#josstice league

[chishnfips87]

Batman Movie Tier List

This is all my opinion, don't take this list to heart.

Tier template: https://tiermaker.com/create/batman-films-as-of-2023-15103072

#batman #batman movie #batman 1966 #batman 1989 #batman returns #batman mask of the phantasm #batman forever #batman & robin #batman begins #the dark knight #the dark knight rises #batman v supeman: dawn of justice #lego batman movie #josstice league #zack snyder's justice league #the batman 2022 #tier list #tier ranking

[ordinaryschmuck]

Random question for DC fans: What do YOU consider to be the worst DCEU movie?

Not what others hate or claim to be the worst. Just what YOU, personally, consider to be the worst.

And, to help spread positivity, what do you consider the best? I, uh, want to test something.

#dc #dceu #man of steel #batman v supeman: dawn of justice #suicide squad #david ayer's suicide squad #wonder woman #justice league #josstice league #aquaman #shazam #birds of prey and the fantabulous emancipation of one harley quinn #ww84 #the suicide squad #james gunn's suicide squad #black adam #shazam fury of the gods #the flash #the flash movie

[schooltrashers]

Mandela Effect, CERN & Alternate Realities

So I think there are two versions of me that are combined into one. The non-political free-spirited me comes from Earth Prime(original dimension/timeline), he would most certainly be wearing either his original black leather jacket with Mushroomhead patches or his current White & Green jacket with the black and green yin-yang patches. His earth does NOT have gender identity, critical race theory, or a country divided by political differences.

Earth Shadow(similar to Earth Prime, but has many dark elements) is an earth where I'm more political, by expressing my Anti-Totalitarian views, as well as expressing my Anti-Extremist views. This version of me wears a Black and White jacket, with Anti-Nazi and Anti-Commie patches, alternatively, he would be wearing a Tripp-X long jacket with Slipknot patches. His earth has gender identity, critical race theory, and a country divided by political differences.

These two realities somehow merged and I end up with both jackets that are representations of who I am from both realities. I had not heard of Gender Identity or Critical Race Theory until sometime after 2012. I had not been interested in politics until 2016. So my Earth Prime counterpart is more dominant than my Earth Shadow counterpart.

I think 2012 was pretty significant because that was after CERN's LHC machine was tested, colliding alternate realities and merging them into one. Perhaps marking the end of the world that I once knew and loved. Then came the Mandela Effect. Nelson Mandela was alive(until 2013), but many people believed he died in the 1980s. Even George W Bush in a speech he made(before 2013), said that Nelson Mandela died.

So the change had to have taken place in 2012. I'm very smart when it comes to politics. The Earth Prime version of me doesn't care about politics and would rather focus on the non-important stuff such as video games, DC Comic book movies and his obsession with masked bands such as Slipknot and Mushroomhead.

The Earth Shadow version of me seems to be more objective or critical when it comes to video games, comic book movies or masked bands. For example, he did not like The Last Of Us and is thankful he did not play the sequel on the PS4. He also did not like Josstice League, Birds Of Prey or The Batman due to how crappy or woke those movies are. Earth Prime version of me would have brushed that off and defended DC no matter what.

Earth Shadow version of me also doesn't like Slipknot's latest album and finds it disappointing. The Earth Prime version of me would have defended Slipknot's latest album because he's a fanboy. So that's where Earth Shadow of me dominates. Knowing this, I am stuck with two similar yet different personalities that have merged with one another. I'm not saying I have a personality disorder, because I'm certainly only one person.

I just have a theory that somehow both Earth Prime and Earth Shadow merged through CERN and that I know who I was before 2016 and how I am very different now in 2022.

#mandela effect #CERN #Alternate Realities #Alternate Dimension #Slipknot #Mushroomhead #DC Comics #Batman #Justice League #The Last Of Us #Josstice League #Zack Snyder's Justice League #Anti-Commie #Anti-Nazi #Anti-Totalitarian #Critical Race Theory #Woke #Nelson Mandela #Gender Identity

[falllpoutboy]

they better not cut ben’s cameo out of aquaman 2 because i absolutely refuse to have his last cameo be in the fucking flush where he has, yet again, more cringy dialogue about he wants to bang diana 🙃🙄

#spoilers??? idgaf #they use the same cringy lasso of truth scene from josstice league but its on bruce instead of arthur #if i had a nickel everytime a butchered dc movie made a joke out of wonderbat imstead of respecting it i’d have two fucking nickels #batfleck nation we’ve officially lost #idk how we can come back from this

[bluejaywriter]

Marlyta’s first meeting (first draft)

Hola! Here is the very first draft of Marlyta’s very first meeting in Justice For All. This was probably written in January or February 2018 (almost a year before I started writing The Sun and the Moon!). I’d never written more than a handful of Hippolyta or Martha Kent scenes, and it shows. This was also, unfortunately, heavily influenced by The Abomination™ aka the Josstice League, which was all we had at the time :P

“What is this?”

“Your breakfast, sir. And Master Wayne has called a team meeting at 8.”

Arthur grunts, takes the offered tray of food, then slams the door of Bruce Wayne’s 5th best guest room in Alfred’s face.

“Alfred?”

The butler sighs, then glances up at the figure making her way down the bright hall.

“Ah–yes, hello, Mrs. Kent. The cook is taking orders for breakfast now if you would like to-”

“Nonsense, Bruce shouldn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

“Master Wayne is not in the habit of having company often. This is rather a… treat,” Alfred says drily. Martha smiles, shakes her head, and pats the butler’s shoulder as she walks past. Another door opens down the hall and a tousled head of hair appears.   

“Um, sorry to interrupt- oh, hi, Mrs. Kent- but I smelled food and I thought that maybe someone got take-out, but it’s so early so maybe not-”   

“Yes, Master Allen, here is your breakfast, and ah, Master Kent, would you like your-”   

“No, thank you, Alfred, but please let Mr. Wayne know I’ll be back in time for that meeting.”   

