Summary

• Recasting DCEU characters like the Joker, the Flash, and Wonder Woman can freshen up the new DC Universe.
• The DCU could bring a new version of Batman — different in a key way.
• Shazam is among the characters that also need to be recast to offer a more balanced portrayal in the new DC Universe.

With the end of the DCU's slate of projects, I think it is for the best that all of them are recast — and as soon as possible.

James Gunn has made some DCEU players canon characters in the DCU, such as the crew from Peacemaker. However, given Henry Cavill was recast as Superman, most major players of the DCEU are also likely to be recast. I believe that is the way to go, save for Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and a few others — as it allows the DCU to feel fresh and let go of the DCEU's baggage. Here are 10 DCEU characters I can't wait to be recast for the DCU.

10 The Joker

Jared Leto Missed The Mark

Like most, I was not a fan of Jared Leto's portrayal of the Joker. The chosen approach to make the Joker look and act like a gangster, with a questionable design, was not what I think works best for the character. Comparatively, I was a huge fan of the pure chaos Heath Ledger brought to his Joker in The Dark Knight — my favorite villain performance in any superhero movie — and the nuances of Joaquin Phoenix's tragic Arthur Fleck in Joker.

I don't think the Joker should debut in the DCU already in The Brave and the Bold, the Batman reboot film. The Dark Knight needs to fight other villains first; however, any shared DC universe needs to have the Joker. I think the Joker could be used in multiple projects during the DCU's Chapter One, leaving Leto's edgy version of the character behind and a new actor infusing him with the needed quick-witted, volatile personality he is known for.

9 The Flash

Barry Allen Could Be A Mentor

I didn't hate The Flash movie, instead, I quite liked it — though I absolutely think the multiverse sequence with the cameos is one of the worst decisions I've seen from a superhero adaptation. That said, I was not a major fan of Ezra Miller playing Barry Allen. The character never really felt to me like Barry is in the comics, with the DCEU going for a more awkward take on the character.

Given Miller's controversies and how his Barry Allen was not the ideal one — Grant Gustin's from The Flash series running laps around him — I firmly believe it would be for the best that a new actor comes in for The Flash in the DCU. I would love it if Gustin were to play a new version of Barry, though that's very unlikely to happen. I would like to see the DCU adapt the Flash family, with Barry serving as a mentor to younger characters like Wally West, Bart Allen, and others.

8 Wonder Woman

The DCEU Wasted Huge Potential

Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman was one of my favorite DCEU characters. As such, I would not be opposed to her coming back for the new DC Universe; however, recasting Diana Prince would be for the best. The character's last solo movie was a major disappointment. The film had an amazing cast and brought to life well-known characters who have crossed paths with Wonder Woman in the comics time and again, though Wonder Woman 1984 got more wrong than right.

Gadot then appeared in cameo roles in two of the final DCEU movies, both of which failed at the box office, further linking herself to the DCEU's issues. I want Wonder Woman to have a fresh start in the new DCU. The DCEU failed to bring her epic Greek mythology connections to life, and a new actress as Diana could cement that this is a new chapter for the character that can explore more of her comic book lore.

7 Deathstroke

He Was Never Really Used

Joe Maganiello's Deathstroke was only used in a post-credits scene of the theatrical Justice League, having a bigger role in Zack Snyder's Justice League, though that was not nearly enough for a character of his size. With the DCEU recasting most characters, I believe Deathstroke should be one of those, allowing Gunn and the creative team of whichever project Slade Wilson debuts in to be able to cast the actor that best fits their vision.

I have a guess about where that could be, as the DCU's Teen Titans movie seems like the best place for Deathstroke to appear. Gunn has teased plans for Deathstroke in the DCU, and given the fact that Slade Wilson is the Teen Titans' ultimate villain in DC Comics, it would be great to see him face the team. I loved Esai Morales' Deathstroke in the Titans series and would gladly take him back in the DCU.

6 Batman

One Of The Crucial DCU Roles

Ben Affleck's Batman is among my top three favorite iterations of the hero in live-action. That said, I am ready to see a new actor play Bruce Wayne in the DC Universe. Affleck was great as a disillusioned Batman, but I believe the DCU needs a different take on the character. Batman will debut in The Brave and the Bold reboot. The movie will also see Damian Wayne's live-action debut.

