Now that the DCU has established its roots, some upcoming projects are likely to feel similar to titles released within the MCU, but the DCU’s next series will definitely feel like a direct competitor to what Marvel produces. A few years ago, Warner Bros. announced that a new interconnected franchise was on the way under the DC umbrella, led by James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Many fans immediately thought this new universe would be a direct competitor to Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but so far, the two have felt entirely different.
DC Studios has released multiple films and TV shows within the DCU so far, with animation and live-action working in tandem from the get-go to explore different mediums of storytelling.
For reference, fans have already been given two DCU TV entries in Creature Commandos and Peacemaker Season 2. Creature Commandos was an animated series that mostly felt like the DCU’s way of dipping its toes in the water, while Peacemaker felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the DCU, making it more of a standalone project.
Unlike the MCU, much of these shows’ runtimes have been spent fleshing out the universe and building the world, rather than tying everything together and making it feel connected. However, the DCU’s next show, Lanterns, will change that when it debuts on August 16, becoming the first project in the new franchise to feel like a direct competitor to the MCU.
Specifically, Lanterns will be directly competing with the MCU’s live-action shows on Disney+, including WandaVision, Daredevil: Born Again, and Loki. Sofans who have watched any of those series will likely see a lot of similarities between them and the upcoming Lanterns.
Lanterns has been marketed as a more mature series that aims to replicate the tone of prestigious, popular shows. It is being produced by HBO, a company known for bringing high-quality, realistic, and engaging stories in every genre.
Essentially, Lanterns is going to be bigger and better than anything that has come from the DCU so far in terms of scope, ambition, character development, etc., especially in comparison to the other television projects that have been released within the franchise.
Lanterns will seemingly serve as a connection point to every other project in the DCU, like Superman, Supergirl, and future projects, making it feel much more integral to the overarching story being told by DC Studios. In other words, it will feel like can’t-miss television because it could be the franchise’s most important project so far.
If that is the case, Lanterns will likely feel similar to MCU entries like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Loki. Both of those series were more like events rather than just standard TV shows, and many fans were under the impression that they couldn’t miss a single second of either of them if they wanted to keep up with the rest of the MCU.
It is also worth noting that Lanterns is being created, written, and produced by Damon Lindelof. Lindelof has been responsible for delivering fans multiple acclaimed TV shows in the past, such as Lost and Watchmen, which makes Lanterns feel even bigger and more promising.
Lanterns feels bigger than anything DC Studios has released within the DCU so far, and because of all its components, the upcoming show seems like the first title in the franchise that could give Marvel a run for its money; a project that could lift the DCU off the ground and put it in the same category as the MCU.
Therefore, it is vital for DC Studios that Lanterns succeed. If it resonates with its audience, Lanterns could be a catalyst for the DCU and viewed as one of the most important titles 20 years from now, if the DCU becomes the success many hope it will.
The means of doing that is by fostering a strong television lineup to follow, and judging from what the DCU has in store,it could very well put the franchise into another echelon that could surpass the MCU’s storytelling.
How the DCU’s Future Shows Could Outperform the MCU’s Output
Lanterns is not the only television show in development at DC Studios. In fact, the studio is currently working on a number of TV titles such as Booster Gold, Paradise Lost, the Jimmy Olsen series, and a Mister Terrific show. All these upcoming projects are expected to continue the Lanterns trend by being deeply connected to the rest of the DCU, and what happens in them will directly influence the stories being told in other projects, both on TV and in movies.
Therefore, these upcoming TV shows will also likely feel like direct competitors to the MCU and will probably be just as big as Lanterns is supposed to be.
Just like how Lanterns seems fairly similar to WandaVision or Loki in nature, all those future DC shows already have MCU counterparts that they feel similar to. For example, the Jimmy Olsen series will likely have a tone and feel akin to She-Hulk.
She-Hulk was a comedic show that helped expand the MCU and offered extensive character development through cameos. Because Jimmy Olsen is who he is, that show could similarly include a lot of cameos and DC character appearances. If that were to happen, it could help those characters become more established in the franchise and give them a bit of a boost for their next DCU appearance.
Speaking of boosts, the DCU is also developing a Booster Gold TV series. If one MCU show had to be compared to Booster Gold, it would be Wonder Man, simply for the fact that Wonder Man was a character-driven story that deeply explored the psyche of its central character. Booster Gold will likely do the same for its main character, but there will probably be more comedy in it than there was in Wonder Man.
It is possible that Lanterns could be the most important show in the entire DCU, at least in Chapter 1. However, it is also possible that that title could be given to Mister Miracle, a TV-MA animated series that will play a role in setting up the rest of the franchise.
Mister Miracle is undoubtedly similar to WandaVision in terms of scope, franchise importance, etc., mainly because it was confirmed that Darkseid will be introduced in that show. Darkseid is an A-tier villain in the world of DC and will likely become one of the franchise’s big bads at some point. Mister Miracle being the project to introduce him means the show’s important, just as WandaVision was vital to the Multiverse Saga because it was the title that started it all with the Multiverse.
Mister Miracle will also have a couple dynamic with Scott Free (Mister Miracle) and Big Barda, like how WandaVision did with Wanda Maximoff and Vision.
As mentioned, a show featuring Mister Terrific is also in the works at DC Studios. Not much is known about that series yet, but it will most likely be similar to an MCU show like Hawkeye, focusing mainlyon its titular character (Mister Terrific). It will also likely feature other important characters who will go on to play major roles in the DCU, just as Hawkeye showcased Kingpin, Yelena Belova, and Kate Bishop.
