#dear dc

Hey DC. I know this is a tough time for you. Your last couple movies didn’t go so well, and while the TV shows are chugging along, you’re probably feeling a bit at a loss while Marvel is getting ready to drop several more sure-thing blockbusters.

I’m not going to talk about what went wrong. There are a hundred video essays and a million critics who have talked about that. What I do want to do is recommend where you should go from here.

Marvel is now the big dog. They have a lot of power, but also a lot of pressure. They’re going to consolidate into fewer, bigger movies with bigger budgets and less risk. Now more than ever they’re going to shy away from experimentation and controversy. 

That means that YOU, DC, get to be the underdog. 

I know what you’re thinking. You’re in a rut! You need to appeal to the mainstream now more than ever! No. 

Look at you potential audience. America is suffering extreme divide, but the future, the youth, are overwhemlingly liberal, diverse, and pushing for representation and inclusion. The fans you want to hook for your future are the ones who will praise you for subverting norms. If their parents take stances against the movie, it’ll just make them want to see it more. And that experimentation will pay off in spades as you position yourself as the interesting, daring underdog compared to Marvel’s empty popcorn superheroes. 

What does that mean practically?

-> For your main brands, stay away from origin stories. We all know who Superman and Batman are. Focus on what interesting stories you can tell given the premise of your universe. What happens when someone confronts Bruce for raising the incarceration rate without addressing the underlying reasons why crime is so rampant in Gotham? When happens when immigrants start appealing to Superman as an immigrant hero and his citizenship is called into question? What happens when Wonder Woman gets negative reactions to her paganism from the Christian alt-right?

-> For heroes who aren’t quite as big, like Aquaman or Cyborg, you can be a little more traditional but focus on what makes them different and interesting. Don’t write a story that could be any superhero except it’s underwater so it’s Aquaman. Atlanteans have got to be pissed about all the pollution and destruction of their oceans, the giant plastic islands, overfishing, etc. Maybe changing climate and environment are forcing evolution or increasing the population of a formerly rare organism?

-> Take risks on minor but fascinating properties. Don’t commit to every movie needing to set up a series, or have a series that’s deliberately about minor characters who only get one movie but those movies are weird and awesome and insane. Let’s have a Question movie! Martian Manhunter! Hawk and Dove would be AMAZING right now as an allegory for major powers intervening and puppet-mastering local wars. 

And of course, REPRESENT, REPRESENT, REPRESENT. The more races, genders, and religions you can respectfully and accurately represent, the more you’ll have niche audiences flocking to your movies, seeing them multiple times in theaters, buying merch and special edition digital copies with all the extras. Trust me, you want to appeal to this market.

(Not to mention the karma points you’ll get for screen firsts or good representations. Be the good guys, DC.)

I have faith in you, DC. You can pull this around.

Dear DC,

I’m writin’ ya this letter ‘cause I wanna say I’m sorry… I know we didn’t get off on the right foot. When ya first came ta live with me, Savvy, and mom I was mad. I didn’t wanna be your friend ‘cause I thought you were tryin’ ta steal mom away from me, dad, and Savvy..  I wanted my dad ta live with us… Not you. I was mad ‘cause Savvy liked ya better than she likes dad… She’s supposed’ta like him more cause he’s our dad… Mom too.

I can tell mom like ya better. She’s always smilin’ when you’re ‘round. She used ta be like that with him more, but now they both get upset ‘cause she says he’s never ‘round like he says he’s gonna be.. Savvy fights with him whenever we need’a stay at his house ‘cause she don’t wanna be there. She she wants ta be at home with mom and you. Ta be honest… I didn’t get it at first. I think I have the best dad in the whole world… Or I did…

Ya prolly know this already, but dad is takin’ mom ta court. Savvy an’ me found papers in mom’s studio. He wants us ta come live with him forever… In California. He says it’s ‘cause he doesn’t want us ta live with you, but I know it’s really ‘cause he’s mad at mom for not marryin’ him.

I use’ta be on dad’s side… I use’ta think he was right’a ‘bout you, but now I see what mom an’ Savvy see. You are pretty cool an’ ya teach me lots’a neat stuff… Stuff even dad doesn’t know. You know more ‘bout motorcycles than he does. Ya know more ‘bout animals than he does too. Savvy must be teachin’ ya.... She knows a lot.  But ya know what makes ya the coolest? … Ya never get upset when me or Savvy make’a mistake. Ya just tell us that mistakes happen ‘cause we’re human... and humans are not perfect.

I duno if I told ya this, but I’m real glad ya live with us, DC. Ya make mom and Savvy happy which makes me happy too. An’ it’s nice havin’ another guy in the house… Someone who likes cars an’ motorcycles just like me. Someone who can teach me how’ta be a real man. My dad was supposed’ta do that but he’s been too busy. I think he could learn a lot from you if he gave ya a chance. Sorry it took me so long ta warm up ta you. I hope ya can forgive me. I’d hate for you ta leave us.

Guys got’a stick together, right?