If you could rewrite history as far as the DCEU

Seeing as how if you had control of the DCEU, how would you have planned out the universe? From Phase 1 and beyond...
It seems you had quite a lot of thoughts into this. Especially now that Marvel did it, it's easy to think it through (how, when) but I think the thing was to imagine it 10 years ago, and have the argument for it, and have the balls for it.

I don't plan things I can't control, but I want to play your game here, so I'll make it short :
I would have done it the marvel way : Presenting each big characters first, then introduce the movie with all of them together.
I had this idea because it seems natural to me and/or logical. Of course, it's easy now to thinkof post-credit scene, but if I'm honest, I would never have had this idea if I had been in charge back then.

Like I said, I would have introduce each character properly first,then make a film with them teaming up. Beyond that ... I don't know.
 
After finishing MOS, I would have done a Men of Tomorrow sequel that centered around Lex and Clark. I wouldn't have cast Eisenberg.

After Men of Tomorrow, we'd Wonder Woman, and then Green Lantern, to change the world from a current day setting to a new, aliens have come to Earth and so has alien tech, kind of setting. It would also be logical for the GL corps to come after the Kryptonian invasion.

From there, I think I would probably do team up movies. Set up Flash and Green Lantern's friendship. Wonder Woman 2. A Batman movie that involved another character... yes probably Superman, because their friendship is so important. But you know.. focus on building the partnership... don't shoehorn them into a fight for no good reason.

And then probably Justice League. I like making Apocolypse the big bad the same way that Thanos is for Marvel... I just would have done it from the start.

These movies suffered most from a lack of planning. Like Marvel, WB should have had a plan from the start, so that there was consistency. It seems pretty obvious that they are just flying by the seat of their pants. And now...frankly.. they've done the near impossible... I'm not super stoked for the next DC film.
 
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I'll just do a "Phase 1"

1) Man of Steel - It's probably the only DC movie I thought had any replay value. I was never the biggest Superman fan but I thought the story was laid out perfect and laid out a nice story arc for him/Metropolis/Earth for later movies. I would have teased Lex stuff throughout the movie and for a post credit scene, Atlantis tease.

2) I would have had Arrow/Flash on CW, set in the DCU.

3) Aquaman Origin Story - tease a Throne of Atlantis storyline at the end

4) Wonder Woman Origin Story - at the end of the movie she meets Clark for the first time. No convo, movie ends with that.

5) Batman - a story set before Man of Steel takes place but also a few years into Bruce being Batman. I think Hush could be adapted well. No post credit, at this point, we'll know a JL movie is coming out

6) Justice League: Throne of Atlantis - Pretty self-explanatory. Team would insist of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Aquaman, Flash and Arrow. You could tease a lot in this film. I would probably do a GL post credit scene here.

So, yeah, something along those lines I thought could have worked. Another possibility, if they wanted to differ from Marvel and just jump right into thing....

INJUSTICE...

I mean, look, everyone knows who all these characters are at this point, without an Origin movie or not. Why not just adapt the that story? I know it would be pretty hard to do but in the right hands, a 3 part Injustice story could possibly work.

I agree with your idea to have Arrow/Flash set in the DCEU
It would’ve been very easy; at the season finale of the first season of Arrow have the YOU ARE NOT ALONE signal broadcasting on every tv!
If they were to adapt Injustice they should merge it with Justice League Crisis on Infinite Earths DTV
 
I agree with your idea to have Arrow/Flash set in the DCEU
It would’ve been very easy; at the season finale of the first season of Arrow have the YOU ARE NOT ALONE signal broadcasting on every tv!
If they were to adapt Injustice they should merge it with Justice League Crisis on Infinite Earths DTV

That's interesting. Have you any thoughts on how they could merge Injustice and Crisis on Infinite Earths?
 
Well start the movie in the injustice timeline/universe and have a older/battle weary Lex come to the main DCEU timeline looking for help and in the process some of the injustice characters cause havoc looking for some McGuffin and the JL has to not only send them back but follow them to help clean up their world. I would personally like an ending like the Frank Quietly Injustice League run where they win but you learn that in their universe good doesn’t truly win in the end.
 
Sounds a little like the opening of the Crisis on Two Earths movie.
 
