Media Essays: A DCEU Re-Write Part 1

Written by The Wandering Fox

Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane! No! It’s Fox!

Going over the city was a fox masked man who wore a long orange cape, a red bodysuit and white gloves and boots with a fox tail symbol on his chest. Though they couldn’t tell, he was smiling under his mask, happy to begin his discussion of superhero movies.

Hey everyone, I’m back. It’s gonna be about superheroes. More specifically, the DCEU superheroes. I get ya, it’s already making you wonder if I’m here to be a Debbie downer. I’m not really. Let me be clear, I actually liked the DCEU, but it’s recent films left a lot to be desired, with hindsight helping me see even the films I like didn’t help it much. I loved MoS, BvS and ZSJL, but I can agree they weren’t exactly the ideal kind of movies to start a cinematic universe. I still loved Wonder Woman, Shazam, Black Adam, James Gunn’s Suicide Squad, and I’m looking forward to Blue Beetle, but my love for it died down given how odd they became with almost no idea of what they were doing. But given James Gunn is taking over, complete with a remake of a cinematic universe, I thought I’ll go back over the DCEU and see if it could’ve been better.

Like I say, I loved MoS, BvS and ZSJL, but they weren’t the best thing to do to begin a cinematic universe, Superman was a slightly more downtrodden character in the first couple of movies, he was killed off in BvS, which had Batman kill criminals, and we had a mess of a movie with Joss Whedon’s Justice League, and in hindsight bad casting was made. I won’t mention them by names but you might easily know who I’m talking about. Yes, Batman killed in the Michael Keaton and Christian Bale movies, but they said Ben Affleck’s was said to be comic accurate, and we thought it meant there’d be no killing. Wonder Woman giving up didn’t help though they did at least make her a bit better.

Justice League’s sequels didn’t sound much better, as it had Superman still a bit of confused of who he is, Batman slept with Lois Lane, Wonder Woman and Aquaman died, Lois was killed, Superman would’ve been brainwashed by Darkseid, then Flash would’ve time travelled to try and keep Lois from dying but Bruce would’ve died and his son would’ve become Batman.

Yet how would I do the DCEU? Well, here we go. I think I’ll do about five phases. I think I ain’t gonna do a character section because you all know these incarnations of the characters and the alterations I’ll make speak for itself here.

The First Five

Phase 1: Man of Steel, Martian Manhunter, Man of Steel two, Wonder Woman, Trinity.

Phase 2: Batman: Under the Red Hood, Flash, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman The Lost Child, Aquaman, Justice League.

Phase 3: Superman and Supergirl, Wonder Woman Cyber, Batman vs the Suicide Squad, Green Arrow: Jade Archer, Flash and Kid Flash, Shazam, Teen Titans,, Justice League based on ZS.

Phase 4: Green Lantern, Justice League: Legion of Doom, Teen Titans: Terror Titans, Death of Superman. Black Adam. Blue Beetle.

Phase 5: The Men of Steel. Justice League: Darkseid Is. Flashpoint. Justice League: Reborn. Flash: Homebound. Green Lantern Corps.

Phase One

Man of Steel: The movie here does retain elements of the first movie, but Pa Kent is handled differently, he tells Clark he’s proud of him for saving everyone on the bus but is worried others will find out, and though he still dies by tornado, Clark did try to save him but both were caught by the tornado, with Clark surviving but his dad died, the battle of Smallville does go more into the grass fields with Clark doing so to stop any damage, the Black Zero terraforms on the harbour, creating a big wall of water to flood Metropolis but Superman freezes the water and shatters it. Zod I think I’ll have him die by falling on a Kryptonite sword in the scout ship, Superman begging him to stop fighting, but Zod comes at him but falls on the Kryptonite, killing him. Superman buries him in the Antarctic, hides the scout ship there, we see him helping those who got hurt. Superman hid the body and the scout ship, believing the government would try taking them.

Clark becomes a more happier character after his first flying though he is still quite serious in his fight scenes.

Martian Manhunter: It’s kinda tough to do for Swanwick was revealed to be Martian Manhunter the entire time. I like Harry Lennix, awesome fit for the character so I have to think about how I’d fit him and his character in. The idea is it’s a detective kind of story, with J’onn investigating a few missing persons. The enemy here is actually the Human Flame, who is seeking to get revenge on the company he worked for by kidnapping those who kicked him out to help him make a flame suit which he’s going to have to burn down the office building he once was in. J’onn rescues the kidnapped and struggles against the Human Flame, who ends up burning himself. J’onn gets him to the hospital, he doesn’t want to kill him. I think if it’s Swanwick I’m having, I’ll him taken off the army for the government thinks he badly handled the entire thing with Superman, so J’onn becomes a detective to help people. By the end he thinks of talking to Clark.