Clark pushes his way through the crowd in the hallway, stopping only to kiss his mother lightly on the cheek.   

“Good morning, Ma.”   

“Good morning, honey.”   

“I’m on my way to pick up Lois. Stay here–at least until we know what’s out there. Please,” he adds when his mother sighs. But Martha just shakes her head and gives a nonchalant shrug.   

“Well, what else am I going to do? Go and save the world?”   

“Oh, Ma,” Clark smiles, reaching out to put both hands on her shoulders. “You saved [incomplete].”   

And then the glass door is swinging shut, and Superman is just a speck in the light of the rising sun. Alfred and his food cart continue making their way down the hall, but Martha lingers for a moment, watching the now empty sky, trying to ignore the sudden, empty feeling in her gut. But then she turns away, scolding herself. He said he’d be back. In less than an hour, he would be back, and Lois would be with him. There was no reason to worry about-   

“I can’t believe we brought him back.”

It’s that sweet, innocent boy, and he’s pointing at the sky where Superman disappeared. His words are muffled with half chewed pizza.

“I can’t believe it either,” Martha says, smiling. “Thank you so much for that.”

“Aww, thanks Mrs. Kent, I did actually help, a lot–I mean, I helped unbury him, I helped carry him to the car, I helped get us into the military base, and I’m actually the one who brought him back to life–see, when I run really fast, I can manipulate-”

A door slams open, and Arthur Curry is standing there, a gripping a fork speared with four slices of bacon.

“Get a room or shut up,” he growls, glaring at Barry, but his expression softens fractionally as Martha turns to stare at him. “Ma’m. Er, Mrs. Kent. Ma’am. Good morning.”   

“Good morning, Arthur.”   

The door slams again.

“Mrs. Kent, actually, if you wouldn’t mind…”

Alfred is back, and Martha turns to look at him, an eyebrow raised.

“The Queen retired early this morning. I believe they were unsuccessful in communicating with Diana-”

“Oh, the poor girl-”

“I wonder if you might look in on her? She did not answer the telephone or the door, and I know Bruce would, ah... appreciate her insight at this meeting.”

I know that Bruce would appreciate not being thrown to the floor again because he failed to invite the Queen to an important meeting.

“Sometimes parents do terrible things for their children,” Martha says quietly, and Alfred grimaces.

“Yes, they do.”

A charged silence settles down over the hall, then Martha says suddenly,

“Of course I can look in on her, but didn’t she arrive with an attendant?”

“The Queen’s sister will not move from Diana’s bedside.”   

_________________________________________________

“Your Majesty?” Martha calls, knocking quickly on the heavy oak door. There is no answer, and she knocks again, then cracks it open. “Your Majesty, are you here?”

“Come in.”

Martha steps forward into the dark room. Slits of light are peeking their way out from underneath the heavy curtains covering the ceiling to floor windows. The bed is empty, its sheets rumpled, and the velvet comforter tossed onto the carpeted floor.

“...hello?”

A voice sighs impatiently, then it says once more, “Come in.”

Martha Kent fumbles her way across the room, then pushes open the ajar door where the voice had been coming from. The Queen’s gleaming armor is hanging on a coat rack in the middle of the room. Her sword and crown are polished and laid out over the counter next to the sink, and her boots are resting against the cupboards.

“Who are you?”

Martha startles and realization dawns on her as she glances across the room.

“Oh- oh my goodness, I am so sorry- Your Majesty, I did not mean to intrude-”

“Peace, child,” the Queen interrupts. Her eyes are still closed as she leans back into the hot, steaming water. Some architect had decided to build the hot tub directly into the floor, designed to mimic the pools scattered throughout the caves below. Hippolyta hadn’t turned on any of the electric lights, and the room is filled with the soft, blue light of pre-dawn. 

It suits the Amazon Queen remarkably well.

“Who are you?”

The Queen’s voice is edged once more with impatience at Martha Kent’s stunned, embarrassed silence, and she finally opens her eyes and turns her head to glance expectantly at her across the room.

“I’m… I’m Clark’s mother.” Her voice sounds so small and meek in this grand, dark room. Her eyes are fixed on the room- on the floor, on the armor, on the cupboards, because she can’t even think about, or look at the woman lying just a few yards away-

“That boy? You are mistaken,” The Queen scoffs. Martha continues starting at the floor, thinking maybe it would be best to not argue that point. After all, it’s not entirely untrue, but...

“I… I was asked to tell you that Bruce Wayne is calling a meeting… at 8.”

The Queen’s lip curls, then she leans back once more, her eyes fixed on the gold edged ceiling. A long, tense moment passes. The hot water bubbles. The bathroom windows have all been flung open, filling the room with the chilly morning air. There’s a bird outside singing questions at the absent sun. Martha shifts uncomfortably, begins to back away, her eyes still fixed on the floor, hoping desperately to slip out unnoticed.

“She always used to fall asleep. In the baths.”

Martha freezes, then dares a glance at the other woman. The water is lapping up against her tanned skin, her blonde hair plastered against her flushed face.

“What?”

“After her training. She would be so tired, I would find her sleeping right there in the baths... but she never complained, no matter how hard Antiope worked her.”

Her voice is so soft. So tired, and so motherly. Martha feels a pang of understanding and takes a hesitant step forward.

“They’ll bring her back, Your Majesty. They will. They brought back Clark, and they’ll bring back your daughter.”

Hippolyta makes some sort of derisive sound, then rises abruptly, splashing water noisily across the sparkling floor. Martha stumbles back, colliding painfully with a decorative pillar. The Queen pauses, staring at her suspiciously.

“What ails you, woman?”

“I… on Earth, I mean, in this world- people don’t… that is, it’s not considered polite-”

“What, do women in man’s world no longer bathe together?”

“No. We don’t, it’s considered, well, embarrassing to catch someone, um-”

“Oh, Hera help us,” Hippolyta snaps, snatching up a towel, but instead of using it to cover herself, she begins to dry her hair. “The Amazons always bathe together, freely, and without shame. What is there to be shameful of?”

