The D.C. Cinematic Universe (DCCU) is a shared-universe in which multiple movies and television shows take place. The 1954 Superman and the Mole Men movie was the first movie in the universe, but it really started when Richard Donner decided to continue Superman's story over 20 years later and founded DC Studios.
Movies[]
- Superman (1978): An amazing film directed by Richard Donner, it was when he professed that he was interested in a sequel that the Superman saga kicked off. He founded DC Studios and the following year, it was labeled a prequel to Superman and the Mole Men.
- Superman and the Mole Men (1954): Issued as a stand-alone film, the movie received much praise. It was only until 1979 that it was confirmed to be part of the new Superman saga, which evolved into the DCCU.
- Superman II (1980): The sequel to Superman, the second movie rocked fans as much as the first and created an uproar for more films. Without the support of these fans, the DCCU may not have been born.
- Swamp Thing (1982): After Wes Craven confirmed he was interesting in adding a horror movie based on the popular D.C. character to be in the same universe as Superman, and production began, it was then that the idea of a shared universe with multiple characters was born.
- Superman III (1983): Released the following year, this movie did not hit as hard as the predecessors. However, it completed the famous Superman trilogy.
- Supergirl (1984): Enthusiasm for more Superman films died down, but DC Studios saw an opportunity for a Supergirl standalone film. It featured cameos of both Swamp Thing and Superman, which fueled excitement for fans. The movie itself possibly saved the DCCU, as it was praised by critics.
- Batman (1966): To further revive interest in DC Studios, Richard Donner signed a contract with Leslie H. Martinson, the director of Batman, to label this film a fictional movie in the DCCU based on a minor super-hero called Batman. Many new copies of the movie were sold and Richard Donner began a quest to find directors to start a Batman trilogy.
- Superman IV (1987): Attempting to redeem the saga, Richard Donner himself directed the fifth and final film in the Superman saga, as a sort of end to Superman. He succeeded and the film sold very well, Richard Donner praised greatly. However, the question was: what super heroes would continue the DCCU since the Superman story had now ended? Richard Donner embarked on a quest to find the answer.
- The Return of Swamp Thing (1989): Donner started by reviving the horror-themed Swamp Thing series in a second film. The film however did not impress many people as much as the original and no further movies were put in the works.
- Batman (1989): Luckily, Donner had hired Tim Burton to make a Batman movie, and it was released the same year. It won an Oscar and received as much, if not more, praise than the original Superman. After this, attention from DC Studios was focused alone on the Batman character. He was the new hero of the DCCU after Superman had stepped down from the role.
- Batman Returns (1992): Donner reengaged Burton for the 2nd Batman movie. It sold very well, but Burton left the Batman series after.
- Batman Forever (1995): The third movie in this series, directed by Joel Schumacher, Batman Forever was a flop. Critics down poured the characters, plot, writing, directing... this would prove to be Donner's third-to-last movie before he finished with DC Studios and DC Studios died-down for a 10 year period.
- Batman and Robin (1997): A half hearted attempt by Joel to redeem his take on Batman, this movie scored even less on the board while introducing Robin to the story. This would prove Donner's last year as the leader of DC Studios before a 10-year decline.
- Steel (1997): Donner thought that perhaps a brand-new hero introduced after 10 years would be a good end to the DCCU, as he realized that the movies were getting poorer and poorer. He put a lot of effort into introducing a brand new generation of heroes and putting the spotlight on this new character and the movie ended up being much better than the previous movies. Donner refused to make any more after this, however, and he stepped down. DC Studios remained a company but it became inactive for a period of 10 years before its revival. Donner had worked on the DCCU for 19 years.