1- Man of Steel (1st film of the DCEU; villain Zod)
2- Batman: The Caped Crusader (2nd film of the DCEU; villain Black Mask)
3- Wonder Woman (3rd film of the DCEU; villain Ares)
4- Green Lantern (4th film of the DCEU; villain Larfleeze)
5- The Flash (5th film of the DCEU; villains The Rogues)
6- Aquaman (6th film of the DCEU; villain Ocean Master)
7- Justice League (7th film of the DCEU; villain Starro; we would see John Jones well Martian Manhunter in this film as well as Victor Stone/Cyborg as they would join the League with members being Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman and Green Lantern)

* Man of Steel mid credits scene would be a mysterious man who comes up to Clark Kent as Kal-El is not in his Superman suit/uniform and is in his civilian uniform as Clark Kent, reporter for the Daily Planet...the mystery man walks up to him and asks him if Superman is the only hero in the world because there may be others like him. Clark then tells him that he wouldn't know. Clark asks the mystery man who he is. The man refers to himself as John Jones.

* Post credit scene would be Lex Luthor at LexCorp watching footage of the Metropolis battle on his TV in his office. Lex then says that it just may be time to bring Superman to his knees. Fade to black.


* Batman: The Caped Crusader mid credits scene would be Bruce Wayne/Batman in the heat of the night standing on a roof well on a gargoyle as it is raining. The Bat signal is shining in the sky. Iconic Joker laughter in the background. We don't see Joker or we don't see anything in general...just hearing his laugh signalling Joker for the inevitable sequel.

* Post credits would show the island of Themyscira and it would cut to the Amazons. It would show just how they live and train as warriors. It would cut to the Themysciran palace where we would see Wonder Woman's shield and lasso with the badass Amazonian Wonder Woman theme playing in the background. Fade to black.

* Wonder Woman mid credits for me would have teased Cheetah as the next villain for Wonder Woman 2

* Post credits scene would cut to somewhere on Earth...we would see an alien ship crash landing on Earth and on the inside of the ship we would see Abin Sur teasing Green Lantern. Fade to black.


* Flash mid credits scene would tease Reverse Flash for the sequel. Basically it would be a scene of Eobard watching Barry in all of his glory as The Flash but watching him more or less from the shadows teasing his appearance to be the next villain in Flash 2.

* Flash post credits scene would cut to Atlantis teasing Aquaman to be the next film of the DCEU. We wouldn't see Aquaman at all in terms of seeing Arthur's face but we would only get to see him only from behind but what we would see is his trident and his uniform with him looking right at it. Fade to black.


* Aquaman mid credits scene would be after he has defeated his brother Orm; teases Black Manta for the sequel

* Aquaman post credits scene would build towards Justice League...a teaser trailer for Justice League where we would see all heroes in the universe so far in individual shots before it would cut to heroes meeting each other for the first time and coming together...wouldn't give away too much but we would see Starro as a villain in the trailer as well

* Justice League mid credits scene would tease Steppenwolf as the next villain for Justice League 2; we would see both him and Darkseid with Darkseid smiling and pointing to planet Earth from space; Steppenwolf bowing to Darkseid

* Post credit scene would be the League all gathered together at Bruce's mansion at Wayne Manor; Superman as Clark, WW as Diana, Aquaman as Arthur, Flash as Barry, Cyborg as Victor, Batman as Bruce, GL as Hal and Martian Manhunter in his human form as they are all talking at the Roundtable. They talk about other metahumans who should or who could potentially join their League. Fade to black.
 
* Man of Steel mid credits scene would be a mysterious man who comes up to Clark Kent as Kal-El is not in his Superman suit/uniform and is in his civilian uniform as Clark Kent, reporter for the Daily Planet...the mystery man walks up to him and asks him if Superman is the only hero in the world because there may be others like him. Clark then tells him that he wouldn't know. Clark asks the mystery man who he is. The man refers to himself as John Jones.

I like that :up: I know a lot of people wanted General (later Secretary) Swanwick to be revealed as Martian Manhunter, which could have been cool (they'd obviously have had to explain why MM didn't assist Superman in the battles against the Kryptonians).
 
I like that :up: I know a lot of people wanted General (later Secretary) Swanwick to be revealed as Martian Manhunter, which could have been cool (they'd obviously have had to explain why MM didn't assist Superman in the battles against the Kryptonians).