Besides Damian, Bruce Wayne's biological son, the Batman reboot will also include other of the Bat-Family. I am excited to see a new actor who can make Batman a feared foe to his villains but is also more mellow in his relationship with the Bat-Family —not without some tension, I might add — something I don't quite think Affleck would be the best at. Jensen Ackles would be the DCU's perfect Batman for me.

5 Cassandra Cain

The DCEU Completely Changed The Character

With the Bat-Family set to appear in The Brave and the Bold and beyond, there is a character that I simply can't wait for the DCU to recast. Ella Jay Basco played Cassandra Cain opposite Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and other iconic female DC characters in Birds of Prey. While I liked Basco in the film, her character was Cassandra Cain only in name, not looking or acting anything like the character does in the comics.

I want to see a Cassandra Cain who can read body language like no one else and is the best fighter of the Bat-Family like she is in the comics. The DCEU decided to change that and make Cass nothing but a pickpocket, which I very much disliked. Cass has the potential to be one of the DCU's most charismatic characters, and I think a new actress would be needed to start fresh.

4 Batgirl

Too Much Controversy

Technically, Batgirl never debuted in the DCEU. However, actress Leslie Grace was cast to play Barbara Gordon in the canceled Batgirl movie. The project has become one of the most controversial in the DCEU due to how it ended. With production done, Batgirl never got to see the light of day. The DC movie was deemed un-releasable and started a Warner Bros. Discovery trend of discarding movies and series as tax write-offs.

While Gunn could give Grace a chance to come back and finally play Batgirl in the DCU, I think recasting would be the best way to go. Barbara Gordon has incredible potential in the DCU, being able to appear as both Batgirl and Oracle alongside the Bat-Family, Nightwing specifically, and possible new teams. Using Grace would bring back all the baggage from the canceled Batgirl movie, something the character and the DCU don't need to deal with.

3 Cyborg

The Hero Should Be In Another Team

Aside from Zack Snyder's Justice League, Ray Fisher never got to do much as Cyborg in the DCEU. His character had many scenes cut from the theatrical version of Justice League. Due to being very public about his experience with the movie's reshoots and entering a dispute with Warner Bros. executives, Fisher's Cyborg solo movie and appearance alongside Ezra Miller in The Flash were dropped.

Based on the actor's issues with Warner, there is no way that Fisher will be back as Cyborg in the DCU. Rather than go years without using Victor Stone, I want the new DC Universe to recast Cyborg as soon as possible. I have always been more of a fan of the character as part of the Teen Titans than the Justice League, and with a Teen Titans movie already in the works, Cyborg can get his time to shine in live-action there.

2 Ares

Part Of A Bigger DCEU Problem

Ares was the main villain of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman. I think he was easily defeated. Ares should have been a recurring DCEU player beyond the first Wonder Woman movie, and his death cemented one of the biggest problems of Gadot's Wonder Woman. In DC Comics, Diana Prince is deeply tied to Greek mythology; however, the DCEU chose to have Ares be the final living member of the Greek gods.

With Ares' death, the era of the Greek gods came to an end in-universe just as the DCEU was properly starting. That limited the scope of Wonder Woman's stories, contributing to the eventual issues seen in Wonder Woman 1984. While I think David Thewlis is a fine actor, I maintain that he was miscast in the role, and the DCU could bring in a more physically imposing actor as Ares, making the Greek gods part of the new Wonder Woman's stories.

1 Shazam

The Character's Two Sides Need To Be Balanced

Finally, the last character from the DCEU that I can't wait to be recast is Shazam. I'm a fan of both Shazam movies; however, in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, I had the same problem with star Zachary Levi that many DC fans had. While I felt he was accurate in the first movie, the sequel presented a large disconnect between Asher Angel's emotional performance as Billy Batson and Levi's aloof Shazam.

In my opinion, Angel was carrying the dual role as Billy Batson. Given how Shazam! Fury of the Gods bombed at the box office, I believe Shazam needs to be recast for the new DC Universe. Actors like Reacher's Alan Ritchson or even Chris Pratt, who James Gunn wants to bring to the DCU, could do a great job with the role. Shazam needs to be as funny or serious as necessary for each situation, with a balance between Billy and Shazam, making up for the DCEU's mistake.