“I…” But Martha Kent has no answer for that, and she has no idea how to remove herself from this terribly uncomfortable situation.

“Mankind has done this to you,” the Queen says bitterly, tossing the towel aside and strolling towards her armor.

“...what?” Martha asks, forgetting to look away as the Queen begins to dress.

“They made you into a woman who doubts her own place, her own worth in their world.”

“What? I- no! John, he was a good man, my father was a good- they never...”

“Mankind has taught you that your place is in their shadows.”

“Well. I mean, we can’t all be queens,” Martha jokes, offering the proud Amazon a quick smile before quickly glancing away when it is not returned. “No, I’m perfectly happy to be… to be invisible. To be a spectator. I don’t need...I don’t need that.”

Hippolyta raises an eyebrow, then turns her back and strides across the room towards the counter, her armor perfectly in place. Martha watches as she presses on her crown, gathers up her sword in one hand, and then turns and walks towards her.

“May the gods have mercy on you, invisible child.”

And then she is gone.

#long post #Marlyta #Thank the GODS Lyta softened up a bit as I kept writing her #She really is remarkably cold in WW (2017) tho #I think all the layers of warmth that got added to her character later on were just a result of seeing Connie in other things #Also all of the League was done so dirty in Josstice League #thank god for the Snyder Cut #also I realized somewhere in here that Alfred can't be handing out breakfast in full daylight but Martha go find Lyta before dawn #so the whole thing was scrapped #anyway here's the scene I mentioned in my last post #and also the reason I need to write badly for the next few months so that I can really get down and refine the thing

[james-stark-the-writer]

so, since the DCEU is officially dead after the release of Aquaman 2, and i haven't been able to stop thinking about it and i wanna rewatch Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, i figured i might as well give the whole DCEU a proper shot since i actually haven't seen a lot of it and only bits and pieces of most of the bigger projects. anyway, seated for Man of Steel (2013) rn and little over a minute in and damn, Russell Crowe was in this??????

oh by the way, if you're curious i have seen parts of Man of Steel on TV once like a decade ago but i actually don't know much about the movie at all. i was dragged to BvS in theaters but it was a hindi dub (someone forgot to check which language they were buying a ticket for) and i remember literally nothing about the experience beyond what's become a cultural mainstay bc of the memes and discussions. i saw Suicide Squad at home and actually thought it was like decent. i saw Wonder Woman at home and enjoyed it. i saw Josstice League in theaters and thought it was meh. i saw Aquaman in theaters and loved it. i saw Shazam! in theaters and loved it, beyond the opening which i still think is stupid. i saw Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn in theaters and i still believe its the best thing the DC has done, it was actually my last movie before the panorama set in i believe but it's literally in my top 10 movies of all time rn. i didn't see WW84 or ZSJL bc i didn't have a way to nor any interest in either. i saw Gunn's The Suicide Squad and really enjoyed it but thought the script needed work, especially bc i didn't like how he wrote Harley. i then heard the Batgirl news, got pissed off at Zaslav and haven't made him a cent since nor will i. anyway, onwards to actually watching Man of Steel.

#james talks #james watches stuff #man of steel #man of steel (2013) #zack snyder #dceu #looking forward to see where i land by the end of this #Snyder has been extremely hit or miss for me as a director

[originalleftist]

So WB gets called out all over social media for minimizing Amber Heard's role in the first Aquaman trailer, and their response is to... cut her completely from the second one.

Stay classy, WB.

I will be supporting this film for ONE reason, and that is to support Amber Heard. Because if it flops she'll be the scapegoat, and it'll be an excuse for companies never to hire her for anything again. Which is what her vindictive abuser and his fan cult want.

But after this film, I am boycotting DC content and Warner Bros films for the foreseeable future. Between this, the Batgirl cancellation, Josstice League, and Zaslav and the bungling of the DCEU in general, I've had it.

I MIGHT make an exception for the Wayne Family Adventures webtoon, because I can read it free online and not actually give DC money. But that's it.

#Amber Heard #Warner Brothers #DC Comics #Aquaman #Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom #Batgirl #DCEU #Joss Whedon #Wayne Family Adventures #Webtoon

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

The two Psycho Analysis reviews are coming along (Kaiba’s is a little daunting with all I have to cover), so let’s set up the next IIRTB to be interesting… but there’s a twist! There’s going to be TWO polls! There will only be half the choices on each but I’m putting some juicy choices on each!

For the first poll, which of these superhero movies should I take a look at?

1. Dwayne Johnson was going to change the hierarchy of power in the DCU with this… it didn’t really end up working out that way.

2. The first Captain Marvel film to flop in 2023, and the one that made Zachary Levi cry on Twitter.

3. The second Captain Marvel to flop in 2023, and the film that really had people wondering if the MCU was salvageable.

4. On the surface, this just seems like another poorly reviewed DC movie… but there’s a nightmarish production story that casts a dark shadow over this.

5. The first try at adapting the Dark Phoenix, stuffed with plots and directed by a massive dickhead.

6. Andrew Garfield’s first outing as Spider-Man, which has been getting post-NWH reassessment.., but does it deserve it?

[princess-of-the-corner]

In some versions, Batman is a cryptid even after being active for decades. In the Arrowverse, prior to Elseworlds, Green Arrow didn't believe he was real (Flash did, while Supergirl knew him from her Earth and is implied to have even known his identity), in part out of jealousy ("I am the first vigilante!" he insisted). In Josstice League (I don't think in ZSJL), Cyborg is surprised that Batman is real to which Batman replies "I'm real when it matters."

So Mystery Inc. could still be interested in whether or not Batman is real at any point in Batman's timeline.

For my concept of a Scooby-Doo series, I had the idea of the gang driving to Gotham and discussing Batman. Shaggy questions Velma on if she believes Batman is real, and she does believe he is real, but she believes that the supervillains he fights are sensationalized. The argument would lead to Velma insisting "There are no monsters in Gotham City!" Shaggy retorts "There weren't monsters in Coolsville either," a point to which Velma concedes. (Due to an event in the Season 1 finale, Season 2 would have real monsters appear along with costumed crooks.)

