Recently, it seems that franchise movies have struggled to ride the line of bringing in good box office returns versus being acclaimed among critics. It’s difficult for any movie to succeed at both of these equally, especially when critics already have a bit of a grudge against franchise superhero movies. Ideally, a movie that’s enough of a hit with critics will also draw in a big revenue as more people would want to see something with good reviews, but that’s not always the case. While studios obviously want to make money as their main priority, they shouldn’t forget to win over the critics, as that lends more credibility and quality to their films.
The DCEU has struggled to find its identity in a lot of ways, and fans are hopeful that the recent restructuring will lead to somemuch-needed internal changesthat can improve DC’s output. While they obviously want to put out things that are popular at the box office, it might be more beneficial for them to try and save their reputation at this point if they want to compete with the likes of Marvel. In order to better achieve those major box office returns, DC should focus more on good critical reviews in order to boost the popularity and general reception of their future projects.
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Being popular at the theater is ultimately what keeps the lights on at a studio, and it’s why so many prioritize bringing in a large revenue by any means necessary rather than solely focusing on the actualquality of the films themselves. However, if a movie is actually revered among critics, it will lead to good word-of-mouth, which will, in turn, get people into those theaters in the first place, as well as generate positive press. While it’s great for DC to make money from some of their past projects, a lot of those same projects are seen as either mediocre or outright bad, which gives people a negative impression of the studio overall.
Making a movie that’s good enough to be praised by critics doesn’t mean that it won’t also have good box office returns. DC’s highest-grossing movie of 2022 (by quite a big landslide) wasThe Batman, which was critically and publicly acclaimed, and one of their most well-received films in years. As it turns out, making something that is objectively good art can bring in thebig bucks at the box officetoo.
With the restructuring and the look towards change for the future, DC should make a point to focus on telling really good stories that capture critical attention, as it’s a sure-fire way to get positive words to pop to the front of people’s mindswhen they think of the DCEU. Right now, a lot of the associations with the franchise are somewhat negative, as they’ve had more misses than hits in the past, but if they can keep on this upward trajectory, it could be great for the franchise as a whole.
It seems like DC fumbles the bag a lot of the time; when they have a big hit, they’re not able to capitalize on it and the next release isn’t received quite as well. TheWonder Womanmovies are an example of this, as the first one was well-liked by most, butthe sequel was pannedpretty much across the board. It seems difficult for them to keep on an upward trajectory without dipping down in quality again, but it’s not like that’s something unique to DC. Plenty of franchises have their ups and downs, but studios like Marvel are able to keep most of their releases above water by keeping them fairly formulaic.
It’s great thatDC wants to try new thingsand explore different styles in their films, but it ends up making the universe feel more disjointed, without one clear vision of where it’s all going. Again, they don’t have to copy Marvel (or anyone else) down to the letter, but this restructuring might give them the opportunity to really take a look at what would make their movies more successful amongst the experts who review them (thereby improving the public’s view of them as well), and sticking to those tactics rather than trying something new every time.
DC needs to work towards gainingthe respect of its audience, not just their attention. Sure, superhero movies don’t need to be Oscar-worthy to be enjoyable, but it’s not too much to ask that they strive towards some semblance of quality that even critics who aren’t a fan of franchise movies can recognize. If DC can get the critics on their side, the public will follow, and it will help launch the DCEU into something really successful. It’s taken them a while to find their footing, but it’s never too late to start.