Plus thought that I would use my MOS post credit scene to build the universe properly
 
Another reworked way I would go about it is doing it like this:

1- Man of Steel (begins the DCEU; love interest of course being Lois Lane; this would be Superman's origin film more or less; villain would be Zod and that I wouldn't change)

* Post credit scene #1- Lex Luthor is introduced into the DCEU; we wouldn't see him at all during the film but we would see him in the mid credits. Lex Luthor is watching the footage of the Battle of Metropolis as he watches in disgust wondering how people can praise Superman when he is not a God. Lex then says that if people want to view Superman as a God then he knows just what he has to do to destroy a God. Tease of Metallo for the sequel.

* Post credit scene #2- Cuts to Wayne Manor at the Batcave where Bruce Wayne is watching the Battle of Metropolis. Fade to black.


2- The Caped Crusader (2nd film of the DCEU; love interest Vicki Vale; villain The Joker)

* Post credit scene #1- Commissioner Gordon is talking to Bruce/Batman on a rooftop telling him about how since he took care of the latest threat that being the Joker that there is a new threat in town. Commissioner Gordon tells him that this man has just as much of a flare for the dramatics and that he is just as crazy as The Joker was. Bruce then asks him just what his name is. Gordon tells him that no one has been able to figure out who he is but that he leaves riddles. Tease of The Riddler for the Batman sequel.

* Post credit scene #2- We see the island of Themyscira...then it cuts to Wonder Woman's shield and lasso being shown but we don't see Diana at all just the shield and the lasso. Then we can hear Diana's Amazonian theme playing in the background. Fade to black.


3- Wonder Woman (love interest Steve Trevor; villain Ares; I wouldn't change much of the film at all the only thing I would change would be the timeline in that it would be World War 2 not World War 1.)

* Post credit scene #1- Diana is in present day when she is on her way to her gallery/museum she runs into Bruce Wayne. Wonder Woman and Batman meet for the first time.

* Post credit scene #2- Tease of Barbara Minerva/Cheetah for Wonder Woman 2

4- Aquaman (love interest Mera; villain Black Manta)

* Post credit scene #1- After Manta has been defeated and he is locked up in an Atlantean prison he is visited by a mysterious visitor who is revealed to be none other than Arthur's own brother...Orm...Ocean Master teasing Arthur's brother to be the next villain for Aquaman 2

* Post credit scene #2- Cuts to the surface world on Earth where there are news reports of a hero who manages to fight crime in Central City...he is referred to as The Flash on TV...then we see Barry Allen for the first time. Barry is in a diner watching this news broadcast and then after he leaves the diner he goes into an alley and undresses into his Flash uniform. We see Barry using the Speed Force. Fade to black.

5- The Flash (this is a solo; not Flashpoint; love interest being Iris West; villain Gorilla Grodd)

* Post credit scene #1- We see that after Barry has defeated Gorilla Grodd; we see a mysterious man watching footage of Barry in all of his glory and this mystery man then reads the latest paper of Barry's heroics as The Flash. This mystery man gets so angry that he literally freezes the newspaper. The newspaper turns to ice. Tease of Captain Cold for Flash 2.

* Post credit scene #2- An alien spaceship crashes on a beach at night where no one is in sight. However, nearby an innocent bystander just happened to walk by just as he saw the alien ship from the sky crash on to the beach. This man then runs towards the beach running towards the alien ship. The alien ship opens and the alien introduces himself to the human as Abin Sur. Abin Sur asks this human what his name is. In a panic he says his name is Hal Jordan. Fade to black.

6- Green Lantern Corps (Hal and John Stewart both would be co-leads in this film; villains would be the Sinestro Corps with Sinestro being the main villain; love interest would be Carol for Hal)

* Post credit scene #1- After Hal and John have defeated the Sinestro Corps...John asks Hal what he is planning on doing now? Hal then says that he plans on going back to Earth but that he is only going back for now. Hal then says that Sector 2814 will be in good hands because Hal is entrusting John to take over the Sector for him while he is gone. Hal then returns to Earth and when he does he and Carol are seen kissing. Hal's Lantern ring is flashing which signals that danger is coming.

* Post credit scene #2- On Oa, John and the other Lanterns know that danger is imminent as the newest threat reveals itself: Larfleeze, teasing him for GLC 2.


7- Justice League (members would be: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash and Green Lantern that being Hal Jordan; Cyborg intro here as well as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow and Dinah Lance/Black Canary; villain Steppenwolf; cameos from Lois, Alfred, Vicki, Mera, Henry Allen, Carol Ferris)

* Post credit scene #1- Steppenwolf is defeated and on Apokolips is killed by Darkseid; Darkseid then says "I have no time for failure. Steppenwolf failed me so it looks like I have to defeat them all by myself and then Earth will truly be mine to conquer.")