You knw what fair enough!

Batman does sound very cryptid-y and he doesn't /really/ make many public appearances in a 'Hero Celebrity' fashion like other Heroes might. So it's understandable for either things like 'people assume that 'Batman' is a figure made up to scare criminals' or even 'maybe there's a Vigilante, but the stories are exaggerated' to even going the other direction and believing 'Batman is actually some magical monster thing and not just a guy in a costume'.

[buckys-metal-arm]

I love how in The Boys you can very clearly tell which companies they're riffing on, especially when it comes to the two comic book giants. I know because it's an Amazon show it feels very "SILENCE, BRAND", but because it's shown in the story and production/costume design I choose to believe its the creative team doing it more than Amazon themselves. I mean, writers and actors aren't the only ones that get treated like shit by studios, they're just the most recent to strike. Anyways, my favorite examples from this season (so far, I'm in episode 2) Voughtland and the Dawn of The Seven stuff. I know the characters themselves are meant to be commentary on different DC and Marvel heros (Homelander being a Superman/Captain America, Maeve is very clearly Wonder Woman, etc.), but in terms of things outside of that. Like with Dawn of the Seven, the Vought Studios logo is VERY similar to the Marvel Studios logo, but the font used in the poster feels very reminiscent of the one used for at least the Josstice League version of JL, in addition to all the digs at the Snyder Cut stuff (i wouldn't be surprised if at some point we saw a #Restorethe Snyderverse parody at some point and I am here👏for👏it👏). Vought itself is obviously meant to be a Disney/Amazon parody (I will die on the hill that there's some Amazon mixed in there too even if it's supposed to be overly Disney with the Vought+ reference, Voughtland, etc). Voughtland was also really fun to me. I don't love the "kingdom of Inclusivity" thing because I think the people it's making fun of are going to take it as them "owning the libs" when in reality it seems to be parodying what conservatives seem to think Disney is turning into (at least. That's my read of it.). Crimson Countess's show is I know meant to be a riff on America Sings and other Disney park shows that are full of revisionist history, but I also can't help but wonder if they also were thinking of Rogers the Musical when they wrote that part (idk if Hawkeye was out at the time S3 came out but with the privilege of hindsight that's what my brain went to), especially since Soldier Boy is meant to be a "dark Captain America/Winter Soldier but he's ACTUALLY a villain and not just a brainwashed POW forced to do bad things" type. And like, don't get me wrong I'm fully aware I'm part of the group they're making fun of (I mean. Look at my url), but I always say that in order to love Marvel you gotta really fuckin hate Marvel, and I'm not blind to the issues with it, both the ones they're making fun of and the ones they aren't. Anyways, I don't think I'm saying anything new or groundbreaking or #deep, I just needed to word vomit my thoughts somewhere.

#the boys season 3 #the boys amazon #the boys #vought #the boys meta #i just needed to get this out somewhere #not marvel #just thinkin

[tljisthegoat]

JJ Abrams is one of the most boring directors of all time. Why? Because he truly can't make an original movie that makes me feel in any way possible. His cinematography? Wack. Him copying Rian Johnson after retconning TLJ? Wack. His ability to work with actors and get the best performances outta them? Wack. His ability to use mystery boxes that he LOVES using without any understanding on HOW to use them? Wack. His understanding of Reylo (which he started ironically enough lmaooo) Wack.

His understanding of Star Wars? Wack. Him being a corporate stooge? Wack (like seriously grow a backbone & stop taking it like a bitch from the mouse). His use of themes & messages to really make a memorable movie beyond the typical popcorn flick? Wack.

Star Trek fans tried to warn us about him. Unfortunately, we didn't listen.

He's right there next to Joss Whedon. The Butchers of Beloved Franchises.

When you see a movie directed by either of these men, you just wonder how they got so lucky directing some of the most iconic movies in cinema history. Instead of unique directors like Zack Snyder & Rian Johnson, who both made absolute masterpieces.

You compare TLJ & BVS to TFA, TROS & Josstice League, and it's like comparing a timeless magnum opus to a dumpster fire.

#anti jj abrams #anti disney #i needed to get this out of my system #anti tros #tros salt #im tired boss

[augustsprincess]

Note to self: Do NOT use photoshops smile filter

still better than josstice league cgi

#henry cavill #henry cavill crack #twickster crack

[zacksnydered]

THE GUY YOU LOVE has THE GUY YOU HATE on speed dial 🥰 yes this is about nolan and snyder(s) cos i always have them being overportective over zack and never wanting him to see the monstrosity of josstice league

#but also zachary needs to get benjamin in that next nolan film #even if just voice work #i say even thiugh i first want him to be in rebel moon with henry

[musikat18]

DCEU 10 Year Anniversary: "I Have No Idea Where I Am Going To Be Tomorrow, But I Accept The Fact That Tomorrow Will Come" (Edit-- Tomorrow Is Not Coming I Guess)

The quote in the subtitle for this retrospective comes from Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day. Donna is talking to a concerned Cassie Sandsmark-- old guard assuring the new guard, promising that though the future is inherently uncertain, the important thing is they rise to meet the challenge.

Donna, in Graduation Day, is killed by a Superman robot, and Cassie is ultimately disillusioned and leaves behind her group of inseparable Young Justice teammates.

For a while, it kind of seemed like the DCEU was going the same way.

For some context: I was 13 when Man of Steel, the first movie in the DCEU, released in theaters (and I DID see it in theaters when it came out, maybe a week or two after opening weekend because I was 13 and still in a town where the nearest new releases theater was about half an hour to forty-five minutes from home). As of now (a little over a week after I started writing this post), I'm officially 23 years old-- by the time I'm halfway to 24, the DCEU will officially be 10 years old.

