DCEU Deaths That Would Destroy Fans The Most
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has seen a markedly stark contrast from the other major player in the comics-brought-to-screen business, Marvel. Over the years, the DCEU inspired internet memes, petitions, and chatter galore for better or worse. At first glance, it may seem like the cinematic universe marches to the beat of its own drum. But anyone keeping up with pop culture news over the years knows that the series of films have been all over the place in large part due to the lack of organization behind the scenes.
Regardless, the DCEU has managed to capture the attention of fans everywhere with its edgy and humorous portrayals. Much of the characters within the universe have seen a healthy amount of criticism and praise. Even Jared Leto's Joker earned redemption in the hearts of fans with his brief, yet impactful, performance at the tail end of "Zack Snyder's Justice League." If there's one thing that we should count on with solid comic book adaptations, it's that the characters must hit home in both our minds and hearts. The movies have introduced a fair amount of death across the DCEU. Let's take a look at a few characters who are near and dear to audiences and whose deaths would hurt fans the most.
Nanaue (King Shark)
As ARGUS director Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) would have you believe, Nanaue (Sylvester Stallone), or King Shark as he is known to his comrades, is the descendant of an ancient shark deity. All appearances of the divine, however, fly right out the window when we see how endearing, and childish he can be. Don't be mistaken, however: King Shark's diet consists of — among other things — human meat, and when he is hungry, the urge takes over. Regardless, at the heart of this carnivorous bipedal fish is a lonely soul seeking acceptance and camaraderie. After Cleo Clazo aka Ratcatcher II (Daniela Melchior) befriends Nanaue, it's easy to see how endearing and loveable the lumbering beast can be.
As part of Waller's Task Force X program, King Shark provides the muscle and brute force that the crew need to both decimate hostiles and succeed in their mission. Seemingly, King Shark is impervious to bullets as many of the Corto Maltesian military find out rather quickly. However, he isn't invincible. The loveable oaf almost met his end in "The Suicide Squad" after encountering a swarm of strange, otherworldly fish who nearly overwhelm King Shark with their sharp teeth. While King Shark lived to fight another day, it'd be tragic to see this character meet his end.
Harley Quinn
The Queen of Gotham City has endured a history of pain and heartache throughout her time in the DCEU. Faithful to her "Batman: The Animated Series" origins, she began her criminal career as the Joker's girlfriend and number two. After treating the Joker as a patient in Arkham Asylum, Dr. Harleen Quinzel (Margot Robbie) fell madly (pun intended) in love with the Clown Prince of Crime. In David Ayer's "Suicide Squad" we witness her history as an emotionally tortured individual who's been used by her lover time and time again. In "Birds of Prey," she sends Joker a break-up message loud enough for the city to hear as she blows up the ACE Chemical factory where they both acquired their insanity and love for each other.
Striking it on her own, Harley Quinn has grown into somewhat of an anti-hero instead of a full-blown villain. While she has low regard for life and property, she highly regards her friends and those who are loyal to her. Furthermore, she's proven to have moral "lines in the sand" that the Joker never had. For instance, she becomes bitterly angry when innocents, particularly children, are threatened as seen in "The Suicide Squad." Because of her charming nature and penchant for humor, as well as her dissociation from the purely evil Joker, Harley is a fan favorite and would be a devastating loss for fans should she be killed in action.
Bruce Wayne (Batman)
What's there to say about Batman at this point? The character has been beloved by fans for decades. Ben Affleck's turn at the Caped Crusader even heightened the character's popularity. While "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" may have not been well-received critically, Ben Affleck's Batman was praised by fans and even critics as one of the highlights of the film. "Zack Snyder's Justice League" offered a purer take on the character, as Bruce overcame his rage toward Superman and returned to his traditional nature of defending the world. He even did all he could to make amends for his mistakes — including but not limited to returning Superman (Henry Cavill) to life.
In the DCEU, Batman is totally dedicated to the cause even if his own life is on the table. With a confusing news cycle of Ben Affleck's involvement in the future of the DCEU, there's always a slight possibility that Bruce Wayne's story could end sooner than fans would like. With this iteration of Batman being a fan favorite, it'll surely cause a ruckus should the official word ever come down that Bruce Wayne in the DCEU is finished.
Victor Stone (Cyborg)
Victor Stone (Ray Fisher) has some of the best character growth in the DCEU. In fact, his story is all about the journey to self-acceptance. While Vic was riding high as an all-star college football player, he struggled connecting with his father. Tragically, Vic was destined to die following a sudden car accident that also killed his mother. His father, Silas Stone (Joe Morton), refused to allow his son to die. As a researcher at STAR labs, he used the mysterious technology behind the mother box to preserve his son's life. Ultimately, it transformed him into a cyborg, hence the superhero name.
