DC Universe is playing with fire by introducing 'Multiverse' in its complex world. Here’s why

The multiverse is a familiar concept in comic books, where standalone series like ‘Superman: Red Son’ can offer a new take on a popular character without affecting overall continuity. And of course, different universes can cross over whenever DC wants, like how Affleck’s Batman might encounter Michael Keaton’s Batman in the upcoming Flash movie in 2022. While the idea looks exciting on paper, it’s the execution where the troubling thoughts come in.

In comics, multiverses play out over several issues and series, so there’s more room to get used to the idea. DC has played the concept of the multiverse with its TV series, namely, ‘The Flash’, ‘Arrow’, ‘Supergirl’ and ‘Legends of Tomorrow’. The concept was still digestible on television, as the medium allows, for longer-form storytelling that can navigate the intricacies of multiverse mechanics. However, even then, the crossovers and the many Earths possibilities were confusing, even by the most dedicated followers of the series. The concept being tested on a limited-time big screen, where not many have the patience and deep understanding, is a point to be taken into consideration by the makers.

The studio is relying heavily on the assumption of the audience being well-versed in the DC Universe already, but what about the ones who are not too familiar with the darker comics world?

DC Films also plans to release one or two movies directly onto HBO Max. These are considered to be riskier projects, which may not generate the necessary revenue needed to justify a $200 million production budget and another $100 million on marketing. They will, however, help bolster HBO Max subscribers if they work as intended.

The world of DC is more dark, layered, and complex. The comic characters have more shade than those of Marvel and a dense storyline. Playing field with the multiverse in an already complex universe is indeed playing with fire. The fact remains that when Marvel was toying around with ‘Iron Man’, Christopher Nolan gave another dimension to DC’s ‘Batman’ with his ‘The Dark Knight’ series. The association of Nolan in the DC verse attracted the most sincere cinephile towards the world not necessarily meant for them. The result? The eyes were always on the complexity of the film, then its relevance and connectivity in a grander Universe.

Nolan, as executive producer on Snyder’s Man of Steel, could presumably have inserted Marvel-style Easter eggs into that movie, but the short-sightedness of the studio heads failed them. DC's Green Lantern tried it with Angela Bassett’s character Amanda Waller, who has a connective-tissue role in the DC universe similar to Nick Fury’s in Marvel. But the failure of the film ruined it for the studio and they shut the spark of an idea.

Marvel's status as the king of superhero movies was earned because of their ambitious, multi-film plan to build towards the first superhero team-up movie, 2012's The Avengers, worked seamlessly. Marvel's strategy continued to reap even greater results throughout the 2010s as their Phase 2 and Phase 3 films built towards 2018's Avengers: Infinity War and 2019's Avengers: Endgame.

DC Films abandoned Zack Snyder's vision for their cinematic universe after the poor reception of 2016's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and later in 2017's controversial Justice League, which became the lowest-grossing DCEU film at the time. DC experienced good response with stand-alone hits like 2017's Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Joker, so the studio didn’t move beyond superhero movies with strong visions from directors. Until now, which appears to be a bit late in terms of building a plan.

However, the recent announcement that Michael Keaton is in talks to play Batman again in director Andy Muschietti's The Flash movie strongly hints at a Flashpoint-like storyline, wherein the Scarlet Speedster visits other realities, including the Gotham City Tim Burton's movies introduced in 1989's Batman and 1992's Batman Returns.

DC's plans are just beginning to unveil, but they could prove to be equally ambitious since Michael Keaton's role as Batman in The Flash is believed to be the first of multiple appearances in other DCEU films. Further, Keaton's Batman is said to be the DCEU's equivalent to the MCU's Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson): a hero who brings other heroes together. This hints at a bigger, unrevealed master plan in the works, which would be a cause to unite heroes from different realities.

DC has a lot of ground to cover to prove to fans they can pull off Marvel-style team-ups and integration in their movies since their greatest successes have been standalone films. The case here is of lack of confidence in the DC filmmakers. However, if successful, this might be the most rewarding for comic world fans.

Ultimately, Multiverses will be a huge game-changer for both Marvel and DCEU films in this coming decade, and they will be the next evolution of the superhero movie genre. The race has just begun, and by the looks of it, the road looks uphill for DC, as it has a lot of ground to cover and most importantly, the confidence of the fans to win.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)