The DCEU's Biggest Problem Is Still How It Treats Its Villains

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One of the most persistent issues with the DCEU is in its handling and treatment of its villains, and it's something that has come up in almost every entry into the franchise to date. So far, the DCEU has proved to be relatively underwhelming as a franchise. This is especially evident when it's considered alongside its most direct contemporary, the MCU, with Marvel Studios consistently churning out the biggest and most successful movies to dominate the box office. As a result of the high-profile nature of the franchises, the DCEU's struggle to keep up with its Marvel counterpart is well-documented and well-debated.

Many hold Warner Bros. responsible for the DCEU's mistakes, although the specifics of the franchise's shortcomings are still much debated. Among the most common criticisms of the franchise are the DCEU's needlessly dark and gritty tone, its overambitious use of established comic book storylines, and the bizarre creative liberties taken with many of its heroes. Though the DCEU has found some notable success with a few of its movies and it appears that the Warner Bros. Discovery takeover may have a positive impact on the overall franchise, there are still a wealth of issues that must be resolved before it can even hope to match the cinematic successes of its direct rival.

Related: The DCEU’s Biggest Failure With Wonder Woman

However, the DCEU's most persistent issue is actually a relatively subtle one: it wastes its villains. The problem with the DCEU's villains varies from movie to movie, but there's almost always a distinct issue with the way in which the franchise handles its antagonists. This has already resulted in the death of many major franchise villains, with many more being rendered powerless or