DC fans were only treated with four live-action films this year, but they didn't fail to include some of the best moments in the franchise. 2023 saw some of the most awaited DC movies, including the Shazam and Aquaman sequels.
The superhero film The Flash, starring the controversial star Ezra Miller, which had been subjected to various speculations of cancelation, had also finally seen the light of day. Plus, DC introduced us to Jaime Reyes, the third individual to bear the name Blue Beetle. Within these movies were some great individual moments, even if the movies themselves didn't always live up to the high standards set by the viewing public.
Billy Sacrifices Himself To Save Everyone (Shazam Fury of the Gods)
Billy Batson struggles with juggling his teenage life and adult superhero alter ego. However, his maturity was evident when he sacrificed himself during the biggest battle of his life — his fight against Kalypso (Lucy Lui). Kalypso was a deceiving goddess. She's also destructive and evil, much like Hades, the god of the underworld. She wanted to destroy humankind by planting a golden apple from the Tree of Life that spawned horrific monsters.
However, Billy showcases his character's nobility and worthiness as a superhero. He fought Kalypso to death to ensure that everyone on Earth was safe. The scene when he made the biggest sacrifice reminded superhero fans of the heartbreaking moment when Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man also laid down his life to save everyone in Avengers: Endgame. He made the snap to make Thanos and his entire army disappear, but his fragile body couldn't handle the intense energy released from the Infinity Stones. Both heroic scenes were heart-wrenching.
Wonder Woman's Surprising Cameos (Shazam Fury of the Gods, The Flash)
There is no doubt that Gal Gadot is the perfect Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman, in this era. Everyone was in awe when she appeared as the Amazon Princess for the first time in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016 and many were pleased with her two standalone films, Wonder Woman (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020). However, the anticipated Wonder Woman 3 was canceled, leaving many fans disappointed. Thus, seeing Gadot in her superhero costume in Shazam Fury of the Gods and The Flash was a major treat to the audience. Also, her arrival in her scenes was nothing but perfect. She's always in time to save the other superheroes.
In Shazam 2, Gadot appeared shortly after Billy was buried to restore the Wizard's staff's magic and bring him back to life. In The Flash, she arrives in the nick of time to save Batman (Ben Affleck) and a terrorist from falling into the river. She rescued them with her Lasso of Truth, which prompted Bruce Wayne (Batman) to divulge his real feelings about life and work. Wonder Woman's cameos were brief but very satisfying.
Flash vs. Flash (The Flash)
One of the surprising scenes in The Flash was the introduction of two Barry Allen and most part of the story followed the duo. Barry was consumed with grief following his mom's death and wanted to change things by going back in time to save his mother. His time travel led him to meet a younger version of himself, who was inexperienced and clumsy.
Initially, the original Barry was determined to change things just to bring his mom back and the younger version of himself was on board with it. However, observing the younger Flash trying to alter things several times without seeing actual changes made him realize there was nothing they could do but accept the loss. The presence of the younger Barry taught the original Barry a lot of things, including the decision to move forward and not hurt himself further with his obsession to bring his mom back, which was impossible to accomplish. Barry had matured and became responsible.
Khaji-Dah Reminds Jaime' We Are Not Killers' (Blue Beetle)
Blue Beetle was refreshingly fun and it was moving at the same time. It followed Jaime Reyes, who was reluctant to host the alien artifact or scarab dubbed Khaji-Da that had grafted onto his spine and given him his superhero abilities. The duo had a lot of bickering due to Khaji-Da's nature of being a weapon and Jaime sticking to his heroic values. The film had successfully highlighted their relationship.
Earlier in the film, Khaji-Da wanted to kill the villain, Carapax, after she took control of Jaime to defend the latter's body. However, Jaime told her not to do it because he wasn't a killer. In the film's climax, Jaime becomes emotional and loses control after losing his father and thinking his uncle has died, so he unleashes his fury on Carapax and beats him with all his might. He also forms a sword and is about to strike Carapax when Khaji-Da stops him. The scarab reminded him, using his own words, telling Jaime, "We are not killers." The statement was moving and it reflected their tight bond since, evidently, Khaji-Da listened to what Jaime told her.
Arthur Teams Up With Brother Orm (Aquaman 2)
In the first Aquaman film, Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Orm Marius, aka Ocean Master (Patrick Wilson), clashed due to their different stances in handling their battle with humanity. Understandably, Arthur wants to protect the humans because he is one of them, but Orm is also doing the same for his people. Orm wanted to wage war against humanity due to hundreds of years of pollution inflicted on their homes — the ocean. However, eradicating the entire humanity is a bit extreme. The first film ended with Arthur taking the throne from Orm in a trial by combat.
Initially, there were a lot of speculation about whether Orm would be the villain in the sequel. Surprisingly, the half-brothers teamed up in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) remained the villain in the sequel and was serious about getting back with Aquaman after the latter refused to save his dad in an encounter in the submarine. Manta begged Aquaman to help him rescue his father, who was stuck under what appeared to be a heavy tank. However, the titular superhero refused, telling him:
You killed innocent people. You ask the sea for mercy.
Manta wanted to kill Aquaman's family members and end his bloodline. So the titular superhero turned to his brother, Orm, for support. Initially, the latter was divisive but as the film continued, Orm, who was bound by duty to his people, realized that Arthur shared the same compassion and love for his people and family. Arthur even defended him from King Nereus and the film ended with a big victory for the siblings. Arthur turning to Orm for help made sense because his war with Manta had escalated to a family battle. Also, it's always great to see siblings fighting together and not fighting against each other. The film ended with Orm giving his blessing to Aquaman as the king. He also complimented his older brother's leadership, telling him people would follow him because he was a good man. It was a happy ending, considering that Aquaman 2 could be the concluding movie for DC's Extended Universe, as James Gunn and Peter Safran were planning to make a hard reboot for the franchise.
Aquaman 2 is now in theaters.