Man of Steel: Metropolis: This movie focuses on Superman as the hero of Metropolis, his relationship with Lois, and maybe Parasite as the villain. Lex Luthor is in the movie but is a background villain. Though he does face some crap from a bunch of guys who thinks he is a insult, Superman does his best given he’s with Lois, is working with Jimmy and has Maggie. Either Metallo or Parasite end up becoming who they are due to working for Lex Luthor, both losing their minds and end up causing chaos in Metropolis, maybe with Parasite he drains so much energy not only is he taking power away from Metropolis he’s getting bigger. Superman does stop him but he does it through finding his real body inside and frees him, taking him to the fortress to cure him. By the end of the movie Superman is well beloved by Metropolis. Batman appears through the movie watching Superman, confronting him by the end, offering to work with him and help find the other metahumans who have been there. Lex Luthor is annoyed the citizens are loving Superman but he’s met with by Circe, the witch understands and offers to help kill Superman.

Wonder Woman is mostly the same, yet the movie ends with her meeting with Batman and Superman, who have found her through Bruce uncovering photos of her from 1918. Wonder Woman didn’t stop fighting, helping wherever she could. She admits she was there helping those in Metropolis but didn’t reveal herself to Superman. They decide to help each other find the other metahumans.

Trinity is basically them teaming up. The movie begins with Circe fighting Wonder Woman outside a house she’s burnt, trapping her underground. The movie then goes to Batman going after a few inmates who have escaped from Arkham Asylum, but one is taken away by Circe. Batman is concerned and talks it over with Wonder Woman, given it’s Jonathan Crane she kidnapped. During this, Lex Luthor holds a press conference offering to meet with Superman. Clark decides to go, to see if Lex is a good guy. Lex though unleashes a gas which affects the crowd, who end up becoming afraid of Superman, with him being shot. Superman is injured much to his confusion, with Circe briefly hypnotising him. Clark escapes, with him and Lois going back to Kent Farm, the sun healing his injuries. Martha is confused, though Batman and Wonder Woman arrive, both explaining they think Scarecrow and Circe are behind this, mixing his fear gas with magic to make the crowd be afraid of Superman. Though both Clark and Lois think of interviewing Lex to try and catch him, Batman says he thinks he can get Lex to talk, but as Bruce. Wonder Woman recalls how she battled Circe a bit through the 20th century but she gone missing in the mid 90s. They go to Luthor’s city party and there, Bruce talks with him, with Lex trying to convince Bruce they should be thinking of how to stop those like Superman, though Bruce tells him he isn’t one to do killing. Clark questions Lex of his comments in Superman while Lois and Diana uncover footage of Lex meeting with Circe. It’s then Clark has a distress call from the Fortress, learning Circe is there. He and Diana go, Lex being distracted by Bruce. Both Superman and Wonder Woman fight Circe at the Fortress but she defeats them with her magic, escaping with the Kryptonite.

Martian Manhunter comes and helps them. Meeting with Batman at the BatCave, they realise Lex is going to gas Clark with magic Kryptonite fear gas to have him go crazy and kill innocents in Metropolis then kill him. Diana knows what Circe looks like in her human alter ego and will distract her, Batman and Martian Manhunter will find Scarecrow, Clark will face go to Lex. They do so, but Circe begins taunting Diana of what she took from her, saying she has no clue. Batman finds Scarecrow and the fear gas is stopped. Lex is then exposed by Batman, with him told to come with the blue Boy Scout to the station. Angered, Lex mechs up and begins fighting him, the Kryptonite giving him a edge. Wonder Woman fights Circe, Batman coming to help her, Martian Manhunter coming to help Clark. Superman does shoot the mech’s legs but Lex ends up gassing him with Kryptonite, trying to crush him, though the gas wears off and Superman tears Lex from the suit. Circe briefly tells Diana the truth, telling her she took her kid from her before disappearing. Lex is arrested, the group of heroes agree to help the civilians the best they can. Though Wonder Woman is a bit distraught to learn Circe kidnapped her daughter and goes to find what she can of her whereabouts, while Martian Manhunter tells Clark and Bruce of Flash and Aquaman.

You could be confused for why I’d end phase one with the Trinity. It’s because I think it’s best you don’t do the first phase finale with a Justice League film, Trinity feels like a finale of the big heroes Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman together and you don’t wanna be coming off as if you’re doing what the MCU did. . I think if I were to do any recasting for these movies, it’d be Lex Luthor. Jesse is good but I think we should’ve had a more comic accurate Lex Luthor. I’m thinking the likes of John Krazinski, I’m trying to imagine him as being bald, at least anyone who has been around longer as a actor to balance against Cavil, Affleck and Gadot. You have any suggestions I like to hear. For Circe I think Eve Myles could play her well, Jesse could be Scarecrow.

