What DCEU Video Games Could Learn From Star Wars
DCEU #DCEU
The DC Extended Universe has had a rocky existence. It never resonated with fans or reached the success that Marvel did with its Cinematic Universe. One of the main issues with the DCEU is its lack of a clear direction. Between directors, producers, and studio executives who seemingly had differing ideas, it is easy to see why it never lived up to its potential. However, Warner Bros. is looking to mend this problem by appointing new heads of the DCEU to both reinvent the universe and steer it toward a more singular vision. The new people stewarding the DCEU are director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran, and they have some interesting ideas for the universe.
There is not a lot of information on the changes that will be made to the DCEU. It is possible that the entire universe will be rebooted with new stories, actors, and characters. Alternatively, there may be an in-universe reason that will allow for a reboot without changing everything. Despite the lack of information, James Gunn has stated that one of his biggest inspirations for the future of the DCEU is not Marvel, but Star Wars. He has also stated that video games will be included as part of the new DCEU. That is particularly interesting because video games have done a lot for Star Wars, and DC could learn a lot from Star Wars’ use of them.
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Video Games Helped Build the Star Wars Universe
There have been countless Star Wars games throughout the years. While the vast majority of them are not considered canon or part of the current Star Wars universe, there has been a major effort put forth by Disney, Lucasfilm, and game developers to make each Star Wars game post Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm canon to the rest of the Star Wars universe. This has been seen most effectively in Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. It is a fantastic game that makes the player feel like an actual Jedi. Cal Kestis is now a canon Jedi in Star Wars, and characters that are featured in the movies and shows appear in Jedi: Fallen Order. Plus, there are references to Jedi: Fallen Order in other Star Wars projects, like The Mandalorian.
Most new Star Wars games build out the Star Wars universe in some way, but they were helping to do that long before there was a strict canon to follow or a DCEU. Knights of the Old Republic is one of the best and most beloved Star Wars games. It was set thousands of years before the events of the Star Wars films. Knights of the Old Republic helped to broaden the universe and lore behind the Star Wars franchise, and it is still being referenced and utilized today in modern films. It may not actually be considered canon, but aside from novels, it has provided the most material to the lore and legacy of Star Wars.
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Video Games Can Help Build the DC Universe
Obviously, there is a lot of potential in DC video games. Batman: Arkham City and the others in the series are some of the best superhero games available. It has already built an incredibly successful video game universe for Batman. By expanding that to the rest of the DC Universe, video games could become the glue for the future DCEU. There are dozens of DC characters that deserve their own titles and there are some characters that would work better in a video game than a movie. It would also let players feel like they are actually contributing to the continuing DC Universe story instead of just watching it. Video games allow the overarching DC story to stretch beyond just film and television, providing a more interactive way to tell these tales.
Successfully integrating video games into MCU storytelling is something that Marvel hasn’t even been able to figure out, so it is exciting to see DC seemingly embracing the medium for storytelling. Video games can help build a strong connection for the DCEU, and it would be great to see fans’ favorite characters pop up in cameos beyond just on movies and TV. Plus, it would be amazing to play as those characters when they appear. Video games could open up countless possibilities for the future of DC.