Wonder Woman Will Help Shape the Future of the DCEU

The Wonder Woman-ification of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has begun and we think it’s a great thing! As much as we love Watchmen and Man of Steel, Zack Snyder‘s grim-and-gritty take on DC superheroes has simply been too bleak, a fact that became clear to everyone — the director included — when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice failed to click with audiences in a way that the first-ever big screen team-up of DC’s two most iconic characters was expected to. The uber-dark Suicide Squad made enough money to warrant a sequel, but it also made die-hard fans eager for a movie that’s a little more buoyant and optimistic.

Enter Patty Jenkins‘ Wonder Woman, which set records for the highest opening for a female director and for the lowest second weekend drop of any superhero movie ever. This resounding financial success, coupled with the movie’s 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, has prompted Warner Bros. to begin preparations for the sequel, There have also been rumors that new director Joss Whedon, who took over following the death of Snyder’s daughter, was chosen to inject the sort of light into Justice League that was found in Wonder Woman, rumors that appear to be true based on the recent announcement that Danny Elfman has been hired to take over composing the score of the movie from Antonius Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL.

While Justice League is still likely to be very much Snyder’s dark vision even given the tweaks Whedon and Elfman make to it, future projects will follow the Wonder Woman model according to DC Entertainment president Geoff Johns in a recent interview with The Wrap:

Get to the essence of the character and make the movies fun. Just make sure that the characters are the characters with heart, humor, hope, heroics, and optimism at the base.

Justice League stars Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Willem Dafoe as the Atlantean Vulko, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Connie Nielsen as the Amazon Queen Hippolyta, Robin Wright as Antiope and J.K. Simmons as James Gordon.

Justice League explodes into theaters on November 17th!