I don't particularly know why this hit me now. Maybe it's because I'm another year older and haven't particularly liked myself for the last few years and wanted to focus my attention on something I did love, or maybe it's because the more I think about it, the less ten-years-old the DCEU feels, OR maybe it's because the DCEU just had a formal set of captains announced in James Gunn & Peter Safran which naturally kind of lends to looking back at what came before to try and figure out, well, where we're going to be tomorrow.

And because that fascinated me, and because we just had the 12th DCEU movie come out (yes I do count Josstice League and ZSJL as two different movies), I felt the need to kind of look back on everything and unpack my feelings on each project.

So that's what I'm going to do.

I did a similar kind of post a couple of weeks ago for Phase 4 of the MCU, but I'm not actually going to rate these movies because I feel like the DCEU movies themselves in comparison to Marvel, my feelings about them are a lot more...complex and not very easy to assign a ranked number to. And I kind of just want the freedom to talk about the movies and how they made me feel and how I feel about them today.

Pop your popcorn and feel free to leave your own thoughts in reblogs and replies.

EDITOR'S NOTE!

Hi, I thought I could just put this post aside for a week and nothing could happen. Anyway, my hubris has become my downfall again and now I guess I have no reason to put this off given that the DCEU as a concept is effectively dead.

I put an addendum in the title to kind of underscore the news out this week confirmed by James Gunn that both the Henry Cavill Clark Kent that kind of encapsulates this era and the larger DCEU in its current form are all but dead, but I think it's kind of...it doesn't REALLY capture the full effect of how I feel about the potential future of DC films, but I'll save that for the end. You're here for tea. It's below the keep reading. I promise.

Man of Steel (06/14/2013)-- dir. Zack Snyder

Now that Henry Cavill is back as Superman (Future Kat: and now that he's been once again cut out of future plans for the time being lolol oops), I feel like it's overdue for me to retrospect his whole run in the DCEU so far, and I feel like over time, I've become...a lot kinder about Henry Cavill's Superman? And I feel like a lot of that is because of my own learning about how the filmmaking process works and what's in the actor's control vs. the directors and writers and producers, as well as kind of just watching other parts of his filmography, especially The Witcher.

I don't mean that in a way of like "wow his Geralt shows how great he'd be as a true modern day Superman" because Geralt and Clark Kent are EONS apart as far as character types and mannerisms. I mean I think it kind of opened me up to what Henry Cavill can do as an actor and even though the Witcher scripts aren't STELLAR, he's an excellent performer.

I kind of remember my very first impression of this movie being a mixture of awe and confusion-- I think the movie was a couple of weeks old, but I'm a DC stan first and a human being second and I was really excited to have a Superman for MY generation. And then I just???? Didn't really like him????? I think Zack Snyder is really good at painting striking imagery and moments, but the script just didn't really hit, now that I'm old enough to look back on it and rewatch it and articulate what I don't like about it. I know the idea is that Snyder's Clark feels kind of detached and is struggling with wanting to be connected to humanity but being inherently stronger and more powerful than them, but that's the SAME thing they tried with New 52 Superman, and it didn't work then, and it doesn't work now. It's not even a concept that doesn't work for Superman in general. DC Comics is very much the company of Gods Trying To Be Human. I just don't think MoS got it across in an effective way that makes US feel invested in Clark.

Also this is an ice cold take but Amy Adams was robbed. I don't know who she was playing in this movie but it was not fucking Lois Lane. Amy Adams was ROBBED.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (03/25/2016)-- dir. Zack Snyder

They Sure Made This Movie Huh.

This is one I actually waited until it came out on DVD to watch, and I do have to say not only is it a slog to sit through-- no matter how many times I try to rewatch it, I can only make it through while streaming it with friends-- but the HARDEST part of this movie comes down to the fact that I just do not buy that Batman and Superman should be fighting.

A good Batman & Superman conflict stems from the difference in ideology of the characters: Batman, while he can be hopeful, ultimately upholds the flawed justice system while claiming to work outside of it, while Superman is generally associated with rehabilitation, compassion, hope, and honesty.

In this movie, though, Clark doesn't get to DO much of anything to differentiate him from Batman because Lex is pulling so many of the strings, and Bruce is just so.......................................The Dark Knight Returns of it all was a mistake and I don't think it did anything to make the conflict between the two engaging. It's not like Superman doesn't want to kill people and Batman (again because of the Dark Knight Returns of it all) is getting Rougher, it's one of those conflicts that could be resolved by like. Having ONE conversation.

I also feel like this movie, as I've said ad infinitum, was just trying to be TOO many things. It was Man of Steel 2. It was Batman 1. It was Wonder Woman 0.5. It was Death of Superman. It was Dark Knight Returns. And because of it, it didn't succeed at ANY of it. There's a lot of WB Fingerprints on the blueprint of this movie, and a lot of Snyder Fingerprints, and also a lot of Man of Steel just...not being a franchise vehicle. It doesn't come off that way when you watch it. It doesn't have the environmental richness needed and works a lot better as a character study rather than a franchise springboard.

I do have to say one GOOD thing about this movie, though, and that is the fact that it contains the FUNNIEST accidental canon contradiction in the world by having Patrick Wilson do a voice cameo as The President Of The United States. Yes I DO have my own personal headcanon for how this works with his OTHER DCEU character. No I will NOT elaborate unless asked.

Suicide Squad (08/05/2016)-- dir. David Ayer

Margot Robbie and Viola Davis deserve awards for carrying this entire movie on their backs-- anyway, now that that's out of the way...

This is another one I waited for DVD for, but that was mainly because I was coming off the heels of a long NYC vacation and school was about to start up again (I think this was the start of my junior year? *does some math* Yeah, I was a junior in high school at this time) and I was a busy busy teen but we don't have time to get into my perfectionism issues and completely-ignored anxiety issues at the time.

This movie is not really...a movie, I think, but more a series of short music videos/needle-drop sequences put together in a way that kind of creates a story? It has a LOT of needle-drop sequences in it. Like, a LOT. So many that when I think of this movie, I don't really think of individual scenes or lines or even characters, even if this movie gave us Viola Davis' STELLAR Amanda Waller. I think of all the musical moments. House of the Rising Sun. You Don't Own Me. Fortunate Son. I don't really think it's very effective to rely on the music to explain (sometimes poorly) to the audience the tone of the scene or inform about the character. That's kind of what you have actors there for.

