The DCU Is In Danger Of Forgetting Marvel’s $1.3 Billion Success Story

Published Nov 11, 2026, 1:45 PM EST Once head of Screen Rant's Star Wars coverage, Tom's career began as a fan of the fantasy and sci-fi genres, and his love of major franchises has ultimately led to a decade-long career. He'd had the privilege of interviewing writers, authors, directors, actors, stunt coordinators, and VFX artists on a staggering number of his favorite franchises, including Star Wars, the MCU, Stranger Things, Halo, Foundation, and more. He's conducted set visits in the UK, attending major comic cons in New York and London, and reported at Star Wars Celebration 2023 as press. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon, on LinkedIn @tabacon, or on Muckrack under tombacon. Tom has a wide range of interests, and he continues to serve his university as a volunteer chaplain. He's heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he's into British politics too. James Gunn's DCU barely had the chance to get off the ground before the Ellisons pulled the plug. Former Kevin Feige protégé Jeremy Latcham has become the latest Marvel alum to take over the DCU slate, and he realistically only has a small window to outline his vision before attention shifts decisively towards Marvel. Although I'm not surprised to see the Ellisons make these changes, I confess I'd expected them to wait until after next year's Superman: Man of Tomorrow. That feels like a much harder sell for the studio, now it's become the last relic of an abandoned strategy. Because, let's be honest, that's what has happened:James Gunn's 10-year DCU plan is dead. Even Gunn's defenders must concede it was a somewhat quixotic plan, tailored to Gunn's own interests, which led to endless bizarre debates about whether The Suicide Squad was canon. But, to be fair, Gunn was in an awkward position; he didn't even have Batman, because he was wary of clashing with Matt Reeves' The Batman II. Now, all bets are off about the future—but the choice of Latcham as Gunn's replacement is significant. Jeremy Latcham Is Sure To Abandon One Major James Gunn Strategy The internet is currently abuzz with debate over whether Gunn's plans were working, or indeed whether they would have worked if Skydance had given him time to cook. Personally, I rather think that's missing the point; Gunn's departure always seemed inevitable to me after Paramount's Warner Bros. acquisition, simply because of politics. Gunn is something of a bête noire in the right-wing circles the Ellisons occupy (it's what led to the successful campaign to push him out of Marvel). Latcham is a conservative Christian, and seems like a much more comfortable fit. Latcham has openly discussed how his faith has affected his career as a filmmaker. Over at Marvel Studios, he became renowned for what you could call the "Grandmother Test"—the simple question of whether or not his grandmother would enjoy a movie, which he insists had a significant effect on the early MCU. He's probably overstating, but takes great delight in the fact his grandmother's pastor used Iron Man in a sermon. The "Grandmother Test" means we can easily guess the approach Latcham will take; he'll be aiming at safe, four-quadrant blockbusters. Clayface is likely DC's last R-rated movie, and Gunn has already "liked" social media posts saying Peacemaker is dead. Gunn had pursued variety, aiming different products at different segments, but that approach really wouldn't fit with Latcham's character. The DCU has just changed shape (again). Latcham's Philosophy Matches With The Early MCU Skydance celebrated Latcham as one of the architects of the early MCU, and he was certainly more than just a "man in the room." But here's the interesting thing; that early MCU was bold in some senses, innovative in others, but also oddly safe. It wasn't long before viewers started chomping at the bit for more diversity. I remember fan discussions about Moon Knight and the Punisher from as early as 2010 and 2011, but those really took off after the success of Deadpool in 2016. But here's the catch; Marvel Studios remained reluctant to respond to this. Latcham left Marvel in 2017. Curiously, we had no real indication of Marvel discussing R-rated projects until 2021, when Kevin Feige himself confirmed Deadpool 3 would be R-rated. My point is not to say that Latcham was the blocker; rather, that the earlier MCU certainly aligned with his Grandmother Test, but that Marvel ceased to factor it in after his departure, indicating something about changes in corporate culture. There's no way his grandmother would have enjoyed Deadpool & Wolverine. The R-Rating Isn't The Problem With The Grandmother Test I should stress, this isn't about R-ratings. They're just a simple indicator, pointing first to the obvious truth that not everybody has the same taste as Latcham's grandmother. Behind this, though, there's another issue; a much more subtle one, hinted at by Gunn himself in a post on social media when he discussed Deadpool. In my view, that's the same reason Deadpool & Wolverine grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide: Deadpool was its own thing. THAT’S what people are reacting to. It’s original, it’s damn good, it was made with love by the filmmakers, and it wasn’t afraid to take risks. For the theatrical experience to survive, spectacle films need to expand their definition of what they can be. They need to be unique and true voices of the filmmakers behind them. They can’t just be copying what came before them. So, over the next few months, if you pay attention to the trades, you’ll see Hollywood misunderstanding the lesson they should be learning with Deadpool. They’ll be green lighting films "like Deadpool" – but, by that, they won’t mean "good and original" but "a raunchy superhero film" or "it breaks the fourth wall." They’ll treat you like you’re stupid, which is the one thing Deadpool didn’t do. But hopefully in the midst of all this there will be a studio or two that will take the right lesson from this – like Fox did with Guardians by green-lighting Deadpool – and say – "Boy, maybe we can give them something they don’t already have.' This is why the early (Latcham-era) MCU began to be criticized for being "samey," until Marvel started switching things up by combining with other genres in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It's why Gunn has tried to take a much more experimental approach with the DCU, giving auteurs like Damon Lindelof a chance to do their own thing with Lanterns (albeit with mixed results). And, unfortunately, it's why I think Latcham is a very dangerous choice for the DCU. The Superhero Boom Is Over (& DC Has A Problem) Credit: MovieStillsDB DC was late to the party with the DCU, and has been playing catch-up ever since. Behind the scenes, that's why the film franchise has been in chaos; executives wanted their own version of the MCU, and couldn't understand that the market might not be able to cope with two superhero shared universes. That's especially true now, when the superhero boom is over. And here's the catch; if Latcham simply reverts to the Grandmother Test, producing the same kind of movies we saw in the early MCU, then this latest iteration of the DCU will fail like all the rest. After all, why bother with more of the same when we can just go back to the originals? Now, if a superhero film is to truly flourish, it needs to stand out from the crowd. It needs the kind of heart you see in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, or the nostalgia appeal of Avengers: Doomsday. It can't just be the same old, same old. I can fully understand why Latcham was a good pick for the Ellisons. Their politics seem to align, and he has experience working to build a shared universe from the ground up. But, as he tries to decide on what upcoming DC movies to greenlight, I can't help questioning his judgment. Gunn made huge mistakes; there's a reason he didn't mention Supergirl when discussing his time running the DC slate. Latcham feels likely to make mistakes in the other direction, choosing films that are just too "safe." I hope I'm wrong, but Latcham has a lot to prove now he's taken over the DCU. Video Game(s) DC Universe Online, Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League, Batman Arkham City, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Injustice 2, Batman: Arkham Knight, Batman: Arkham Asylum (dupe) First Film Man of Steel First TV Show Adventures of Superman Created by James Gunn Latest Film Black Adam Upcoming Films Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash Movie2, Superman, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, The Authority, Swamp Thing