Superman"s DCU Introduction Is Brave 12 Years After Henry Cavill"s Debut

Summary

• Starting the DCU with a Superman movie is a bold move due to the character's struggle with captivating audiences after similar attempts to kick off a cinematic universe in the past.
• The DCEU failed to maintain Man of Steel's style and tone, and it rushed to build an interconnected universe after just one solo movie.
• Superman: Legacy promises to set an appropriate tone and interconnectivity level for the whole DCU franchise right from the start.

Superman: Legacy is facing the same franchise-starting challenge with the DCU that Man of Steel had to confront when the DCEU was beginning in 2013. After Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom closes the DCEU era for good, most of DC's upcoming theatrical movies and TV shows will build a new cinematic universe, which is expected to fully stand apart from the DCEU and Elseworlds movies like The Batman and Joker. Kickstarting this new franchise, Creature Commandos and Superman Legacy will prove how much the DCU will differ from the defunct DCEU.
Although Creature Commandos will be the DCU's first-ever installment, expectations are much higher for James Gunn's Superman: Legacy, which will not only mark Superman's DCU debut but will also establish a lived-in universe filled with novice and experienced metahumans. Given how Superman is DC's flagship hero, Superman: Legacy might be the most important entry in the DC Universe's first chapter, "Gods and Monsters". Moreover, Superman: Legacy will also face a big challenge given its similarities with the DCEU's own first entry, Zack Snyder's Man of Steel.
The DCU Leading With Superman Risks Repeating The DCEU's Introduction Issues Kicking off a cinematic universe with the franchise's main hero is a logical strategy. However, Superman has a long history of live-action adaptations, none of which have been able to turn him into a highly marketable property. In 2013, Man of Steel presented a darker, more emotional take on Superman, but not even Zack Snyder's unique style could win over the majority of the audience. Since Superman's appeal is more difficult to package in a single movie than most comic book characters, a Superman movie at the beginning of a new franchise is a bold move — more so than a film centered on a more straightforward character, like Batman.