And I guess we should probably discuss the elephant in the room that is Jared Leto's Joker, even though I really don't want to, but I'll at least give it a mention. I'll keep it brief, though, because a lot of what I have to say has been said to death before-- I don't MIND them trying a different angle with the Joker, I just don't think it landed. And I'll openly say I'm not married to Heath Ledger's preceding Dark Knight Joker (yes his work as an actor was stellar. No I don't think it offers anything particularly innovative and it doesn't always feel like a Joker to me), that was never my problem with Jared Leto. It was a valiant effort, but Leto's Joker really does feel designed to cater to the Edgy Teen crowd and that's not really Joker to me, either.

Again, I think studio fingerprints are all over this film, but I don't think I would have been in love with Ayer's version either, and I don't need to see an "Ayer Cut."

Wonder Woman (06/02/2017)-- dir. Patty Jenkins

I remember seeing this one. I REMEMBER it. And I remember CRYING in the theater. Mainly because 17-year-old me NEEDED this movie. Like, needed it, desperately, but because it just has a lot of heart behind it, and I don't think that's an accident.

You can tell that Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot and the cast and crew have a lot of love for Wonder Woman, both as a character and as a concept. Wonder Woman is historically an arbiter of truth and justice and compassion and all that good stuff, and it really shines through in the movie. So much so that even a lot of its weaknesses I'm willing to forgive.

I do wish Diana had more women to interact with in the film. I get what they were going for here, but it felt so odd to have a film so definitively trying NOT to be "women good men bad" (even if it does kind of feel like it sometimes, I'll get into it in another post maybe if people have interest) where it was so focused on isolating Diana from other women and how much Diana didn't fit into Man's World.

But like, even with the things I didn't like and don't like when I look back on it, this film had a HUGE impact on me. I still have a quote from Diana's climactic "deserve vs. believe" speech at the end in my blog bio. The idea that people should do good and work to make things better no matter how hurtful the rest of the world seems is a HUGE part of my ethos personally, and this movie is almost exclusively what affirmed that for me and set it in stone.

Josstice League (11/17/2017) --dir. J*ss Wh*don

(Yes I know this gif is from the Snyder Cut but if there was ever a movie that exuded I'll Make Tea energy for me it's this one)

I...............................................................................................................

*sighs*

I know the exact moment I knew I was going to hate this movie.

Picture this. You are me. You are at the movies. You are watching Josstice League for the first time. You are having a good time in the first half, because you are really liking the supporting case of the JLA and you loved Wonder Woman and are so happy to see Gal Gadot back and Jason Momoa is so fun as Aquaman and you really like Ray Fisher a lot and are so intrigued by his Cyborg and Ezra Miller's Flash is pretty fun too and yeah Ben Affleck is there and you don't care about Batman but you are having a GREAT TIME WITH YOUR NEW JLA!

And then they lose ONE fight and Batman says "fuck it. We gotta resurrect Superman. We can't do this without Superman. Let's bring him back from the dead."

And you slowly, horrifically realize that this is not, in the end, going to be a Justice League movie. This is going to be a movie where all the fun new friends you just met, most for the first time, try their best but ultimately just sit back and let Superman do all the hard stuff.

I have a lot of problems with Josstice League, and now you're all going to hear about it.

I'm not here to talk about the boob fall scene, or the quippiness of the humor, or the fact that no one here seems to really like each other, or that this is almost basically just Avengers but with the serial numbers filed away and given new ones over it. I'm here to talk about the fact that, at the end of the day, the movie is not about the Justice League.

There is no teamwork in this film. There is no bonding in this film. There are no friendly co-workers in this film. This is not an ensemble movie or even a team movie. This is a Batman movie with some side characters who SHOULD be more important than they are written that is later turned into a Batman/Superman movie with some side characters who should be more important than they are written.

I don't know why WB Studios thought the best move would be to bring Joss Whedon in to essentially remake Avengers and hope it would work, because at the end of the day, the Avengers and the Justice League have two very different dynamics going for them.

The Avengers are a found family, but a very dysfunctional one. They argue a lot. They split into factions a lot. They constantly switch out members because people are always dealing with too many personal complexities to maintain the teamwork. But they are, for all their faults, a family.

The Justice League are a found family, but in a very different way. Yes, they have disagreements. Yes, there are ideological conflicts among members. But at the core, the team is a group of individuals who come from all walks of life and yet all share the same loneliness. Whether it be Clark's alien status on a human planet, or Diana's deliberate separation from all she's ever known, or Bruce's self-imposed isolation out of grief for his parents, everyone on the Justice League has felt loneliness, and they stick together because they realize they are no longer alone and they do not have to be.

You can have them argue and have pet peeves with each other, but they can't not like each other at all on some level. And I did not see anyone on that team who liked each other, not even Diana and Bruce, my poor little WonderBat heart from the JLU cartoon days weeps.

Also, Ray Fisher was robbed. We all knew that, but it bears repeating. He was robbed.

Aquaman (12/21/2018)-- dir. James Wan

I've already talked this one to death so I won't keep you here too long lmaooooooooooooo

No but like for real, I love Aquaman. I love this movie. It's comfort food for me. I have a lot of love and respect for James Wan as a filmmaker, and I do think the smartest thing WB ever did was start hiring horror directors to do their superhero films because horror has SO much creativity in it, historically.

I know when the cast was announced, I was definitely confused because it just seemed like a very eclectic group of actors (Khal Drogo, Ed Warren, Boba Fett, Satine from Moulin Rouge, Ivan Drago, and Norman Osborn?????), but the end result was just so, so good. It explores deep themes if you're willing to read them, but it's also just a lot of explosive (literally) dumb fun.

Also, my blorbo. My special boy. My little war criminal. Mwah.

