The DCEU finally seems to be getting back on its feet after over a decade of bad writing and direction, and we all have one man to thank. No, not Zack Snyder. I’m talking about James Gunn.
Thanks to his recent work with The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, James Gunn has single-handily revitalized many people’s interest in the DCEU, here’s how.
Setting the Tone
James Gunn Saves the DCEU
It is no secret that films in the DCEU have a bit of a tonal problem, especially when it comes to how dark and serious they are. Whether it is Superman not feeling like the warm everyman he’s known for being, Batman killing people, or even the color gradient of the films, most early DC films were so dark it was depressing.
A lot of this has to do with the fact that the DCEU attempted to replicate its success with the gritty Dark Knight trilogy while also trying to be different from the more campy MCU. Unfortunately, this didn’t really work, as each movie just left a sour, sad taste in your mouth instead of an exciting, optimistic desire to see where things go next.
The worst part is that each of these films would try to cram some sort of lesson into it, like the power of friendship conquers all in Suicide Squad (2016). Not only did it not make sense writing-wise, but it also felt like tonal whiplash.
James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad avoids this by knowing what it is the entire time: a dark comedy about villains. Instead of trying to act like all of these characters are all good guys with depressing backstories, the movie approaches their characters and actions realistically.
It also helps that the writing and storytelling are top-notch.
