James Gunn’s DCU had better fix a demonic villain problem that cursed the SnyderVerse

James Gunn no doubt has a lot on his plate right now as the newly-appointed co-CEO of DC Studios, alongside Peter Safran, but if there’s one obvious lay-up he can achieve it has to do with the DC Extended Universe’s demonic villain problem.

Have you ever noticed how so many movies within the DCEU seem to culminate in a final battle with a villain who just looks like a generic devil with horns? As a fan of the franchise, I have seen this play out time and again to my dismay. You can see this in films like 2016’s Suicide Squad with the character Incubus, Black Adam’s Sabbac, and the Joss Whedon version of Justice League with that iteration of Steppenwolf.

Even 2017’s Wonder Woman, which was considered a decisive win with critics and audiences alike, fell into the same trap. I personally loved Wonder Woman when I saw it in theaters and have a lot of sentimental fondness for it to this day. But even back then, I remember being disappointed by David Thewlis’ emergence as Ares the God of War. Don’t get me wrong, it was a serviceable enough twist for Sir Patrick to become the unexpected villain. However, the design of the character, who donned a generic horn-bedazzled helmet, and the battle that followed was completely forgettable compared to the rest of the film. Satan fatigue had fully kicked in, even way back then.

I will give some credit to Steppenwolf’s redesign in 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League for at least switching up his look a bit to be a little more memorable, such as making him have more pronounced facial features, making him a physically towering figure, and giving him a constantly-moving suit of metal scales for armor. However, even that version had the character with horns, making him at least a distant relative to the aforementioned Beelzebub wannabes. 

James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe, which is poised to kick off with 2025’s Superman: Legacy, can at least focus on making more original villains to differentiate itself from the previous franchise if it wants to set itself up for success. Given Gunn’s kaiju-focused climax, with Starro wreaking destruction in 2021’s The Suicide Squad, I’m actually pretty hopeful he can deliver in this regard. However, we will have to wait and see as each new TV show and movie gets released in the DCU’s debut chapter called “Gods and Monsters.”