Phase Two

Batman Under the Red Hood is a almost closely faithful adaptation of the animated movie with some differences. Batman and Nightwing team to uncover a few murders of criminals from Gotham and Bludhaven, all of them having connections to Arkham Asylum. Both end up battling Red Hood, who is killing these criminals to have a few inmates in Arkham released to Blackgate after a investigation by Gordon finds a few of the criminals had Arkham guards in their wallets. Batman and Nightwing both begin to realise Red Hood knows them well and after gaining some hair from him, they run a DNA test and find it’s Jason Todd, the second Robin. He is going to kill Joker once he’s being moved to Blackgate. Batman and Nightwing go to stop this but Red Hood snatches Joker. Nightwing helps the cops gather up the criminals while Batman confronts Red Hood, who tells him he doesn’t blame him for not saving him but doesn’t understand why he lets Joker live. Batman tells Jason if he kills, there’s no going back, and he understands why Jason wants this though because Jason is a killer he has to bring him in. Jason angrily shoots Batman then Joker, though he doesn’t kill them. Nightwing arrives and helps fight Jason while Joker tries escaping. He ends up in a coma after Jason clubs him with a crowbar then injures Nightwing. Jason escapes, hoping Joker dies in his coma. Dick tells Bruce to keep being the man he is and returns to Bludhaven.

I’d have this movie begin with the death of Robin, but we don’t see him die, just being beaten with a crowbar, Batman comes and finds the body then batters Joker with his fists. Nightwing coming along in the present leaves the audience believing he was Robin, the relationship between them strained leaving them audience to believe he did survive but grew to criticise Bruce’s brutal fighting from there, the reveal of Jason will come as a big shock to the casual audience. For who resurrected Jason here, it’ll be resolved in Batman vs the Suicide Squad. Nightwing did indeed leave Bruce after he felt he was becoming a lot more brutal, both of them repairing their damaged relationship though Nightwing returns to Bludhaven.

I could keep Jared Leto as Joker but have him do Joker a little more like Nicholson’s Joker. For both Dick and Jason, I’m not sure who I’d cast, so I’m open for ideas.

Flash

I am going to get this done with. This film will not have time travel in it. And Ezra Miller will not be Barry Allen. I’ll replace Ezra with Andrew Garfield. I gone with Andrew because he does at least resemble the character a little bit more and could dye his hair blonde, he has the nerdy kind of character you can easily imagine Barry Allen would have, and he’d look well in the suit. And I don’t want time travel in this movie given it doesn’t give the Flash his detective skills.

The Flash’s villains I might have it be Captain Cold, who is robbing banks to get the money he wants to buy up the tools he needs to steal from Star Labs, to cure his younger sister. Adam Driver could be him. The other Rogues like Mirror Master, Heatwave and Weather Wizard appear, but the first couple are more like goons who help Leonard and Weather Wizard I’m having him be a colleague of Iris’s at the central city TV station. Wally West and Wallace West appear, both being cousins.

Barry is a bit of a mystery a hero, he’s a fast hero who stops crime easily but doesn’t stick around, becoming a urban legend in Central City. It’s by the end of the movie he becomes a more well known hero. Barry’s relationship with Iris is healthy, though he does struggle a little with his self esteem as her being a reporter brings her in more money, then there’s his obsession with trying to clear his dad’s name of his mum’s murder, many in the law thinking Barry is a hindrance. Battling Leonard and learning his story, Barry realises he has to slow down and enjoy life a bit, otherwise he will be like Leonard. Leonard’s quest to save Lisa ends up endangering Central City with the electricity being cut off and her life support machine damaged. Barry brings the electricity back, with him telling Leonard he will see to it Lisa will be okay. Iris learns Barry is Flash, their relationship is still going as well as it can, and the movie ends with Superman meeting Flash.

Iris is still played by her actress from ZSJL and the Flash movie, and I like both Wally and Wallace, I have them both here as cousins.

Green Arrow

His film is one of the lighter hearted D.C. movies with Ollie being a crack wise, goofy hero who holds it close to him he keeps Star City safe from crime. I’m thinking of this being a movie which introduces Simon Stagg and Count Vertigo as villains, with Simon wanting to enter business with Ollie, though Ollie isn’t keen on this. Because of this, Count Vertigo tries to kill Ollie, who ends up in the river. Believing he’s dead, Stagg begins to bid on being up Queen Enterprise. Dinah Lance rescues Ollie and restores him to health, but Ollie tells her not to call anyone as he’d doesn’t know who he can trust. They look at the TV and it’s being said Oliver Queen is dead and an angered Ollie decides to get revenge after realising Simon stabbed him in the back. Dina teaches him how to fight while Roy helps him with his costume and tools. Ollie begins beating up a few of Simon’s henchmen and then exposes him. Simon tried to escape but is caught by Dinah, and Ollie fights Count Vertigo, who dodges the arrows and escapes but does suffer a injury. Green Arrow is born as the hero of Star City, but Ollie is a different guy from who he once was, he decides to help the city. The movie ends with Batman and J’onn thinking Ollie isn’t fit.

