I would not like to seem too pessimistic but by now Gunn's universe has the same chances to fail of Snyder's one.
I really don't see why the same public should be interested in different movies on different characters directed by different directors.
No recent data swaying you? Audiences spending $500M in 3 weeks on a character that many weren’t sure would ever get a solo movie again and had been relegated to faceless or two-word cameos? Especially at a time when superhero movie fatigue has set in at least for some of the major players and some foreign markets have moved on from them?
Obviously we are past the heyday of the pre-Endgame superhero boom and certain other factors have ****ed the viability of superhero shared universes, so it’s unclear how successful a new DCU can be going forward. But I have always believed the best way to start a cinematic universe is a good foundation. That’s what Iron Man (and later Cap and Thor) gave did for the MCU, laying the groundwork for what they wanted to do. If those movies didn’t work, The Avengers wouldn’t have worked.
And that’s what we’ve started with Superman here. The movie is a critical and financial hit, and it’s resonating with fans. It even seems to have hit the cultural zeitgeist; all the anti-woke idiots criticizing it seem to have galvanized a lot of people on the progressive side to get behind the film because of its pro-immigration, pro-Palestine and Pro-Ukraine themes (and anti-Musk/anti-Trump themes). Granted, these are all pretty subtle in the film (it’s not like Gunn was trying to go full social commentary here with a Superman film) but I give him credit for finding ways to weave in serious issues while also delivering a zany, action packed popcorn flick.
Snyder’s universe failed because MoS was a shaky (at best) foundation. Superman was supposed to be the one who emerges first and brings all the heroes out. But instead, the movie only mildly explores him, he spends most of it just punching people through buildings, and he gets killed in his second outing. All so Snyder could move on to do his half-baked attempt at Frank Miller’s Batman.
Anyway, I don’t know how this universe will shake out, but I think the response to Superman is enough to give people plenty of optimism. Kara also seems to have gotten a good response in her appearance in the film. If Supergirl is a hit, and I think it really can be, then we’ll be off to the races. Milly Alcock is popular, the comic that it’s based on is (as I understand it) a great story (it’s on my to-read list) and appearances by Momoa as Lobo and David as Superman (and Krypto) will probably boost its box office potential.
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