* Post credit scene #2- After most of the League have gone their separate ways, Clark, Bruce and Diana oversee the construction of the Watchtower. Fade to black.
 
Wonder Woman- Naive Hero's Journey

Flash- Hero's Journey of Empowerment

Aquaman- Apathetic Hero's Journey

World's finest- No one wants to watch Superman struggle as he learns to be Superman, and the GA has seen enough of Batman for the last 30 years to not need an introduction

No Cyborg Story- GA gives no **** for Cyberpunk stories.

JL
 
I think it could have been a good idea, though risky in its own way, to make a Superman film series following Smallville continuity (either with Welling or a recast); end the show earlier, in '06, '07 or '08 and then develop a film to where it's released two or three years later.
 
If DC/WB wanted to create an extended DCEU from the very beginning, rather than play "Catch Up" to Marvel/Disney and their MCU, then this is what I would have done.

1974 - The live action television series "SHAZAM" debuts on TV, starring Michael Gray as Billy Batson, and Jackson Bostwick as Captain Marvel.

1975 - "SHAZAM" starts its second season. The spinoff series, "Isis", starring JoAnna Cameron as Andrea Thomas/Isis debuts on television.

1975 - "Wonder Woman", starring Lynda Carter as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, also debuts on television. This series would share the same TV/cinematic universe as "SHAZAM" and "Isis". It would also be written so that Wonder Woman is being interviewed by an unseen reporter in the present day, and Wonder Woman is telling all about the adventures that she has had over the decades. Each episode we get to see the story that's being told (somewhat like the series "Are You Afraid Of The Dark?", only they're all Wonder Woman stories). The stories have Wonder Woman fighting Germans during WWI, Nazis during WWII, communists during The Korean War, etc. And she would occasionally show up in crossover episodes of "SHAZAM" and "Isis".

1978 - "Superman", starring Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, and Margot Kidder, comes out in theatres. The movie would be virtually identical to the one we got. The only difference is there would be a few little Easter eggs letting the audience know that it shares the same expanded universe as "SHAZAM", "Isis", and "Wonder Woman". Things like Lynda Carter has a cameo, where she bumps into Lois Lane and the two women say "Hi" to each other. Include a scene where Clark clumsily bumps into Michael Gray (who is wearing his iconic red and yellow sweater) causing the kid to drop his ice cream cone. Clark, who had just bought himself an ice cream cone, apologizes and replaces it with his own ice cream cone ("Gosh, I'm terribly sorry. Here, take mine. I haven't even touched it yet."). And finally, there would be a headline in The Daily Planet which reads something like "Gotham's Boy Billionaire Bruce Wayne Returns From Abroad" (or something to that effect).

1979 - In the "Wonder Woman" series finale we learn that the reporter Wonder Woman has been telling her life story to was in fact Lois Lane (played once again by Margot Kidder).

1980 - "Superman II" comes out in theatres. Richard Donner is kept on as director. The story is virtually the same, except this will be our "Dawn Of Justice" story. General Zod and his cohorts attack Earth while Superman and Lois have a romantic getaway at The Fortress Of Solitude. Superman gives up his powers in order to be with Lois, same as before. Except this time when Superman can't be found to fight the three Kryptonian super criminals, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, and Isis step up to the plate. They fight hard, but eventually have to retreat and regroup. It's at this time that Superman regains his powers, and together the four of them defeat Zod and his companions. In the end the four of them agree to come together should the Earth ever be in peril again.

1983 - "Superman III" comes out in theatres. It's given a more serious storyline and does better at the BO than the one we actually got.

1984 - "Supergirl", starring Helen Slater in the title role, comes out in theatres. It's also treated more seriously and performs better than the one we were actually given. Also, Christopher Reeve agrees to have a cameo in the film, making it a more "legitimate" spinoff.

1987 - Cannon Films doesn't get the rights to the Superman Franchise, and "Superman IV" is produced by the same people who made the original Superman movie. Christopher Reeve takes on a triple role of star, writer, and director. While not quite as good as the previous Superman films, it is significantly better than the piece of crap Cannon actually gave us.

1988 - Tim Burton's "Batman" comes out in theatres. It's pretty much the same except for a few Easter eggs laced throughout letting the audience know that it shares a cinematic universe with Wonder Woman, Superman, and SHAZAM (Lois Lane and Diana Prince being at Bruce Wayne's charity casino event, a copy of The Daily Planet on Bruce Wayne's desk, etc).

