10 Moments The DCEU Was Lighter Than The MCU

More often than not, the DC Extended Universe (DCUE) has been criticized for being too dark. It was launched bv the movies Man of Steel and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, which were the perfect encapsulations of Zack Snyder’s signature edgy aesthetic and worldview. The DCEU rarely looked back but occasionally, its grim atmosphere gave way to a sudden burst of light.

Conversely, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was applauded for its balance between fun and serious moments. Having never tipped the scales too much to either side, the tone of the MCU felt just right. To strike that same balance, the darker DCEU went to some extreme lengths to bring in more joy to its oppressively nihilistic world.

10 Diamonds Are Harley Quinn’s Best Friend

Despite being an absolute monster of a mob boss in the comics, Black Mask became one of the most comedic characters to ever appear in the DCEU by being the hilariously over-the-top villain in Birds of Prey. Considering that Birds of Prey’s overall tone skewed towards the lighter side of things, it was a fitting decision.

What would have otherwise been a threatening interrogation by Black Mask took on a life of its own as Harley escaped the pain by imagining herself in a lengthy song and dance sequence with her enemy set to “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Sure, Marvel featured song and dance sequences before, but they’re mostly in their series, not in the middle of one of a tentpole theatrical release.

9 Aquaman Drinks Where Everyone Knows His Name

Generally speaking, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman is one of the most humorous characters in the DCEU. That’s because the original Aquaman was released when DC had become increasingly aware of how dour their universe was compared to the MCU. As such, Aquaman boasted a brighter tone to cash in on a more fun-loving audience.

This change was made apparent early on when Aquaman tried to get a drink with his father at a local bar. Several burly bikers approached, but instead of breaking out into a brawl, they shared drinks with Arthur during a montage in which everyone got wildly drunk. With more than $1.52 Billion earned at the box office, the lighthearted tone of Aquaman paid off.

8 The Flash Loves Two Things: Iris West & Hot Dogs

Sometimes, the perfect lighthearted moment combines romance and comedy. This was exactly what audiences got out of Barry Allen’s in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The first display of Flash’s power set in that film arrives while he’s being interviewed to become a dog-walker in a scene that was notably cut from Justice League’s theatrical version.

Before Barry’s canine prowess can be tested, a semi-truck smashes into a hot dog vendor just outside, placing Barry’s love interest, Iris West, in mortal danger. The Flash sprinted to action, saving Iris and nabbing himself a hot dog out of midair while the tones of Rose Betts’ “Song to the Siren” set a romantic mood. It was equal parts touching and funny, an emotional chord that even the MCU can sometimes struggle to nail.

7 There’s a New (Old) Bruce Wayne in Town

From its inception, the DCEU has always appeared hell-bent on not looking back on its cinematic past and forging its own identity. However, when the MCU began playing around with nostalgia through the Multiverse, DC decided to dip into their history. No surprise throwback was more amusing than what happened at the end of The Flash.

Even though Barry mainly had set things right and restored the DCEU, he was approached by Bruce Wayne. This wasn’t the Ben Affleck or Micheal Keaton versions of Wayne that Barry was expecting. Surprisingly, it was the most maligned Batman of all time: George Clooney. Barry then drops an F-bomb right around the same time everyone in the audience probably did the same, and the film abruptly ends. Movies don’t get much more playful than that.

6 Peacemaker’s Opening Credits Are as Awkward as a High-School Dance

When James Gunn arrived in the DCEU with The Suicide Squad, he brought his trademarked sense of humor that made his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for the MCU such a hit. There were only so many creative liberties a filmmaker could take on a big-budget movie, but many of those same limitations go away on television.

When Gunn created Peacemaker for HBO Max, he ensured each episode’s runtime was chockful of humor. This was doubly true for the opening credits. Set to “Do Ya Wanna Taste It?” by Wig Wam, this sequence involved all the main characters dancing in a style reminiscent of an awkward high school jamboree. It’s stiff and humorless in the funniest possible ways.

5 Shazam Learns How to Use His Powers

One of the central tenets of the family-friendly Shazam! is that its hero, Billy Baston, is a teenage boy trapped in a superhero’s body. This naturally lent itself to many super-powered comedic possibilities. The film has numerous zany set pieces, but the one that stood out the most was when Billy mastered his powers during a montage..

Shortly after acquiring his abilities, Billy and his good friend Freddie extensively tested these new superpowers, with Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” providing the soundtrack. Bursts of lightning, controlled fires, and a hilarious visit to a very convincing adult nightclub are precisely the kinds of amusing things a teenager suddenly imbued with godlike abilities might actually get up to.

4 Harley Quinn Took on the Entire GCPD

Throughout its history, Harley Quinn proved time and time again to be one of the DCEU’s most lighthearted characters. At no time was this more apparent than when Harley became the driving force behind Birds of Prey. She showed off her comedic and action chops in the movie, most notably during her raid on the Gotham City Police Department.

While attempting to rescue Cassandra Cain from the clutches of the GCPD, Harley’s fourth-wall-breaking voice-over, coupled with fight choreography centered around a baseball bat and a beanbag gun, ensured this sequence played for laughs as opposed to becoming the outright (and hallucinatory) massacre that her escape from captivity in The Suicide Squad was.

3 Steve Trevor Was a Fashionless Fish Out of Water in 1984

In the original Wonder Woman, Steve Trevor served as Diana’s guide to the new world she found herself in. The oddly problematic sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, reversed those roles to comedic effect, instead making Steve the fish out of water in the ’80s. Seeing a plane fly overhead might have left a smile on Steve’s face, but his other brushes with modernity didn’t go quite as smoothly.

When he tried his best to embrace ’80s fashion, Steve thought he was pulling the fits off. In truth, his fashion show only had one purpose: to make audiences in the 21st Century laugh at the absurdity of fashion faux pas like parachute pants. This was then followed by Steve bumbling around in ’80s America and being confused by modernity.

2 Superman & the Flash Finally Raced for Real

Since the very inception of Barry Allen, DC fans have been debating about who was faster between The Flash and Superman. It’s a question that’s been posited many times in the pages of DC’s comics and countless online forums, but only once on the silver screen. The theatrical cut of Justice League engaged with this debate in a post-credits scene where The Flash and Superman squared off with the title of fastest hero in the DCEU on the line.

Justice League never quite answered the question, since it cut to credits before it showed who won the friendly competition. Even so, its inclusion reminded audiences of the whimsy and wonder that had been an integral part of the DC brand for decades and was something sorely missing from the DCEU.

1 The Flash Saved an Entire Maternity Ward in Slow Motion

There’s absolutely nothing funny about a maternity ward crumbling to the ground in the aftermath of an explosion, especially when countless newborn babies were put at risk. And yet, when this exact sequence of events played out in The Flash’s opening, it made for one of the most amusing scenes in the entire DCEU.

As the Gotham hospital collapsed, Barry rescued numerous falling infants, a screaming nurse, and even a bewildered dog from certain death in a slow-motion sequence that’s played more for jokes than screams. It’s an outrageous situation made all the more humorous due to Barry’s frequent need to shove food down his throat to keep his metabolism burning. Whether the MCU or the DECU, no scene was as absurd, humorous, and imbued with as much good-natured fun as this one.