Last week saw major waves in the world of superhero entertainment when Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav struck down the already completed Batgirl movie, refusing to even let it air on HBO Max. I was disappointed, because I would have gladly watched a Batgirl movie, even if I didn’t have high hopes. Then immediately after the cancellation, Zaslav announced a bold 10-year plan for DC properties moving forward, with him expecting to turn all DC superhero movies into blockbusters.

Now that the dust has settled, I’ve decided to share my thoughts, hopes and dreams on this 10-year plan. I am an avowed Marvel fanboy. I still love everything Marvel Studios is putting out and I’m not experiencing that superhero fatigue at all. I’m still in awe that all these comic book characters are getting these great shows and movies. I’m open to liking DC stuff, but Zack Snyder’s visions definitely didn’t work on me in the long run. This new 10-year plan could mean all sorts of different things going forward.

Join me after the jump for my ideas for this 10-year plan and what I hope to see happen. And please feel free to share your own hopes and dreams for DC in the comments.

6. Wipe the slate clean

Warner Bros. Discovery needs to go scorched Earth on the existing DC Cinematic Universe. This might sound sacrilegious to some — especially with a lot of DCEU movies still to come out — but I think it would be for the best. Superman is long gone. They’ve already moved on into a whole new Batman franchise. The last Wonder Woman movie tanked. And all they’ve got left is the Ezra Miller Flash, an Aquaman sequel we haven’t seen a trailer for yet, and whatever the heck the Rock is promoting with Black Adam. I liked the first Aquaman and Shazam movies as much as the next person, but they’re vestigial limbs at this point.

I think Warner Bros. Discovery should cut everything loose and move on. Let some of these movies come out — cancel the Flash film, because Ezra Miller is apparently a monster — and then take a year or two to launch a proper, Marvel-style Cinematic Universe that builds to a proper team up movie. The general public has short attention spans. How many Spider-Man and Batman reboots have they sat through at this point? I see nothing wrong with making a clean break at everything and starting new and strong with a whole new attempt at a proper DC Cinematic Universe.

5. A bright, hopeful Superman

And at the center of this new universe should be a bright and cheerful version of Superman. Not corny, like the original Superman movies. And definitely not dark and gritty like Snyder’s version of Superman. I mean a Grant Morrison-style All-Star Superman. I want color. I want heroism. I want Superman to stand tall and proud as the hero he’s always been. No more forced Christ allegories. No more dark and twisted attempts to make him modern and cool. There are nearly 100 years worth of comic book stories starring Superman in which he’s played perfectly straight without any weird attempts to change him. Use those stories for inspiration and give us a damn good Superman.

4. No prior actor cameos

Recast Superman while you’re at it. Another conversation that’s been happening simultaneously to this DC talk is the imposing desire of fans to bring back old actors. Michael Keaton was set to appear as Batman in the Batgirl movie, along with some other films, and people are eating it up. Fans are desperate for Henry Cavill to come back as Superman. There was a big cheer when it was revealed that Ben Afflreck will return as Batman for the Aquaman sequel. But I think all of this is nonsense. Cut them loose! Start fresh and move on. Now is not the time to cling to the artifacts of the past in the hopes they can bring good luck. Now is the time for bold choices and new ideas.

3. Don’t touch the Harley Quinn cartoon

What can I say? I love the Harley Quinn cartoon, and it seemed like a stroke of luck that HBO Max decided to save it from that short-lived DC-focused streaming service. The new season is a lot of fun, and I just know the creatives behind it can keep the fun going for seasons to come. So whatever strange changes are in store for HBO Max in this 10-year plan, just keep renewing the Harley Quinn cartoon to keep that joy alive.

2. Blatantly steal from Marvel

Look, the simple truth is that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a huge success and there should be no shame in just stealing their style. They did it right, they earned their success, and now even their disliked movies are still massive hits. Honestly, I’m pretty sure this is exactly what the new CEO is trying to chase. Marvel is DC’s only major competition, and they’re putting out four movies a year that are guarantee to hit like $600 million to $1 billion. Meanwhile, he looks at DC and saw they had a cheapo Batgirl coming out and then a bunch of other disparate movies.

So if DC does a full, slate cleaning reboot, I say just follow the Marvel method without shame. Do individual hero movies first, slowly weave them together, and then come out with a Justice League team-up film down the line. Get all your ducks in a row and then take them swimming. Don’t rush. The general moviegoing audience will forgive the reboot, and the fans will come around if the movies are good. Look at how quickly they accepted and embraced The Batman earlier this year?

Speaking of which…

1. I have no idea what to do about The Batman

I enjoyed The Batman as much as the next movie and superhero fan. It’s a good film, a great take on the Dark Knight and his world, and is ripe for all manner of sequels and spin-offs. But I also said earlier in this list that I wanted DC to wipe the slate clean. Is The Batman included? I honestly don’t know. Director Matt Reeves is just getting started, and he’s done a phenomenal job so far. I’m excited for a sequel. Or am I? Is it just going to be another Batman vs. Joker movie? We definitely don’t need another on of those. Or is Reeves gonna do Mr. Freeze and bring in Robin? Heck yeah, I want to see that! But then why not just do another Batman reboot with Mr. Freeze and Robin in a couple of years? Would that really be so different from another Matt Reeves movie? Or maybe The Batman is the first film in the new rebooted DC franchise? I honestly have no idea.

All I really know is that I want more Robin involved in all of it!

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