1990 - "The Flash" debuts on television, starring John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen/The Flash. Lynda Carter, Michael Gray, and JoAnna Cameron all guest star in several episodes as their superhero characters.

1991 - A "Justice League" movie comes out, starring Christopher Reeve as Superman, Michael Keaton as Batman, John Wesley Shipp as The Flash, Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman, Jackson Bostwick as Captain Marvel. JoAnna Cameron as Isis, Helen Slater as Supergirl, and introducing Carey Elwes as Oliver Queen/The Green Arrow, Wesley Snipes as John Stewart/Green Lantern, and Pamela Anderson as Black Cannery. The Big Bad that brings them all together in this movie is Brainiac.

1992 - Tim Burton's "Batman Returns" hits theatres. "The Flash" gets additional seasons.

1993 - Wesley Snipes stars in a solo "Green Lantern" movie, and Carey Elwes and Pamela Anderson costar in a "Green Arrow/Black Cannery" movie.

1994 - "Justice League: The Death Of Superman" is being filmed. The shooting schedule conflicts with Christopher Reeve's equestrian competition, forcing him to miss it and thus he never has his terrible accident which left him paralyzed. All of the above actors reprise their roles from the first "JLA Movie". Obviously Doomsday is the Big Bad this time around.

1995 - "Reign Of The Supermen" comes out in theatres, with Christopher Reeve playing Cyborg Superman/Hank Henshaw, The Eradicator, and the original Superman. Ving Rhames would star as John Irons/Steel, and an unknown young actor would play Superboy.

That's all I can think of at the moment, but if WB wanted to start creating a DCEU way back in the 1970's, that's how I would go about doing it.
 
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I've thought long and hard in the wake of Infinity War whether WB could have done something similar in the same time frame, some type of of Infinite Crisis style team up movie, and I just can't see how they could have done it within 10 years.
 
1979 - In the "Wonder Woman" series finale we learn that the reporter Wonder Woman has been telling her life story to was in fact Lois Lane (played once again by Margot Kidder)

Love that!

...introducing Carey Elwes as Oliver Queen/The Green Arrow... and Pamela Anderson as Black Cannery.

Having seen Elwes take on Robin Hood, definitely. And I know Pamela Anderson has her 'limitations' as an actress but visually she'd be a perfect Black Canary. In fact I remember that struck me first time I saw Barb Wire.

Another really interesting plan, Thundarr :up:
 
I wouldn't really change that much, apart from having a more frugal and concrete plan in place after Man of Steel came out. (And moving some films around.)

- Have Zack Snyder do a proper Superman sequel on a smaller budget ($175M-200M) and less than 2.5 hours. Maybe a Brainiac storyline.
- Make Wonder Woman the following film, with the same director, period setting, and cast.
- The third film would be a World's Finest film, tonally consistent with MOS but lighter than BvS. Snyder would not direct (nor would Eisenberg play Lex), but a better director that can balance the Batman and Superman tones.
- After that, do successive Aquaman, Flash, Cyborg, and Green Lantern origin films for $175M apiece. Do an Easter egg, but don't hammer the shared universe bit like Marvel does.
- Any other DC films that are NOT Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman titles would be released under New Line. That would include heroes like Green Lantern, The Flash, Booster Gold, Shazam, Black Canary, as well as anti-heroes like Harley Quinn.
- Suicide Squad would be a sub-$100M R-rated film by New Line. Have another writer do the script, while Ayer directs. Keep valuable players like Margot Robbie and Will Smith.
- Have Patty Jenkins hold the reigns on Justice League and give her creative control, with Geoff Johns penning the treatment while an established screenwriter nails the dialogue.
- Then do sequels to Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, et al.
 
Imagine if they got Zack Snyder to direct a 3 part miniseries on HBO that directly adapted The Dark Knight Returns panel for panel instead of BvS.

I honestly think this Watchmen series on HBO bodes well for DC adaptations on that channel.
 
Zack Snyder's Watchmen shoehorns a sequence in which Dr Manhatten makes multiple DC worlds-thus setting up JL movies. It's only two minutes long.

*Zack bows out*

Brad Bird directs Man of Steel.

JJ Abrams directs Batman v Superman, essentially remaking the World's Finest Episode ;)-Armie Hammer is actually Batman.