I think I’ll have Liam Hemsworth play Green Arrow. Dinah and the others, I’m not sure.

Wonder Woman the Lost Child

This movie focuses on Wonder Woman trying to find her lost daughter Lyta. Diana finds a scroll of the Amazons, telling them of what’s been going on. Hippolyta ends up creating Donna Troy, sculpting her from clay, and sends her to meet with Diana. Diana and Donna both begin to retrace Diana’s life after Steve died, both discovering Diana travelled to America and constructed a house in the wild to raise her daughter, but Circe came and stolen her daughter. They go through Circe’s human alter ego’s life and discover she’s been working with twin guys who are saying they have made a artificial human who is going to help uncover the world’s secrets. Diana and Donna break in the facility and try to rescue Lyta, who’s still a kid given Circe stopped her ageing. The twins defeat Diana and Donna, both revealing themselves to be Phobos and Deimos, Ares sons. They want to avenge their dad, with Circe having been hoping to use Lyta to find Themiscyra and kill the Amazons, yet the decades of hiding meant she found it hard to find Phobos and Deimos. They go to Themiscyra but Diana and Donna escape. A fight goes on and Phobos and Deimos are killed, with Circe imprisoned by the Amazons. Diana is happy to have her daughter back and begins to tell Hippolyta of her adventures and of Steve. The movie’s after credits features Batman bringing Donna and Diana to Bludhaven to meet with Dick.

I think Jenna Ortega can work as Donna. Phobos and Deimos, I’m not sure.

Aquaman is mostly the same but I think I’ll cut back on the ocean debris Orm tossed on the surface as it was so big it’s odd the Justice League didn’t step in. Mera is to be played by Emilia Clark. The movie ends with Diana coming to meet Arthur, telling him she has a lot to talk to him about.

Justice League

This movie is to have Brainiac as the villain, with the Justice League together at last. The movie begins with a flashback to Brainiac taking the Bottled City of Kandor, leaving Supergirl and her family homeless. Krypton’s destruction was shared with Zor-El by Jor, who told him of his idea to send Kal to Earth, and while Jor El had faith humans would be loving to him, Zor El built his own pod for Kara to go with Kal and raise him, but her pod was damaged and she ended up in the Phantom Zone. The movie then comes to the present in which Superman is giving evidence to a court of Lex Luthor’s crimes, then leaves. Meeting with Lois, he offers to take her for dinner. As they are, Clark is thinking of proposing to Lois but then the pod appears and flies across Metropolis. Superman and Martian Manhunter move it towards a empty field, though Supergirl gets out and is frightened at first and her powers take hold. Flash and Wonder Woman arrive to restrain her, with Kara calming down after seeing the symbol on Superman’s chest. Taking her to the Fortress, they discover she’s Kal’s cousin, Clark telling her of him growing up, telling her Martha will help her. Batman investigates the pod with Barry and finds a robot’s skull inside, with Batman taking it to the BatCave and studying it, but being close to the tech causes it to come online, with Batman and Flash destroying it. Kara is a bit confused of life on Earth but she comes to love her home with Martha, Lois telling Superman he would make a lovely dad. Wonder Woman and J’onn are taking with Aquaman of how to help build a strong relationship with humanity, yet it’s then Brainiac’s ship arrives. Brainiac takes Metropolis and then begins to go to Gotham, following the trail of the skull. Superman, Supergirl, J’onn and Wonder Woman try to stop the ship but Brainiac sends his robots out to fight them. He then takes Wayne Manor with Flash and Batman still in there. Brainiac thinks Aquaman could be a hindrance due to Atlantis so he begins going over the ocean to try and find it. Aquaman goes back to Atlantis to get everyone ready to fight Brainiac while J’onn shapeshift as a robot and takes Superman and Supergirl prisoner, telling Brainiac they are the last of the Kryptonians. J’onn leaves and finds Wayne Manor, telepathically telling Flash to run out of the glass. Outside, Batman and Flash disable the ship, bringing it down on the ocean, with the Atlanteans surrounding it. Brainiac and his robots fight the heroes but the exposure to the atmosphere has Brainiac die. Returning Metropolis and Wayne Manor, the Justice League are together. Superman takes Kandor to the Fortress to think of what to do with the city.

With this, I don’t know who’d Brainiac be. With Supergirl, though I think Sasha Cale looks good, I’d rather she was playing Superman’s daughter than Kara given she looks like her, hence I’d cast someone else as Kara. Maybe Julia Garner

I’ve done these phases, I’ll do the second entry with the third, fourth and fifth phases.