Shazam (04/05/2019)-- dir. David F. Sandberg

*presses mouth directly to microphone*

Shazam Fucking Slaps.

I think this is probably one of the strongest DCEU films and that's probably because it just lets itself be as bananas and fun as it wants. It really plays with the concept of "Big but it's Superheroes" to the fullest and has the feel of an 80s movie like The Goonies or The Sandlot, which isn't a bad thing at all. It's hard not to love seeing Billy and Freddy run around and geek out over how cool it is to have superpowers, especially because I remember being a kid like Freddy once and it absolutely warmed my heart to see Billy develop his relationships with all of his new siblings and his new family.

I also really love that this movie wasn't afraid to get kind of Dark at times despite having the Shazamily all over it. Again, WB having horror directors like Sandberg do their superhero films was a GREAT choice because of the inventiveness they have and the way it allows for Billy to really have a chance to grow both as Billy Batson and as the Champion and face really ultimately uncomfortable and scary things.

Also I related to Mary a little too hard here. I was like "wow she's just like me" and then I was like "hmmmm i think i have Unresolved Personal Issues."

Birds of Prey (02/07/2020) --dir. Cathy Yan

I-- okay. Okay. Okay. First let me share a fun fact: this movie, I actually saw at an exclusive early screening event WB hosted for my university about two days before the movie released, and also this was the last movie I saw before the Global Panini happened.

Okay, so I think this is a GREAT Harley Quinn movie, especially for the Harley of the current era. I like that it's fun and vibrant and colorful and just lets itself be about women who want to beat people up and do so in the most over-the-top explosive sometimes gross way possible, and I also like that it doesn't shy away from Harley being a bad person in certain moments. Like, sure, she's very much the protagonist of this movie, but she's still kind of an ass to everyone around her, even to the people she likes like Cassandra. Also, again, Margot Robbie is just fun to watch in this role. She's probably one of my favorite actors of the 21st century so far (with I, Tonya being one of my favorite movies ever), and it's clear that she loves being Harley Quinn and has a ton of fun with the role.

As a Birds of Prey movie.....................................................that kind of just isn't what it is at all. I get Margot Robbie's logic from what I understand from the behind-the-scenes development of the movie-- the Birds of Prey from the comics are a group of badass women and they go kind of unsung for the wider audience and she wanted to highlight them, and that's cool and I agree with her-- I just don't think this movie accomplished that with Harley at the center of it.

I think there IS a version of this movie that accomplishes both things, and also lets Cassandra Cain ACTUALLY be Cassandra Cain and not just Pre-Transition Jason Todd, but I don't think that's the movie we got. The movie we got is a lot of fun! I loved it! I think it's fun to watch, it's fun to talk about, I always have a good time with it. But I don't know if I'd call it a Birds of Prey movie.

Wonder Woman 1984 (12/25/2020)-- dir. Patty Jenkins

*blows out a long breath of air*

I have a lot of..................complicated feelings about this movie.

I don't really have a problem with the cheesiness of it all-- like I said above, I think that's been a strong point for a DCEU that has been way more willing to lean into the cheesiness of comics in general compared to the MCU (especially EARLY MCU). It really does seek to emulate an 80s action movie with magic and action and big set pieces, and that's fine.

I also definitely GET what they were going for here. I can see all the moving pieces and the themes and everything, and I don't even necessarily think it's a bad thing or a bad story for Diana's character.

I just-- listen, as much as I love Chris Pine and as much as I loved WonderTrev in the first movie, I...think the BIGGEST mistake of this movie was framing it around WonderTrev.

Steve was a really important part of Diana's life, and I can see her struggling with her grief, but I just do NOT think it works to have Diana feeling isolated and lonely in Man's World SPECIFICALLY because Steve isn't there with her. Double especially because I think framing this movie around a tragic friendship to enemyhood between Diana and Barbara is so much more effective! A lot of the parts of Diana's character and mythos that make her unique and compelling like the Amazons end up lost in the Steve of it all, and that's SO sad to me because the idea of Diana having to contend with the greed and envy and gluttony for power among humanity is a GREAT story! I just wish it had been framed on a different idea.

Also it was lovely to see Lynda Carter in this movie. Fuck, don't show this post to her. I forgot she's here now. Fuck. Oh god the nerd embarrassment is hitting I'm sorry Lynda

Zack Snyder's Justice League (03/10/2021) --dir. Zack Snyder

Okay, so I WAS a Snyder Cut truther from the beginning. Partly for the meme, and partly because I hated Josstice League so much that I needed to believe there was something better out there, and to my credit (and everyone else's), I was right.

Just because the movie is better AS FAR AS THE STORY GOES though doesn't mean it's not full of the ZS stuff that I'm not a fan of, like a lot of the slomo and tacking on the Knightmare future ending at the end-- I always kind of hated the Knightmare concept and I'm glad we'll never get to see it actually. But DUDE this was SO GOOD.

I especially ADORE all the added content with Cyborg. Ray Fisher is a PHENOMENAL actor and Victor's storyline is absolutely the best part of the movie that makes even the slower parts worth it. Actually, let me tell you WHERE you can watch more stuff he's been in because he absolutely deserves a career boost after all the shit WB put him through:

He was in the HBO series True Detective's third season as a main character, which is obviously on HBO Max along with ZSJL.

He had a role in the ABC series Women of the Movement, which is about Mamie Till-Mobley and the murder of Emmett Till centered on her activism right after his murder. This one you can watch on Hulu or the ABC website itself.

He's also GOING to be in Rebel Moon, which is another Zack Snyder film that is (in theory?) going to be on Netflix in 2023, though I know Charlie Hunnam was just injured on set (yikes hate it not a fan) so it might end up pushed back.

Anyway, my point is this was ABSOLUTELY worth coming back and finishing it, and I'm SO glad it got to see the light of day even if it's kind of almost impossible to rewatch.