Patty stays on with WW, but the Ares plot is essentially reworked.

Zack Snyder directs a Lobo movie, just so he can have a film with random violence and a thin plot. It gets mixed reviews, but the fans are happy soo...

He exec produces Aquaman, but has little creative involvement. Peter Jackson directs (you know you want him to SPLIT his way outta his Hobbit films)

Justice League-with George Miller, Bruce Timm, and Paul Dini. Bam.

WW2.

Superman the Third-featuring Darkseid-Superman puts him into an alternate world which creates..

JL-Flashpoint

Followed by a funny superhero, like Captain Marvel.

Before.. JL: Kingdom Come (Directed by Sam Raimi (I know, odd choice, but I feel like his sentimentality with the Silver Age genre would help) with a script by Paul Dini with major help by Waid, with cinematography by Larry Fong and art direction by Zack Snyder. And the music by John Williams or Howard Shore, for extra epicness.)

And then..DC can just do theatrical animations. That would be too epic.
 
Love that!
Thanks

Having seen Elwes take on Robin Hood, definitely. And I know Pamela Anderson has her 'limitations' as an actress but visually she'd be a perfect Black Canary. In fact I remember that struck me first time I saw Barb Wire.

Another really interesting plan, Thundarr :up:

Elwes playing Robin Hood in Robin Hood: Men In Tights and Pamela Anderson playing the titular role in Barb Wire were actually what made me think they'd be perfect for those roles. I mean sure, Pam isn't exactly of the same caliber as Elwes when it comes to acting. But in some of the outfits she wore as Barb Wire, she TOTALLY looked like Black Cannery. So at least visually she's perfect (or at least was in the late 80's/early 90's).

Besides, action films don't require exceptional acting talent. Just look at the careers of people like Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Chuck Norris. Not one of them is exactly a great actor, but they've all made some of the greatest action movies ever (as well as some of the most entertaining bad movies ever).
 
If DC/WB wanted to create an extended DCEU from the very beginning, rather than play "Catch Up" to Marvel/Disney and their MCU, then this is what I would have done.

<snipped>

That would've all been GENIUS...wow, if only WB had actually done that and capitalized on the Superman, Batman, WW, and Flash from the 70s to the 90s. That would've been epic, especially since I grew up on all of those versions of the characters, and now I'm sad because it never happened. :( It would've been great to have seen Reeve's Superman team up with Keaton's Batman especially! /retroactively shaking fist at WB

I would've preferred Dennis Haysbert back in the day for GL John Stewart though, or Denzel if he could've been persuaded back then. Although I suppose Denzel would've been better for MM, or Mr. Terrific.
 
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If I could reinvent the DCEU from the ground up?

First up, no Zack Snyder. The man is just not a good fit for Superman, Batman, or the DCU in general. Second, there would've never been a Suicide Squad. They should've been focusing on building up to the Justice League, not introducing side projects like that that have nothing to do with Justice League (A mistake which they're apparently intent on repeating with their Gotham Sirens idea). So for me, my preference would've been as follows:

2013

SUPERMAN
The first part of a multi-film arc with Lex Luthor as the overall villain. Think of it as the Rise and Fall of Lex Luthor, with Luthor portrayed most closely to Lionel and Lex from Smallville and their emphasis on empire building, with Lex seeing himself as a modern Alexander the Great. Superman begins his career in Metropolis, slowly comes to the realization that Lex Luthor is not who he seems to be, and has to battle Lex Luthor's creation, Metallo. The movie ends with the defeat of Metallo, but Luthor comes away clean without anyone save Superman and Lois Lane even suspecting that he had anything to do with Metallo.

2014

BATMAN
We're introduced to a rebooted Batman. One who's been operating in Gotham for two or three years (as opposed to one who's at the end of his career, which is what we got with Batfleck). The first villain would be Clayface, and we'd play up the tragedy of Clayface's condition. The goal here would be two-fold. Firstly, having a story with plenty of pathos, as we'd have Batman facing off against a villain who has his sympathy, and which tragically ends with a confrontation which Batman doesn't want. And secondly, it puts Batman up against a super-powered opponent, thus firmly establishing him within a broader DCEU where superpowers are commonplace. This film could also be the place where Dick Grayson is introduced as Robin, whose introduction would revolve around the B Plot of Batman's war against the mobs in control of Gotham and Dick Grayson's family being caught in the crossfire.

