The Worst Cinematic Universes, from Hasbro to Harry Potter

Jun 09, 2023

What it interconnects: The Warner Bros. library of DC superheroes in a style that can only be described as "the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but dark."

Why that doesn't work: The DC Extended Universe might be the least forgivable entry on this list, as Marvel's success provided a lucrative playbook that Warner Bros. could have simply copied. Instead, the studio did everything wrong. Marvel took its time to build hype for "The Avengers" by gradually introducing Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and the Hulk as characters worthy of their own standalone films before bringing them together in 2012. But the massive success of "The Avengers" prompted Warner Bros. to cut corners as it sprinted to launch its own all-star franchise. The studio hastily introduced Ben Affleck's Batman in the polarizing "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" before forging ahead with "Justice League." Zack Snyder's infamous blockbuster was derailed by some unavoidable tragedies that forced Joss Whedon to replace Snyder towards the end of the shoot, but the end result was a clear critical bomb and a major box office disappointment compared to "The Avengers." The DCEU really went off the rails from there. The slate of films that followed — which included "Aquaman," "Birds of Prey," and "Shazam!" — contained some hits, but it was also full of wild tonal inconsistencies that derailed the illusion of coherence.

The DCEU also suffered from a lack of leadership. Marvel's decision to give studio president Kevin Feige final say over its entire film output might be creatively frustrating for cinephiles, but it's an undeniably efficient way to ensure you’re churning out a slate of content that's easy for fans to follow. The studio appeared to realize its mistake when it turned creative control over to new DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, who are taking a Marvel-inspired approach to their first slate of films. —CZ