DCElseworlds are stories outside the main DCU continuity, but the bar will be significantly higher to justify their existence. During the DCU announcement, James Gunn usedThe Batman: Part IIandJokeras examples of what audiences can expect from DC Elseworlds, but it won’t end there, as the door is open for other projects under this DC label, assuming that Gunn decides it meets a level of quality that audiences expect.
The freedom to create storylines that do not follow the rigid path of the main canon is explained as a multiverse through this idea ofan Elseworlds label for non-DCU projects. Similar to how DC Black Label has presented itself in the comics for several years, these Elseworlds stories allow creators to produce their artistic vision aroundDCcharacters that sometimes translate to more mature settings, just like the upcoming sequels toThe BatmanandJokerand even similar to Zack Snyder’s DC films. Snyder had previously described his DC films as Elseworlds when referring to the Snyderverse amidZack Snyder’s Justice League, which was used to distinguish it from the DCEU. However, this is the first time the concept has been officially translated into film, which will embrace multiple options for audiences to enjoy.
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Peter Safran, DC Studios co-CEO, acknowledged that the DCU exists in a multiverse and that “if something isn’t DCU, we’re going to make that very clear.” James Gunn expanded on this by saying, “the bar for an Elseworlds tale is going to be higher than the bar for something in the DCU. Not that we’re not always going to have a higher bar, but it’s got to be something extraordinary for us to tell that story outside our regular continuity and to spend the money on it to make it.”In this sense, there can be multiple versions of the same character at the same time without conflict thanks tothe beloved multiverse concept, which may include the Snyderverse if Gunn and Safran determine it to be a viable option.
SinceThe Flashis confirmed to separate the Snyderverse from the upcoming DCU, there’s nothing to say that those films can’t continue under the DC Elseworlds label. DC Elseworlds supports unique artistic visions from filmmakers (ex.Matt Reeves’The Batmantrilogy) that could include the conclusion to the Snyderverse that features the Justice League. By concluding Snyder’s story at the same time as the DCU is being introduced, audiences would be exposed to different storylines in the DC Universe.
There are mutually beneficial options for the company and fans since Safran has previously expressed the desire to lease out its DC IPs to other streaming services, especially since there’s already a passionate fan base that’s campaigning for the Snyderverse to continue at Netflix. Gunn and Safran would not onlywin over Snyderverse fansand lessen backlash, but they could also increase profits that would help finance the studio, which was reported to be in financial trouble by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. Regardless of the future of the Snyderverse, theDCElseworlds label is exciting, with endless potential that audiences can first look forward to with the continuation ofThe BatmanandJokerfranchises.