2015

GREEN LANTERN
Hal Jordan is inducted into the Green Lantern Corps. Working alongside his partner, Sinestro, his first mission is to confront the resurgent Manhunters. This highlights the fact that the Guardians of Oa aren’t above making mistakes, setting things up when Sinestro is revealed to be a tyrant in a future film.

2016

THE FLASH
We're introduced to the world of the Flash, in which the Flash has been in operation for a year or two as well. The Rogues already exist as an organization with the Flash having regular run-ins with them, but the primary antagonist of this film is the Reverse-Flash. The costume would be truer to the comics than the TV show version, and much closer to the comics than the Snyder JL version.

SUPERMAN 2
The conflict between Superman and Lex Luthor continues as Superman is confronted with his first extra-terrestrial opponent, Brainiac. The film ends with Superman defeating Brainiac and exposing Luthor as a criminal, who’s placed under indictment.

2017

WONDER WOMAN
Patty Jenkins did a perfect job. There's nothing I would change, save for the few bits of connective tissue to the existing DCEU. That's why I think a soft reboot of the DCEU which excludes everything that's come before save for Wonder Woman could work, since the movie is already effectively a standalone movie which doesn't require a universe to make sense.

BATMAN 2
Gotham’s criminal underworld, reeling from repeated assaults by Batman and Robin, take out a large contract on Batman’s life, and several of the DCU’s most dangerous assassins take up the contract. That includes Deadshot, David Cain, and Deathstroke the Terminator. Batman and Robin have to run the gauntlet through the most dangerous assassins in the world, culminating in facing off with Deathstroke, as they continue their war with the Gotham mobs. Along the way, they turn David Cain’s daughter, Cassandra, to their side, and find themselves with a new ally when they face off against Deathstroke. The interesting thing about this matchup is that we'd have Batman facing off against an opponent who is his intellectual and physical superior, and he only triumphs because he's not facing him alone, but with partners.

2018

JUSTICE LEAGUE
Lex Luthor is convicted, but he easily escapes custody. He then sets about a plan for taking revenge against Superman as well as take back everything he lost. To that end, he unveils his battle suit, puts together a team of super-villains, and puts his plan into motion, using recovered technology from the conflict with Brainiac (Or perhaps even allied with Brainiac) to give him an extra edge. Superman can’t defeat them alone, and the plan is expansive enough that it draws the attention of multiple heroes, who then unite as the Justice League and take on Luthor’s Legion of Doom.

Maybe stick in an Aquaman movie in 2018, too, and then carry him over into the Justice League movie, similar to Black Panther and Infinity War. That would be my initial idea of what I would’ve preferred to have seen over what we got.
 
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If I could reinvent the DCEU from the ground up?

First up, no Zack Snyder. The man is just not a good fit for Superman, Batman, or the DCU in general. Second, there would've never been a Suicide Squad. They should've been focusing on building up to the Justice League, not introducing side projects like that that have nothing to do with Justice League (A mistake which they're apparently intent on repeating with their Gotham Sirens idea). So for me, my preference would've been as follows:

2013

SUPERMAN
The first part of a multi-film arc with Lex Luthor as the overall villain. Think of it as the Rise and Fall of Lex Luthor, with Luthor portrayed most closely to Lionel and Lex from Smallville and their emphasis on empire building, with Lex seeing himself as a modern Alexander the Great. Superman begins his career in Metropolis, slowly comes to the realization that Lex Luthor is not who he seems to be, and has to battle Lex Luthor's creation, Metallo. The movie ends with the defeat of Metallo, but Luthor comes away clean without anyone save Superman and Lois Lane even suspecting that he had anything to do with Metallo.

2014

BATMAN
We're introduced to a rebooted Batman. One who's been operating in Gotham for two or three years (as opposed to one who's at the end of his career, which is what we got with Batfleck). The first villain would be Clayface, and we'd play up the tragedy of Clayface's condition. The goal here would be two-fold. Firstly, having a story with plenty of pathos, as we'd have Batman facing off against a villain who has his sympathy, and which tragically ends with a confrontation which Batman doesn't want. And secondly, it puts Batman up against a super-powered opponent, thus firmly establishing him within a broader DCEU where superpowers are commonplace. This film could also be the place where Dick Grayson is introduced as Robin, whose introduction would revolve around the B Plot of Batman's war against the mobs in control of Gotham and Dick Grayson's family being caught in the crossfire.

