Which Character Gets The First DCU Video Game?

Pieces make up a whole. That was in mind when James Gunn crafted the beginnings of the DCU. He wanted movies and shows to make up the DCU which makes sense. That goes without saying. But one thing that did turn heads was when he wanted video games to be part of the DCU’s DNA. Putting a video game in the building blocks of a shared, interconnected universe creates a set of hurdles. Since Gunn has held up his vision this far, video games are bound to enter. But that leads to an interesting question; which character will or should receive that treatment?

DC could go a variety of different ways when it comes to this. They could reach into the past, the way past, present day or even the future to tell a story there. That opens up the playbook that much more when it comes to selecting a character to base a game on. And many DC characters have rich lore around them that could carry a large part of the game. So, the selection pool is quite expansive so narrowing it down will be a fun challenge. And narrowing it down will be crucial since this will be the first video game in a superhero shared universe that expands over movies and shows. The DCU needs to be precise in their selection because it needs to find balance in many areas.

One way to narrow it down is making the choice to revolve around a superhero. It would be a pretty bold choice to have a video game first to center around a villain so the safe bet will be for a hero to take center stage. Although DC has a long list of those, it could lead into some stumbles. An ideal candidate will be Superman, Batman or even The Flash. Those three characters could stir some problems though. An assumed reason to why a Superman game, or for that matter a Flash game, have had problems being made is due to the characters’ powers. Due to their abilities, it would be tricky, at the least, to add any sort of stakes in the game due to their at-first-glance invulnerability. Superman and The Flash could easily, and quickly, resolve any tension in games. So, all though it can be done, Superman and The Flash would probably have to wait it out a little bit longer for a game. Batman is the next logical one. How he can cause problems is with Rocksteady’s rumored reboot/remake of the Arkham series. If the DCU were to make a Batman game set in this universe, they would be repeating a dilemma they have on the big screens. Effectively there would be two Batmen on the big screen and two Batmen in video games and the DCU would have one in each. That may or may not be a deciding factor for the DCU to stay away from a Batman video game, but it would definitely be odd to have two separate cases of two very different Batmen competing with each other in two separate forms of media. But it would still be a smart move for the DCU to choose a character that has recognition.

From what has been seen and what has been confirmed, the DCU has stayed in recent times. Even when Lanterns has jumped back in time to further the story, it was only to the 70’s. At the beginning of Superman, it was confirmed that metahumans have been around for 300 years. That’s a long window of time that the DCU could play with. One avenue into that frame of time is through a video game. Video games don’t get tripped up when it comes to time setting. Some games relish in it. Having a game set in the past gives layers and life to the DCU. By having that explored through a video game route gives the universe versality. And one character could bring that all together. Wonder Woman.

It might be a little questionable to have a character as iconic as Wonder Woman to be introduced to the DCU through a video game but it’ long overdue. Her status matches the impact of Superman and Batman and even Spider-Man. Those three characters have films, definitive story lines in graphic novels, shows, animation, and video games. Even though Wonder Woman matches their status, she is missing many of those. A video game could help put more into her arsenal and finally give her an even playing field with the big three of superheroes.

What a Wonder Woman video game could look like in the DCU is something that capitalizes on her long life and the 300 year period Metahumans have been confirmed to exist in this universe. The time period the game is set in could be toward the beginning of that 300 years or maybe have the game jump to different time periods. If the second choice is the route that is taken, Wonder Woman could help make this universe feel more connected. She could interact with many of the characters that perhaps have existed throughout this time. These characters could range from Jay Garrick, the rest of the Justice Society, Lex Luthor’s father or grandfather, Ted Kord, Swamp Thing, Black Adam, and more. She could easily serve as the glue. Maybe even serve as the constant beacon of hope and inspiration that goes from physical and real to fading into myth and legend, which falls into her character. If the path is taken to set this game at the beginning of those 300 years, Wonder Woman could be that very first Metahuman to be seen. Which suits the status of her monolithic character. Her being the first metahuman in recorded history in this universe does her character so much justice. And since so much time is between that point to present day DCU, she could just as easily fade into legend and become that mythical figure that many people try to aspire to. And as a plus, it would be set so far back in time, the events of the game could stay in the past and avoid interfering with present day material so there’s no contradictions. Either way, the game should at least consider setting a Wonder Woman game in the past because either route could establish her kind but protectively fierce personality.

As for gameplay, the game could look a lot like God of War, The Witcher, or something like Dark Souls. Wonder Woman fits into that genre perfectly. Her game should not be as difficult as a Dark Souls game but at least for aesthetic and a pure gameplay point of view, there could be similarities. She is versatile because of her strength, flight, sword and shield, and her famous lasso. An RPG style of game could give her different looking weapons and suits. Give those accessories different stats. And since she has tons of ties to Greek Mythology it would definitely look, maybe even feel, like God of War. That also means the boss fights have potential to be big. She could fight many Greek monsters and Gods. Ares is already her number one villain arguably so he would have a big influence over the game. Circe could easily roll into that. Felix Faust is another villain that could fit perfectly into the mythical, magical tones of RPGs. So, there is a lot of material in Wonder Woman’s corner of the DC universe to create a video game that has a lot of flare from RPGs. Her combat would be violent given her nature as being the best fighter in the DC universe. Combos would be a sight to see going from physical attacks, to bladed to lasso. Mixing it up by adding air combos. An option could even be put in the game for players to make the choices to make her more of a straight up fighter to a swordswoman to a mix to maybe even a magical user. An RPG style Wonder Woman game makes all perfect sense.

Wonder Woman is a timeless character. She will always be here. But despite that everlasting prestige, she hasn’t really received the same treatment as her other iconic counterparts. Sure, she has some animated films, live action ones, and a fan favorite show, but sadly, it’s not at the level of Batman, Superman and even Spider-Man. A game could give her more backing. Especially a game in this style; the very first video to be a part of a shared superhero cinematic universe. Wonder Woman has many elements of her character that could easily and perfectly transition into a video game. Plus, it would right a wrong of sorts. She was set to have a video game but it was ultimately canceled. If the DCU brings a Wonder Woman video game to its formula, fans would get back a game starring her. So, there’s a wide range of areas the DCU could go with a video game – if that’s still in the gameplan. And Wonder Woman perfectly balances what a game needs and what the DCU needs.