DCEU's Death Certificate Lists Cause of Death as 'Snyder', Not 'Gunn'
When James Gunn was hired as the new co-CEO of DC Studios, he was not hesitant on saying they were focused on the future. Fans were excited about the new direction for a studio that had seemed directionless for years, but they had no idea of how extremely Gunn would reset the franchise.
Hope for a Henry Cavill- led Justice League emerged after his surprise appearance in the Black Adam post-credit scene, but recent reports have said that DC is done with Cavill as Superman. It seems all actors of Justice League's heroes are out in their roles, and some fans want Gunn's head on a stake.
The anger fans have toward Gunn is understandable. Just in terms of casting, Henry Cavill was the perfect Superman. The DCEU has been incredibly well-cast, and fans are hesitant to wait around for another full reboot.
But can you really blame Gunn? All he's doing is damage control.
He inherited a brand that has been falling apart for a decade. The only truly great movies were Joker and The Batman – both of which are outside of the DCEU main continuity. Aquaman, Shazam, Wonder Woman, and a few others had their moments, but for the most part, the franchise has been disappointing.
The blame should probably go on the shoulders of Zack Snyder, creator of Man of Steel, Justice League, and (most of) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Snyder is the one who essentially started the DCEU, setting the tone for the entire franchise. While Marvel was focusing on making their heroes engaging, likeable, and exciting (like the comics), Snyder made his heroes brooding, dark, and psychologically driven.
Comic book movies are meant to be fun – Snyder's films took themselves too seriously.
On top of that, Snyder and DC rushed the arc of their characters. Batman v Superman was only the second film in the series, but it tried to pack in the introduction of all its major characters. It made the film feel rushed as the main story took a back seat.
And everything fell apart after Justice League. The studio wanted a max runtime of 120 minutes, despite having two movies' worth of content available. Then Joss Whedon happened. His changes made the film's plot sloppy and unfulfilling, there was little to no character development, and the dialogue was embarrassing. His version of the Justice League was a deserved flop at the box office.
DC has seemed to be in a panic ever since. They ditched plans for future Justice League movies and have been pumping out solo films to mixed reviews and decent box office grosses, but that approach is just a bandage on an open wound.
They hired Gunn to right the ship at DC Studios. That means uniting all of their media and resetting the continuity – with a new cast.
If you want to be mad at anybody, don't be mad at the guy who's doing damage control. Be mad at the one who left the franchise so broken.