The iconic DC Comics franchise Justice League, which includes some of the world’s most beloved and recognizable superheroes, has caused much debate ever since the release of the 2016 Suicide Squad film. Fans were especially vocal about how this movie impacted the Justice League, and some even argued that it had a negative effect. So, did Suicide Squad really kill the Justice League? Let’s explore the evidence.
One reason why Suicide Squad gets blamed for killing the Justice League is because it changed the way that DC Comics movies were marketed and released. After the success of Marvel’s cinematic universe model, DC wanted to replicate their approach and quickly announced plans to create their own multi-film franchise featuring all of their iconic characters, starting with the Justice League.
However, following the lukewarm reception of Suicide Squad, DC’s plans for the Justice League were drastically changed. Instead of releasing a team-based movie similar to The Avengers, DC decided to focus on individual characters and their solo movies, such as Wonder Woman and Aquaman.
This shift in focus meant that the Justice League movie was shelved indefinitely and the DC Cinematic Universe was put on hold.
But even before Suicide Squad was released, the Justice League movie was in development and fans had already started to worry about its outcome. This was partially because the script was being constantly changed and rewritten, resulting in a lack of focus and direction.
The movie’s plot was also muddled, with some characters being given more screen time than others, play-acted without much depth. Plus, some of the CGI effects were criticized for being dated, with the audiences feeling that the whole film lacked the gravitas that was promised.
In the wake of Suicide Squad’s mixed reception, critics began to argue that DC should have used their resources to focus on better-developed solo movies. Instead of investing in the Justice League movie, it became clear that the more successful DC Comics movies would be those that focussed on individual characters.
This meant that the Justice League film project had to be completely rethought. As a result, DC postponed the movie indefinitely, favouring solo character spin-offs such as Aquaman and Shazam! instead.
It’s difficult to say if Suicide Squad directly killed the Justice League, as the movie’s response from the fans and critics was mixed at best. However, it did influence the direction of DC’s cinematic universe and forced them to rethink their plans for the Justice League. Since then, DC has focused on standalone superhero films, while the team-based Justice League movie has yet to be made.