audience would have cared if WB followed Marvels model. Quite the contrary they were expecting it. I dont intend to be dismissive (I am a DC fan, not a Marvel one), but its only DC and WB fans who think that what the MCU did was something to be avoided. The GA likes what Marvel did; they would not take issue with WB doing the same thing.
Now, I agree that not every character necessarily needed a solo film before the team up. That said, some characters did need that, particularly Aquaman. And I think it makes sense when you consider the things that define each character. Batman, Flash and Cyborg are defined by traumatic events that happened to them they dont require 2 hours of backstory to define them. In contrast, Superman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman are defined by journeys they become who they are over time through the things they experience. Therefore, I think Aquaman needed a solo film before he was introduced, and I think his meager role in JL (as distinct from his meaty screen time) demonstrates this fact.
I also think that, given BvSs constraints (namely, Supermans death), JL really should have focused almost entirely on Supermans return, rather than a relatively complex mother box/terraforming/Heggra plot. Avengers 1 succeeded by balancing the team-building and multiple characters with a relatively simple and straightforward plot, while both X-Men Apocalypse and Age of Ultron buckled under the weight of having to follow-up on existing characters, introduce new characters, and manage complex plots and villains. These films cant do it all. And that, more than anything, is the argument for solo films.
As for Superman, I think the character is at the point where he would actually benefit from a team-up, as long as its a natural fit and not just based on the popularity of characters or actors.
Puts me in mind of the Superman/Metallo fight in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. 
