Summary
- The new DC Universe Elseworlds plan could prevent another successful movie franchise like The Dark Knight trilogy from emerging.
- The DCU's emphasis on its shared universe may overshadow potential standalone movies, stifling their impact and dissuading visionary filmmakers.
- DC is prioritizing its shared universe over standalone movies, risking superhero fatigue and overcrowding the cinema with DC characters.
More than 15 years after it was released, it is safe to say that Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy still holds up as one of the greatest comic book movie franchises of all time – but it is one that could not happen with the new DC Universe Elseworlds plan. The DCU will finally get underway with the release of Creature Commandos, then on the big screen with Superman: Legacy, and with these projects comes a new shared universe of comic book movies. This isn't unfamiliar ground for DC movies, as their first attempt with the DCEU comprised characters that all fed into each other's stories – but The Dark Knight trilogy was not a part of this.
Your browser does not support the video tag. Elseworlds, meanwhile, is a concept borne of DC Comics in which alternate versions of characters and franchises are allowed to explore storylines that aren't connected to the main continuity. The Batman and Joker are both a part of the cinematic iteration of this alternate universe, and are both lauded as yet another DC cinematic success for their eponymous characters. As for whether they can follow in the footsteps of The Dark Knight trilogy, however, is something that the DCU might hinder substantially, along with any other Elseworlds venture.