"Zack Snyder's Justice League" does a far better job of fleshing out Vic's arc than the 2017 version of the film ever did. Initially hating the monstrosity he perceives himself to be, Vic bitterly rejects his father. However, after Silas sacrifices himself to aid the heroes in the fight against an alien conqueror, Cyborg realizes his father only wanted what was best for him. Eventually, he learns to accept his new identity as Cyborg and acknowledges that he this new version of Victor Stone isn't broken. This human struggle gripped fans everywhere. With Ray Fisher's current disagreements with the leadership at Warner Bros. and the handling of "Justice League," Cyborg's future in the DCEU is uncertain. WB has even removed a Cyborg's involvement with "The Flash" film. Killing the character on or offscreen would spell disaster for Warner Bros. as Fisher's take on the character has accumulated many fans.
Alfred Pennyworth
Batman would be nothing without his faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Jeremy Irons). Alfred is almost as much a Wayne as Bruce is. He's served the family since long before Bruce was even born. Additionally, he cared for Bruce following the tragic murder of his parents. He even aided Bruce in his crusade against the criminal underworld in Gotham City. When we first meet Alfred in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," he and Bruce have already been at their crimefighting careers for many years. In this film, Alfred was the voice of reason. When Bruce wanted to bring Superman down, Alfred attempted to help him see the stupidity of his mindless anger towards the alien hero.
Alfred is a seasoned expert in gadgetry and engineering. He clearly has vast technological know-how and a background in military strategy and hardware. More importantly, Alfred is wise. Whether he's Batman's voice of reason or merely a devil's advocate, he always manages to help Bruce and others on the team see the bigger picture. If Alfred were to ever meet his demise, fans would feel a similar pain to Batman's — one of losing a mentor, confidant, and friend.
Billy Batson (Shazam)
Billy Batson (Asher Angel) may be an orphan, but he's not without a family. "Shazam" shows us that family doesn't have to be a simple blood relation. In "Shazam," Billy Batson takes on the ancient power of Shazam. As a kid, he wants to do good, but it's difficult to not want to show off the newfound powers. Billy got a little in over his head when Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) came ready to fight. With the power of the Seven Deadly Sins in tow, Sivana almost gets the better of Billy even with his Shazam powers.
While Sivana threatened Billy's foster family, Billy learned that relationships like this don't have to be a weakness. They can be a strength; he shared the power of Shazam with his foster brothers and sisters and sent Dr. Sivana and the Seven Deadly Sins packing. Billy brings a youthful perspective to the DCEU and with it, a bit of innocence. With the all-powerful Black Adam (played by the Dwayne Johnson) heading to the DCEU, things might seem bleak for the hero. After all, Black Adam is Shazam's arch-nemesis and he doesn't take prisoners.
Arthur Curry (Aquaman)
Aquaman isn't the butt of jokes any longer. He's now regarded as a likeable and capable hero, thanks to the performance of Jason Momoa. Of the Justice League, Arthur offers a bit of sarcastic wit to ease tensions and add humor to desperate situations. Eventually, he is confronted with the reality of his royal lineage and must take back the throne of Atlantis from his destructive brother, Orm.
In "Aquaman," the reluctant King of Atlantis has claimed his rightful throne, but what's next? Arthur Curry can master the seven seas and all life within them, but there are forces at play aiming to stop him. For one, Black Manta isn't finished seeking revenge for his father's death. Additionally, the oceans are filled to the brim with all sorts of unknown terrors. There's always a potential for Aquaman to sacrifice himself for his kingdom as any good king would do given the circumstances. However, the death of Aquaman would spell the loss of one of the DCEU's most adored characters and certainly the best iteration we've ever seen of the character. Fans would not go along quietly with that one.
Cassandra Cain
In "Birds of Prey," Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) isn't exactly the character DC comics fans might expect her to be. Of course, she has a potential future as one version of Batgirl if the comics are to be honored. However, in the DCEU she is simply a young kid who gets mixed up in some bad business after pick-pocketing a valuable diamond belonging to the Bertinelli family. In a rash decision, she swallowed the diamond, making her a target. This diamond was on its way to crime boss Black Mask. Thankfully, Harley Quinn, Black Canary, and the rest of heroines in the film defend her from Black Masks's forces.
Cass manages to touch the heart of Harley Quinn following her break-up with Joker. As a lonely outcast herself, Cass and Harley bond over their crazy lives. Cassandra survived Black Mask's attempt to retrieve the diamond, and she has a potentially bright future ahead of her. It'd be tragic to see any of that cut short should she perish on or offscreen -– or simply never be utilized again.
