I’ll be the first one to say it, DCEU is dead. If Warner brothers wish to fight Disney on an equal footing they’ll have to be much better than they already are. The current state of the DCEU is a pitiful one. Ever since the advent of Justice League and the exit of both Affleck and Henry Cavill, the franchise is in shambles. Even the Flashpoint movie we have been hearing so much about is in developmental hell. What will become of this franchise? We have no clue but it seems that the studio is adamant on producing the films they have in the works.
I’m not saying that the DCEU is all bad. Case in point the new Aquaman movie and the shining example it sets for the industry. Although the tone is definitely lighter than previous installments such as Batman and Superman, the premise of the movies is just as grim. All the fighting and beautiful CGI aside, DC does develop some great characters and iconic storylines. The fresh new perspective of Aquaman in the DCEU has given the franchise new life and if rumors are to be believed, it is this very character that will lead to WB’s salvation.
The internet loves to talk. And no one on the entire planet talks more than the community of Reddit. Redditors love to discuss all of the crucial details of a new DCEU movie and reconstruct it to its smallest detail. But what redditors love even more than scrutiny is blatant speculation and wild assumptions, is, yes, I am talking about fan theories.
The internet has long been theorizing that the DCEU franchise is headed for a soft reboot much like their competition the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Well, if that is at all true then this theory posted on R/Fantheories post by u/Jack_Paul42 makes a lot of sense:-
For the uninitiated, let me give you guys a history lesson. In recent Canon DC Comics multiverse, there was a large scale event that threatened the DC multiverse itself. You see, we recently witnessed a bunch of nightmarish Batmen Rises from the depths of the multiverse, from worlds that never should have existed to reclaim their place on the main Earth. This battle for the primary reality came to be known as Dark Nights Metal. And the Dark Knights that came out of the dark multiverse, were defeated by one thing only, the nth metal.
Why is the nth metal? Well, that is where it gets a little vague. The DC comics only define the nth metal as an ancient substance made up of ancient super powerful metals that are used to forge the greatest artifacts in history. It is told that the nth metal comes straight from the forge of the mutliverses, the very birthplace of reality. This nth metal has been a primary part of our modern superheroes.
It has aided them in ways more than once. For example in the comics, the trident of Aquaman and the bracelets and tiara of Wonder Woman are composed of the nth metal and only this metal is capable of destroying the creatures of the nightmarish multiverse.
This is also the weapon that is used to destroy Barbatos, the demon who leads these Dark Knights. The Reddit user here is suggesting that maybe the reason that the trident was so hard to obtain was that it is also a weapon formed out of the nth metal and it may be an indication the Dark Nights Metal may be coming to the DCEU.
If that is true, then the Batman fan boys may just get their wish and we may get to see a major comic storyline make a debut in the DC Extended Universe. This means that Aquaman’s trident is more important than we could have ever imagined. A dark apocalypse where the crazy nightmarish versions of Batman invades reality and can only be defeated by powerful weapons made up if the nth metal.
Will this be the fate of the DCEU? Probably not! But it feels great to speculate this aspect of storytelling. I mean the option is always open to the studio if they plan to reassert control into the movie industry and breathe fresh life into the dead franchise known as the DCEU.
