DC launched the DCU in response to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, trying to imitate its rival’s success, even copying famous Marvel techniques like post-credit scenes. Yet, it only received negative feedback from fans and critics with mediocre earnings as the MCU dominated the box office and pop culture and DC lagged behind for over a decade. Even though Marvel is having some trouble recently with their MCU, DC still can’t catch up.

Fans are now rejoicing over the major changes coming to DC, namely James Gunn’s creative control over the rebooted DCU, which promises to lead the tired and beaten franchise into a new era. With this new opportunity, DC has the chance to change everything, to be better than Marvel. But Gunn will have to let go of everything that bogged the old DCU down in order to bring the new DCU up from the heap, especially the desperate imitation game DC has been playing. To succeed, the DCU must be different from the MCU, and here’s how we think Gunn can do it.

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Allow DC To Be More Mature Than Marvel

     Warner Bros. Pictures

Marvel has been operating under the Disney regime for a long time, and most releases are close to familiar family-friendly flicks where the hero defeats the villain, with plenty of laughs along the way, and are never too mature in terms of tone or story.

DC is known for being much darker and going farther than Marvel would ever dare even without Disney looking over their shoulders. DC is more grounded and looks at what life does to people. Matt Reeves’ The Batman and Todd Phillips’ The Joker are prime examples of DC’s maturity beyond Marvel and how life creates DC’s heroes and villains, not machines or serums. These were also both DC’s only successful movies in decades, so fans obviously want more mature films and heroes. Gunn should push for a more mature superhero universe, not where every release must be rated R, but is willing to go where it needs to when it has to.

A Focus On Quality, Not Quantity

     Alex Ross/DC Comics

Marvel movies are not cinema, no matter how one goes about it, they just can’t match up to an Alfred Hitchcock or Steven Spielberg. There’s no risk, as we see very little deviation from the classic Marvel formula after thirty movies, eight shows, and two specials. Marvel has actually double-downed on their standard formula so much that fans have become dissatisfied with almost everything being churned out of the MCU machine recently.

If DC allows itself to be more mature, it can build different stories and heroes that resonate with audiences, stories about life, and heroes that go through the same human struggles and really aren’t super at all. Gunn doesn’t have to match Marvel’s high output if fewer movies per year mean higher quality DC films.

The DCU Needs to Focus on Films

     The CW

DC has arguably had much more success with its shows than its movies. DC series such as Arrow and The Flash have a loyal following and even united into the Arrowverse. But they’re very exclusive, are hard for new fans, and would only harm the DCU if Gunn were to include series.

A significant part of fans’ dissatisfaction with the MCU are the Disney+ series, which for the most part have been a hindrance to the MCU, as successful shows like Loki will affect movies like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. One movie every six months wasn’t as difficult of a commitment for both fans and casual viewers as four movies and eight shows every year. The MCU loses more viewers because fans just can’t keep up in a cinematic universe that for some reason includes more than cinematic releases. Gunn should learn a lesson from the MCU and keep the DCU purely cinematic.

Using Established Heroes and Actors

In the beginning, Marvel couldn’t use its most famous heroes in the MCU, as Spider-Man and the X-Men were tied up with other studios. Gunn has the rights to all of DC’s vast universe, especially the big names like Superman and Wonder Woman. The DCU doesn’t even have to start with a clean slate: Reeves’ Batman and Phillips’ Joker are established and loved by the fandom, fit into the DC tone and universe, and have the potential to be the cornerstone of the DCU like Iron Man was to the MCU. But as Gunn has dismissed Henry Cavill as Superman and is starting with a new Batman in the DCU while letting Reeves’ run at the same time, some fans are doubtful of Gunn’s leadership.

Giving Power To The Creators

     Warner Bros./DC Studios

Another lesson Gunn can learn from Marvel is how to handle directors. Marvel restricted Sam Raimi, a famous horror director called to make Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Marvel’s first horror movie, because there was too much horror. Marvel let too much directional power fall into Taika Waititi’s as many fans pointed out that his Thor: Love and Thunder had too much of his trademark humor and made the Thor movies even more of a mess. Both entries divided fans, because the MCU is meant to be coherent, but can’t figure out how to be.

Gunn should let creators have all the power they need in order to make a good story. Not let them do whatever they want, but since he is there to watch over it all, Gunn can afford to let directors make their mark on a film. Hollywood’s best and brightest will come to DC to play with superheroes in a way Marvel would never let them, and creative entries will bring different kinds of fans and really make the DCU a universe.

After years of heartache and bearing the cold shoulder of Marvel fans, DC fans now have hope. Marvel basically created the genre, refused to share, and has sat on top for over fifteen years, but now a super-powered challenger has come to fight.