2015

GREEN LANTERN
Hal Jordan is inducted into the Green Lantern Corps. Working alongside his partner, Sinestro, his first mission is to confront the resurgent Manhunters. This highlights the fact that the Guardians of Oa aren’t above making mistakes, setting things up when Sinestro is revealed to be a tyrant in a future film.

2016

THE FLASH
We're introduced to the world of the Flash, in which the Flash has been in operation for a year or two as well. The Rogues already exist as an organization with the Flash having regular run-ins with them, but the primary antagonist of this film is the Reverse-Flash. The costume would be truer to the comics than the TV show version, and much closer to the comics than the Snyder JL version.

SUPERMAN 2
The conflict between Superman and Lex Luthor continues as Superman is confronted with his first extra-terrestrial opponent, Brainiac. The film ends with Superman defeating Brainiac and exposing Luthor as a criminal, who’s placed under indictment.

2017

WONDER WOMAN
Patty Jenkins did a perfect job. There's nothing I would change, save for the few bits of connective tissue to the existing DCEU. That's why I think a soft reboot of the DCEU which excludes everything that's come before save for Wonder Woman could work, since the movie is already effectively a standalone movie which doesn't require a universe to make sense.

BATMAN 2
Gotham’s criminal underworld, reeling from repeated assaults by Batman and Robin, take out a large contract on Batman’s life, and several of the DCU’s most dangerous assassins take up the contract. That includes Deadshot, David Cain, and Deathstroke the Terminator. Batman and Robin have to run the gauntlet through the most dangerous assassins in the world, culminating in facing off with Deathstroke, as they continue their war with the Gotham mobs. Along the way, they turn David Cain’s daughter, Cassandra, to their side, and find themselves with a new ally when they face off against Deathstroke. The interesting thing about this matchup is that we'd have Batman facing off against an opponent who is his intellectual and physical superior, and he only triumphs because he's not facing him alone, but with partners.

2018

JUSTICE LEAGUE
Lex Luthor is convicted, but he easily escapes custody. He then sets about a plan for taking revenge against Superman as well as take back everything he lost. To that end, he unveils his battle suit, puts together a team of super-villains, and puts his plan into motion, using recovered technology from the conflict with Brainiac (Or perhaps even allied with Brainiac) to give him an extra edge. Superman can’t defeat them alone, and the plan is expansive enough that it draws the attention of multiple heroes, who then unite as the Justice League and take on Luthor’s Legion of Doom.

Maybe stick in an Aquaman movie in 2018, too, and then carry him over into the Justice League movie, similar to Black Panther and Infinity War. That would be my initial idea of what I would’ve preferred to have seen over what we got.

I wonder if you would have post credit scenes to further build up the DCEU
 
I wonder if you would have post credit scenes to further build up the DCEU

I love your enthusiasm - but man these post-credits scenes are a thing with you, aren't they! :funny:
 
That would've all been GENIUS...wow, if only WB had actually done that and capitalized on the Superman, Batman, WW, and Flash from the 70s to the 90s. That would've been epic, especially since I grew up on all of those versions of the characters, and now I'm sad because it never happened. :( It would've been great to have seen Reeve's Superman team up with Keaton's Batman especially! /retroactively shaking fist at WB

I would've preferred Dennis Haysbert back in the day for GL John Stewart though, or Denzel if he could've been persuaded back then. Although I suppose Denzel would've been better for MM, or Mr. Terrific.

I grew up on those classic superhero shows as well. I totally remember watching Wonder Woman every week on TV. I think I was a little too young for SHAZAM during its initial run from '74 to '76 (I was born in '74, so even if I did watch it I doubt I understood it or remembered any of it). I'm pretty sure that I caught it years later in reruns though.

Superman, on the other hand, I certainly DO remember seeing as a kid. It was one of the very first movies that I actually remember seeing in the theatre (the very first being the original Star Wars in '77). And much like the movies tagline, I DID believe that a man could fly (I was 4 years old at the time, I still believed in Santa Claus). All in all, it was pure AWESOME.

By the time Tim Burton's Batman came out, and The Flash debuted on TV, I was in Junior High. But I still would have LOVED to see a team up of all these characters at that time. Or at least Superman, Batman, The Flash, and Wonder Woman. Lynda Carter might have been a little older than her costars, but she still looked amazing (Heck, she looks amazing now! I swear, that woman does not age!)

But yeah, WB totally dropped the ball on making a great Justice League movie back when they totally dominated superhero comic book movies.
 

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