The superhero genre has become one of the most successful in modern entertainment, thanks in no small part to gigantic franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and AAA games likeMarvel’s Spider-ManandMarvel Rivals. But while Marvel is still sitting on top of the world (despite somerecent MCU missteps),DCis still trying to get its act together.
The last decade has been a fairly mixed bag for DC. WhileDChas had a few commercially successful ventures, critical successes have been few and far between. That’s especially true for DC’s video game department, which hasn’t managed to put out a truly successful title since 2018. But the DC Universe is in the midst of a complete overhaul, and that restart could be exactly what DC’s video games need.
The DCU Could Be a Saving Grace for DC Video Games
DC’s Video Game Department Is In Troubled Waters
The last few years have been pretty grim for DC video games. Though many fans have come around on it since its initial launch, 2022’sGotham Knightsreceived mixed reviews across the board from critics. Though Warner Bros. didn’t explicitly confirm ifGotham Knightsunderperformedcommercially, the game did have a widespread 40% price reduction just one month after launch.
Last year’sSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguewas a bit more of a cut-and-dried failure. What was meant to beRocksteady’s triumphant return to the Arkhamversebecame one of the most infamous disasters in recent gaming history, withSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguereceiving mixed reviews from critics and officially failing to meet Warner Bros.' sales expectations.
Last year’sBatman: Arkham Shadowsold over 1 million copies and earned an impressive critical reception, but its Meta Quest 3/3S exclusivity stops it from being a mainstream hit.
Still reeling fromSuicide Squad’s failureand announced server shutdown, Warner Bros. confirmed last week that Monolith’s upcoming Wonder Woman game has been canceled, and that the studio has been closed completely, alongside two other WB studios. The only DC video game project rumored to be in the works right now is some kind of Batman game coming from Rocksteady, though it’s believed to be very early in development, meaning fans won’t see it for a very long time.
James Gunn’s DCU Could Be The Light At The End of The Tunnel
Under the helm ofJames Gunn and Peter Safran, the new DCU has officially begun, withCreature Commandosmarking the universe’s fresh start. Though it was far from perfect,Creature Commandoslaid some intriguing building blocks for the DCU, blocks that will hopefully be used to forge a much bigger, better, and more cohesive DC cinematic universe.
But the new DCU isn’t just setting its eyes on movies and TV. When James Gunn first announced the upcoming slate of DCU projects in early 2023, he mentioned that canon video games set in the universe could be on the cards in the near future. Just a month ago, James Gunn and Peter Safran confirmed that they were working closely with JB Perrette, the head of Warner Bros.' video game department, and that they had talked directly withNetherRealm and Rocksteady developers.
However, in an interview with ComicBook, Gunn also stated that the first DCU game is at least “a couple years” out. So, while it may currently feel as though DC is dropping the ball completely when it comes to video games, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel, albeit a faint and distant one.