The Suicide Squad (08/05/2021)-- dir. James Gunn

Okay, okay, not even going to lie, I LOVED this one, and it's what made me so excited to see James Gunn named co-executive of the DC division at WB. I know James Gunn has a very specific style and approach to writing and directing that you either love or hate, so I can understand why this one isn't going to be everyone's favorite, but I for one had a BLAST with it.

First of all, I'm so glad Rick Flag was able to get a little glow-up before his death. I actually almost didn't think he was the same character, and in a lot of ways he really isn't, but a lot of this movie pulls from the older Ostrander run comics, and I can see a lot of that Rick in this Rick.

I also LOVE all the new characters and think they really demonstrate the power of a great ensemble movie. There's someone for everyone to root for and the healthy mix of newer faces and established names makes for a great cast.

Also I think the fact that this movie is SO strong in its writing is what makes Peacemaker work, but I'll talk more about him specifically in a minute. But like Wonder Woman (weirdly), there's an earnestness and heart at the core of the movie that makes the irreverence and more ridiculous elements work-- it has a larger-than-life conflict and villain and sense of style, but at its core it is really about people just trying to not die, both in the middle of battle and in a world that has REALLY shown them no sympathy.

Peacemaker (01/13/2022-present)-- written by James Gunn

James Gunn is really the guy you get to do your show if your first instinct about the main character is "who the fuck wants a show about THAT guy?"

I came into this show really, really, REALLY not sold on the concept, and then in the last episode, I was in TEARS by the end. I think that this show was, in the end, not just a fun little quarantine project James Gunn put together, but it really does provide a commentary and study on how to empathize with people who are NOT like you and who you DO NOT like, especially when they're willing to open that door to understanding and compassion.

Like, everybody on this team is a little bit of an asshole, yes even Leota, and that's why it WORKS. For a very silly show with a very silly premise and a REFUSAL to take itself too seriously, it does feel very grounded and realistic and like you could get a drink with just about everyone it sets you up to root for. We KNOW the Eleventh Street Kids. We ARE, to some degree, the Eleventh Street Kids. It's very cliche but it's also very true.

The core of this show, like many other James Gunn projects of late, is really about empathy over apathy, and that's what I think struck a chord with me. If you haven't given it a shot yet, I really strongly suggest you do.

Black Adam (10/21/2022)-- dir. Jaume Collet-Sera

Oh, FUCK yeah.

This movie reminded me of Aquaman in a lot of ways, in that there's a lot of deeper themes about colonization and the idea of hero idolatry that you CAN read for the film if you want, but it's also a great movie to just turn your brain off to and watch Mr. The Rock fly around and punch people.

Much like Birds of Prey, I don't know if I'd QUITE call this a Black Adam movie because they do a LOT of make him more front-end heroic-- in wrestling terms, the JSA is largely there to play jobber for Adam until things start heating up with Intergang and Sabbac for the main event-- but it is certainly a fun one.

And I do ADORE the JSA in this movie. Pierce Brosnan is a great Kent Nelson, Aldis Hodge is my FAVORITE Hawkman I've ever seen so far (sorry Falk Hentschel I'm sorry I'm so sorry sir but your writing was CW-standard), and I wanted to see a LOT more out of Cyclone. Atom Smasher was there too I guess idk for some reason he didn't really stick out for me but he was a good kid.

Also ADRIANNA TOMAZ IS THE STRONGEST BITCH IN THIS HOUSE. I felt kind of bad watching the movie because I miss Legends so much that I kept calling her Zari in my head, but in her closer-to-source form, she's FABULOUS. I want to be her when I grow up. She is 100% the real star of this movie and Sarah Shahi did an EXCELLENT job.

I think, now that I'm writing this in a post-Henry Cavill Again Superman world, the post-credits scene is unintentionally really really funny, but in the end, I had a good time with it and I'll look back on it fondly.

Conclusion, Literally

There are exactly four movies left to be released in the DCEU: Shazam 2, Blue Beetle, The Flash, and Aquaman 2.

After that, we really don't know what we're going to get. At least until James Gunn makes his early-next-year announcement (I know I will be waiting on the edge of my seat to find out if I am still getting my Black Canary movie).

When I went to finish this post, I added on Tomorrow Is Not Coming I Guess to the main title, but I also said that didn't really capture how I felt about the future of DC films. I don't really see this as the DCEU dying-- frankly, it never really got off the ground to begin with. After Josstice League flopped, the focus was way more on strong solo films than trying to build a connected universe, which I think actually made it stronger.

At the end of the day, this is the chance to put the characters and storytelling at the forefront, and that's why I have so much faith in the Gunn-Safran team for whatever is coming next. Safran has produced some really strong, character- heavy movies with James Wan and WB. James Gunn is a strong writer with a good head on his shoulders for how to best balance creative freedom for directors with not letting their voice overpower every part of the process.

For whatever comes next to work, it HAS to be a collaborative effort on all parts with no one voice overpowering the other. Tomorrow IS still coming. I have no idea what it will look like. But I know that when it comes, I will rise to meet it, and so will whoever is involved in what comes next.

Also James Gunn, if you're reading this, I will write and direct Booster Gold myself. This is not a joke. I am dead serious. I will do it. I have thoughts already and my DMs are open.

Anyway, share your thoughts freely. You know, without being an ass.

#musikat speaks #dceu #dc extended universe #snyderverse #man of steel #superman #clark kent #batman v supeman: dawn of justice #bvs #batman #bruce wayne #wonder woman #diana prince #suicide squad #harley quinn #rick flag #amanda waller #justice league #jla #cyborg #victor stone #the flash #barry allen #aquaman #arthur curry #shazam #billy batson #shazamily #birds of prey #ww 1984

[falllpoutboy]

the flush is the spiritual successor to josstice league (2017) all the way down the corny jokes and scene set up

#wb saw how bad and critically panned jl 2017 was and went hmm we should do that again

[shelassos]

i know all the characters were massacred in josstice league but the way i was lowkey rolling my eyes at Diana too… like get it together PLEASE i beg of you 😭

#i’m so serious omg like… too much steve in that movie #OOC.