Darkseidwas done dirty by the old DCEU, and I’m convinced that a project that was just announced byDCcould fix things for the character. The Marvel Cinematic Universe showed how having a key villain teased throughout several projects in a phase of the franchise can lead to massive cinematic events.Thanos and Darkseid are each other’s equivalents in their respective superhero universes, and I believe that bringing in the villain would be in the best interests of the newDC Universe’s upcoming projects, which even have the perfect way to see Darkseid debut.
When James Gunn announced the first batch of movies and series in theDCU’s Chapter One, he revealed the title of that phase. Unlike Marvel Studios, which just numbers the phases in the MCU,DC Studios called the DCU’s Chapter One “Gods and Monsters.“The latter were already present in the shared universe’s first project, the animatedCreature Commandosseries, which followed a team of monsters. Now, the “Gods” part of the title could be related to DC’s New Gods, ushering in Darkseid’s debut, and a new project shows how Gunn can do what theDCEU’s moviesdid not.
Darkseid Was Planned For Big Things In The DCEU But They Never Happened
Zack Snyder Was Not Allowed To Bring His DC Plans To Life
Given the success of Marvel’s Avengers movies, I could not wait to see DC bring the Justice League to live-action. Sadly, I was disappointed by how 2017’sJustice Leagueturned out. While I have my own share of issues with director Zack Snyder’s DC movies, I have to say that his ideas for the film — and a whole Justice League trilogy — were far more interesting than what we ended up getting whenSnyder was ousted from the project asThe Avengersdirector Joss Whedon helmed extensive reshoots. Darkseid took the short end of the stick amid the changes.
Darkseid was surprisingly absent from the theatrical cut ofJustice League. Instead, Steppenwolf and the Parademons were the movie’s only threats, and I have to say they were pretty underwhelming. However, after years of an intense fan campaign,Zack Snyder’s Justice Leaguewas released in 2021. The director’s version of the movie put Ray Porter’s Darkseid back in, with the villain getting a few action scenes and being set up for Snyder’s planned Justice League sequels.Darkseid was meant to get the Anti-Life Equation, with Henry Cavill’s Superman succumbing to it, which would leave Earth a wasteland in the “Knightmare” future.
DC Has Announced A Mister Miracle Series
The DC Universe’s Biggest Escape Artist Is Coming To Animation
One of my issues with the DCEU was how it did not really take key traits from the comics and put them onscreen. I don’t need the movies to be exact adaptations of the comics, but some characters in the DCEU did not behave at all like they should have. Thankfully,the new DC Universe is going for a more comic book-accurate tone, and with DC Comics writer Tom King as one of its architects, that was to be expected. Afterthe Supergirl moviebecame an adaptation of King’sSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, another of his books is being adapted.
Tom King will serve as the showrunner ofMister Miracle, adapting his comic book series.
Recently,DC Studios unveiled the first look at a Mister Miracle animated series. King has become known at DC for writing several prestigious limited series, as well as a long run on Batman. King’s Mister Miracle is an Eisner Award-winning 12-issue comic book series that spotlights the inner conflicts in Scott Free’s mind. While the character might not be popular for those who do not read the comics, the Mister Miracle show could serve asthe perfect way for Darkseid’s onscreen return, given he is Mister Miracle’s adoptive father.
How Darkseid In Mister Miracle Can Make Up For The DCEU’s Use Of The Villain
The Cinematic Franchise Dropped The Ball With The DC Villain
As part of a truce between Apokolips and New Genesis, the Highfather — Mister Miracle’s biological father — gave his son to Darkseid and took in the villain’s own child, Orion. That led to Scott Free having a hard upbringing on the hellish planet Apokolips under Darkseid’s judging eye. Given the focus on Mister Miracle,it is impossible for the animated series not to include Darkseid in a key role, and that would allow it to make up for how the old DCEU scrapped Zack Snyder’s plans for Darkseid in his planned Justice League trilogy.
Darkseid is already confirmed to appear in the Mister Miracle series, though a first look at the villain is likely some time away. According to a plot synopsis,“Scott’s cruel adoptive father, Darkseid, appears to have captured the ultimate weapon, the Anti-Life Equation.“That description of Darkseid’s role in the animated series is perfect. Sure, it is in line with the villain’s role in the comics that the show will adapt, but it also serves as a way for those fans who wanted to see Snyder’s vision for Darkseid to get that kind of storyline. Check out the synopsis below:
The new series follows Scott Free, the world’s greatest escape artist, known to the world as Mister Miracle, whose perfect life with his warrior wife Big Barda falls apart when their two home worlds - Apokolips and New Genesis - go to war, and Scott’s cruel adoptive father Darkseid appears to have captured the ultimate weapon, the Anti-Life Equation, that will give him total dominance over the universe.
As the mountains of bodies on both sides grow ever higher, only Mister Miracle can stop the slaughter and restore peace. But the terrible power of the Anti-Life Equation may already be at work in his own mind, warping his reality, exposing his long-buried pain, and shattering the fragile happiness he’s found with the woman he loves.
Darkseid is seeking total dominance of the universe through the Anti-Life Equation in the Mister Miracle series, just like Snyder had planned for the villain’s arc in the DCEU. I love how this sets up a complex role for Darkseid in the show. There will no doubt be an action-packed side to him, as the synopsis mentions growing piles of bodies in a war between Apokolips and New Genesis, but the complicated father-son relationship between Darkseid and Mister Miracle adds a deeper layer to the villain, making this story even more interesting to me than Snyder’s Darkseid plans.
Why Darskeid Needs To Be Important In James Gunn’s DC Universe
Darkseid Could Be The Main Threat Of The DCU
So far, there has been no confirmation that the Mister Miracle series will be part of James Gunn’s new DC Universe. As such, it could end up not being canon to the DCU, instead being part of DC Studios' new line of Elseworlds projects, which include director Matt Reeves’The BatmanUniverse and Keanu Reeves' in-developmentConstantine 2. That said, given howTom King is one of the closest people to Gunn in crafting the DCU, and he will be the showrunner adapting his comic book run in DC’s animatedMister Miracle, the show’s DCU chances look good.
2017
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
2021
However that may shake up, the crucial point is that Darkseid needs to be part of the DCU, and the role thatMister Miraclesets up for him would be the best way of introducing such a key character. Darkseid could be for the DCU what Thanos was for the MCU, meaning an extremely powerful villain who has a plan that would completely change the franchise and thusrequires all DCU heroes to band together to stop him. After the DCEU missed the chance to do so with him, the new DCU can show how exciting and frighteningDarkseidis.
DC Universe
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
