A new universe is on the horizon. It is filled with stars, power and wonder. That new universe is of course the DCU. With many different and versatile stories, the DCU has a bright, hopeful future. But the universe does not have a center. James Gunn did say that there will be no big bad. Yet, that opens up the question if one hero will be the center of the whole arc. Logic says Superman. Superman is one of DC’s most popular and most beloved character across all their platforms. And a Superman movie will be the first film in the DCU. It makes sense for him to be the one to keep everything together and to keep these moving forward. Superman has everything that is needed to keep everything on track and focused. What could that look like and how could it be done?
When the MCU launched, it was Iron Man that set everything in motion. When the MCU was in its infant stage, Stark did have a presence in those first few films. His company supplied the army with equipment to take down the Hulk. Stark even appeared in that movie. He was reference in Thor. And of course, his dad appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger. So, he was around in the early days even though he wasn’t physically. In addition to that, Phil Coulson was sprinkled in the fray too. Making his appearance in Iron Man then going to Iron 2 and Thor, Agent Coulson was a glue to the early days as well. Feeling the presence of those two made the universe feel more authentic. But the DCU needs to handle Superman differently. He has the impact of Iron Man but he needs to have the frequency of Agent Coulson. Having Superman appear that much may sound redundant but it is in his character. Superman is willing to do something as grand as helping the Lanterns fight Parallax to helping a young brother and sister walk their dog. Nothing is above him. He sees the worth of helping no matter the task. The way that James Gunn is setting him up, it does sound like Superman will be this type. So, it would be natural to see Superman appear in any project that the DCU has, at least in the early days.
It serves as a benefit for the audience too. The DCU is going to be very versatile in terms of how it tells stories. Films, animation, series, and video games will all be involved to tell stories. As well as different tones and directions. So, to see something familiar, like Superman, across all those stories, makes all the versatility a bit more digestible among fans. It creates a single thread that could be followed. Of course, Iron Man and Coulson served this role, but Superman clears much more away since the DCU is bringing more to the table.
As of right now, Superman has fallen behind Batman in terms of stories. The Man of Steel has two projects attached to him. Of course, his own film and in a way Supergirl with her own movie, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. The Dark Knight has four. His movie with Robin, the Dynamic Duo with Nightwing and Red Hood, Clayface and Teen Titans which would be adjacent to Batman since that lineup will include Robin. On paper, it does look like Batman is serving as the center. However, quietly benefits Superman. By having fewer Superman projects, it leaves Superman more room to enter others’ stories. By not being exclusively committed to Superman projects he could get around a lot more and tie things together that much better. This is also how to possibly avoid Superman fatigue. If audiences see a handful of Superman projects starring or co-starring him then have him sprinkled in other projects for other characters, it could lead to an overabundance of the last son of Krypton. That needs to be avoided. Superman needs to be a beacon of hope as he is in the books. So, to cut his appearances down in his own projects, it could make his roles in other projects more impactful.
For a character that embodies hope, that needs to be felt across the universe. Characters, from time to time, need to be shown that they are inspired by Superman in the DCU. Need to be shown that they are following him. For the better part of the last decade, it has be a common thing to show Superman as an antagonist. That fear he stirred was the thing felt by everyone. That needs to be redone. Hope has to be the thing felt by everyone. Having a reestablished universe rekindle Superman’s universal hope will bring him back in the light. Flip over the chapter where he was seen as evil and put him back in where he truly shines. Having characters such as Wonder Woman, Batman and Booster Gold take action because of the hope Superman exudes, will accomplish that. Superman should appear in a lot of places because at his core, he needs and wants to help. James Gunn wants the DCU to be ran like Star Wars which means many stories will be disconnected, branching off from each other, overlapping, or separated. Yet, the Empire, Emperor, and Darth Vader were a looming threat over many of those stories. It was that universes common thread. The same could be done with Superman. Superman will bring things together and by doing so, do what he does best; inspire hope.