Diana Prince (Wonder Woman)
"Wonder Woman" was a turning point for the DCEU. The film was highly regarded by critics and fans alike. It also showcased the first major female-led superhero in a big-budget theatrical movie since Marvel's "Elektra" in 2005. (And that version of "Elektra" isn't part of Marvel's current ongoing cinematic universe.) Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) charmed fans with her indomitable spirit and compassion for humanity. In the DCEU, Wonder Woman's gravitas is on display again and again from the "No Man's Land" sequence to her battle with Steppenwolf.
Wonder Woman is easily one of the most likeable characters in the DCEU. It's hard to imagine a world where Warner Bros. would allow her character to be killed off in this universe. However, stranger things have happened. And should Gal Gadot decide to ever leave the role while WB continues the DCEU, there's always a possibility of that happening. Because of the outpouring of love for Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, it's easy to imagine that fans would be mourning her death should that ever come to fruition.
Freddy Freeman
Much of the comedy in "Shazam" was derived from Billy and his adoring foster siblings. In particular, Freddy Freeman (Jack Grazer) helped Billy learn his powers through trials and tests. Freddy is relentlessly bullied for both his orphan status and his physical challenges. But without Freddy's superhero nerd cred, Billy may still be completely incapable of flying. Freddy put Billy through the ringer testing his limits and seeing what was possible.
Freddy has heart, and he confronted Billy when his ego was ballooning – a time when he needed a critique the most. In many instances alongside the other foster siblings, Freddy is the heartbeat of the film. He's wide-eyed and ecstatic about his superhero fandom, and many of those in cmoic book fandom would react the same way when discovering a friend had obtained awesome superhero powers. In the end, Freddy's dream comes true when Billy shares the Shazam powers with his foster siblings. It's unlikely that Freddy would ever meet his demise in the DCEU. However, stakes have to be raised in future Shazam movies and the possibility is always there.
Barry Allen (The Flash)
The most charismatic member of the Justice League, Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) is the comic relief that always keeps the situation from feeling too grim. The plot follows the modern retelling of Barry's history as the Flash in DC comics, in which his father has been wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for the murder of his wife. Barry knows that his father didn't kill his mother, and he tries to maintain a solid relationship with his father through frequent visits. His father tries to push Barry to move on. He doesn't want to be the cause of Barry stalling his life and keeping him from achieving great things. Little does he know that Barry had obtained the power of speed and eventually would use it to save the world.
Always trepidatious, Barry wills himself into the fray through humor and self-motivating chatter. He represents those of us who might be more cautious but are still determined to seize the moment despite any inhibitions we may have. The fastest man alive deserves a healthy life of crime-fighting and dispelling potential world-wide calamities in the DCEU. Any moment that results in the death of this character will be too soon.
Cleo Clazo (Ratcatcher 2)
James Gunn's "The Suicide Squad" gave us a soft reboot of Task Force X. While the first film is still part of the DCEU canon, WB brought in James Gunn to remake the property into something fresh. In the new crew of misfits, we're introduced to Cleo Clazo, aka Ratcatcher 2. Amanda Waller dubs her the second following Cleo's father, who had the same capabilities of communicating with and manipulating colonies of rats. While the ability may seem strange and a tad off-putting, Cleo manages to be one of the most innocent members of the squad. She wears her heart on her sleeve and truly cares for the rodents she engages with.
More importantly, it's because of Cleo that King Shark reeled in his desire to eat people on sight. She tapped into the shark's soul and befriended him. Cleo also gave Bloodsport a stronger purpose to fight beyond simply completing the mission. She reminded him of his daughter and they bonded over the stories of their families. Many of the film's pivotal moments had Cleo at the center of them. It'd be a shame to see her meet the same fate as the majority of her comrades in Task Force X.
Robert DuBois (Bloodsport)
Robert DuBois (Idris Elba) is largely misunderstood by the rest of his teammates in Task Force X. Sure, he put Superman in the ER with a kryptonite bullet, but he really is only trying to do right by his daughter. He has a history of violence, but he's not amoral. Known as Bloodsport, he is a master marksman and is capable of weaponizing any object. But despite his military expertise, he's reluctant to go along with Amanda Waller's program. It's only when Waller threatens his daughter that he steps up to the plate.
In the end, Starro the Conqueror is on a rampage destroying all of Corto Maltese. Waller tells the surviving members of the squad to stand down as they accomplished her true objective — destroying evidence of America's part in the Starro program. However, it's Bloodsport who simply can't let the alien beast go on killing innocents. Waller even threatens to kill him and the rest of the Task Force X with the micro-bombs stashed in their necks, but he continues heading into the fight regardless. Thankfully, Waller's staff stop her from killing the team, and Bloodsport heads off to save the day. Idris Elba is a master at his craft, and killing Bloodsport off would be tragic for fans of the actor.