1 Character Was Wasted By Both The MCU & DCEU… But Both Could Still Fix It – Armessa Movie News

One character has been unfortunately wasted across both the MCU and DCEU, though the franchises could still rectify this mistake in the future – especially through Thor 5 in the MCU’s case. Given the separate entities of Marvel Comics and DC Comics, it is rare that the same character exists across both brands. While they have similar characters, such as Hyperion and Superman, Daredevil and Batman, and Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman, rarely does the exact same character crossover into both franchises.

This is even more the case with the iterations of Marvel and DC on film. With the MCU having their roster of superheroes for the Infinity Saga mostly established by 2012’s The Avengers, the DCEU could begin in 2013 with characters in mind that have enough uniqueness to differentiate the Warner Bros. universe. However, one specific character who has interestingly appeared in both the MCU and DCEU has been sorely wasted by both franchises, something both Marvel and DC Studios need to rectify in the coming years.

Zeus Was Mostly Wasted By The MCU & DCEU

That character is none other than Zeus, the Greek god of thunder. The character was first canonized in the DCEU with a mention in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice before going on to be revealed as the father of Wonder Woman in 2017’s film of the same name. The character then physically appeared in flashbacks in Justice League and Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The MCU version of Zeus was first mentioned in 2011’s Thor, before actually appearing in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder. Despite the many references and mentions of each version of Zeus, both the MCU and DCEU have mostly wasted the character.

Related: How Thor 4’s Zeus Is Different From Zack Snyder’s Justice League’s Version

The MCU version of Zeus was especially poor, being portrayed as a vain, arrogant, selfish god who was mostly used as an annoyance to stand against Thor, Valkyrie, and Jane in the second act. This was partly due to the goofy tone of Thor: Love and Thunder, which Russell Crowe’s Zeus was an epitome of. Zeus as seen in Justice League and Zack Snyder’s Justice League is admittedly slightly better, though still a wasted character. While shown to perform feats of heroism in his battle against Darkseid, Zeus was largely a background character in both films, resigned to being the looming paternal presence for Diana through much of the DCEU.

The MCU Could Still Fix Zeus In Thor 5

Despite being wasted in Thor: Love and Thunder, the MCU could still fix the character of Zeus should he be included in a potential Thor 5. The ending of Thor 4 saw Zeus wishing revenge against Thor, sending his son Hercules after the Norse god of thunder. This need for revenge could send Zeus down a darker path, linking to the potential of Thor 5 being a darker MCU story than Love and Thunder. Thor even mentions in Love and Thunder that Zeus was a hero of his, a once noble and courageous warrior.

Russell Crowe is no stranger to these types of roles, and could easily bring a more serious version of Zeus to life. If Marvel Studios did switch up the tone of the Thor movies to be slightly more serious with comedic undertones – much like the heavily-praised Thor appearances in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame – Zeus could find redemption. Transitioning from the bumbling, annoying, self-indulgent god from Love and Thunder into a vengeful, angry version of Zeus could be a fantastic character arc, make for a great Thor villain, and redeem the character’s wasteful MCU appearance from Thor 4​​​​​​.

How The DC Universe Can Fix Zeus

In terms of the DCEU, the planned reboot by James Gunn could fix the appearances of Zeus from the respective Justice League films. While again, Zeus’ appearances were epic if short-lived in the DCEU, his character could be a much more central part of the DC Universe, something James Gunn’s plans could allow for. In January 2023, Gunn took to Twitter to announce the first slate for the new-look DCU, titled “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters”

Through the title of the DCU’s first chapter – and one specific project James Gunn announced as part of it – Zeus’ DC Universe redemption could be at hand. Zeus embodies a god more than any other DC character, being one of the most powerful mythological DC gods and heroes, making his appearance in “Gods and Monsters” almost a given. Secondly, Gunn announced a TV show titled Paradise Lost set on Themyscira, the birth island of Wonder Woman. This show is confirmed to be set before Diana was born, potentially hinting at a Zeus appearance.

Zeus is the father of Wonder Woman in DC, which could mean he plays a central role in Paradise Lost. This would establish him as a much more prominent character in the DCU than the DCEU, making him less of a background deity and more of a fleshed-out character. If this was the case, Zeus could be used to introduce the DCU’s version of Wonder Woman. Through this project, and Thor 5 in the MCU, both major franchises could give the Greek god of thunder a bright future in superhero cinema.