Netflix Buying WBD Wouldn’t Kill the DCU | It Might Actually Save It

When all the noise started getting louder about Netflix and WBD the internet does what the internet always does… panic, celebrate, meltdown, repeat.

And now, with Netflix sitting at the front of the line waiting for ink to dry and regulators to approve their acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, the hottest take going around is that this is that

this is the end of James Gunn, Peter Safran, and the entire DCU!

Hold on Susie Q!… Let’s take a breath.

Because if you actually sit down and look at the landscape, the entirety of the business reality, the streaming reality, and the creative reality… Netflix owning WBD might not be a death sentence at all.

In fact… it might be the best case scenario for the DCU that none of us really saw.

Yep. You read that right.

So, here’s the thing about Netflix,

Despite being the king of streaming, they don’t really have a fully functioning blockbuster studio machine dedicated to superhero filmmaking…

You have to imagien they probably would like to have one.

Heck, they sort of tried to build one with multiple films over the years. Bright, The Old Guard, Jupiter’s Legacy, Rebel Moon, etc.

But none of it has reached the “global” or even “theatrical franchise” level they’ve always dreamed of.

The DCU under DC Studios gives them that instantly.

A working blueprint. A pipeline. A cinematic universe already in motion. Talent already hired. Projects already filming and releasing.

So instead of dismantling Gunn and Safran’s DCU… Netflix may actually double down on it to strengthen their new asset. And before you say “this isn’t charity Slav!” You are right, This is business.

You don’t buy a Ferrari and immediately replace the engine with a lawnmower. You drive it for a bit and you upgrade what isn’t working.

And that is one of the beautiful aspects of Netflix here.

If you want to know what Netflix does have, it’s this… freedom.

WBD, for all its strengths, is tied up in legacy structures, traditional theatrical distribution, and a constant tug of war between divisions.

Netflix? They don’t care about old studio rules. They want attention, global hits, and brand dominance.

What that means is

• Bigger swings

• Riskier ideas

• Less studio interference

• More creative playgrounds

When it comes to DC and DC Studios that could include their Elseworlds titles.

Netflix lives and breathes content volume. Their entire business model is “give people a reason to stay subscribed every day, every week and month.”

So imagine this if you will.

• The main DCU continues theatrically under Gunn

• Meanwhile Netflix expands Elseworlds on streaming with one offs, side stories, weird experiments, animated events, and darker adult projects that don’t fit the mainline DCU.

It’s not a guarantee, but it’s absolutely within Netflix’s DNA.

If anything, WBD has restricted Elseworlds because they’ve been financially squeezed.

Netflix, on the other hand, has more incentive than anyone to pump out content… especially content tied to valuable IP.

You see, the idea of Netflix running a full theatrical DCU while also a full streaming only DC Universe is… well cute, but unlikely.

They’re not going to split resources between two massive, expensive universes.

That’s chaos. That’s Suicide Squad (2016) energy. (too soon?)

Honestly, they won’t do it.

More realistically though, they will properly look at One main universe like the DCU as it continues as the flagship. Then allow their Elseworlds title to become a curated side sandbox for films like Joker, The Batman, or limited series that don’t require long term continuity.

That’s the cleanest, most profitable, and most stable model… especially during a massive corporate transition.

The part that a certain section of fans may not like though is how originally, the argument for James Gunn and Peter Safran surviving a Netflix acquisition came down to one word… stability. But now we have new information which changes the picture in their favor even more.

It’s being reported that David Zaslav will remain at the head of WB assets when Netflix takes over.

And whether you love Zaslav, hate Zaslav, or merely tolerate him like background noise during a commercial break, this is a massive signal about the future of the DCU.

Why? Because Zaslav is the guy who hired Gunn and Safran.

He’s the one who hand picked them to usher in the new DC universe. He defended them. He backed their long term plan. And most importantly, he likes what they’re building.

If Zaslav stays in power during the transition and beyond… well that means.

• Gunn & Safran keep the support of the executive who put them there

• The DCU roadmap remains intact

• Netflix gets a functioning leadership team they don’t have to rebuild from scratch

• The creative vision stays consistent during a chaotic merger

A buyer spending tens of billions of dollars does not want to tear up its most organized, forward moving division. And they definitely don’t want to override the guy they’re trusting to run the assets.

You don’t tell the captain, “Stay on the ship,” and then immediately fire the crew he assembled.

With Zaslav sticking around, the DCU becomes even more insulated from upheaval.

Netflix gets stability. Zaslav gets continuity. Gunn and Safran get to keep building the universe they just started. And fans get reassurance that the work already in motion isn’t being tossed aside to chase online noise.

If anything, this new development doesn’t just hint at Gunn and Safran being safe… it practically underlines it in red ink.

And honestly, the last thing Netflix would want to do is cause more chaos with another shake up with the DC IP.

But what about the Elephant in the room? Because I know many of you want to know about it. So… Let’s talk about it.

Let’s address the fantasy. And let’s bring the cultists out of the shadows for a moment.

Yes, Zack Snyder has a good relationship with Netflix. And yes, Netflix produced Rebel Moon, Army of the Dead, Twilight of the Gods.

But none of them delivered what Netflix hoped financially or critically. That’s just the reality. And when you’re spending nearly $100 billion to buy WBD assets? You tend to tighten your wallet a little bit which means you don’t tend to reopen old wounds.

So, would Netflix bring back the SnyderVerse? Not guaranteed. Not promised. And not automatic.

But, and this is important, they were still the most likely buyer to even consider it.

Not because it’s smart and not because it’s strategic.

But because they’re the one company crazy enough to throw money at passion projects when they want a headline.

Still… with an acquisition this huge, they may choose to simply move forward with whatever is working rather than immediately diving into controversial territory.

The loudest voices online who are usually the Snyder radicals of course want to claim this is “proof” the DCU is dead.

But reality is… Nope.

This deal doesn’t guarantee anything, but it absolutely isn’t a death sentence for Gunn, Safran, or the DCU.

As we sit here and look at anything it’s clear to see that if anything

• It gives Netflix a ready made blockbuster engine

• It gives DC more financial stability

• It gives Elseworlds more room to expand

• It gives the main DCU a chance to grow under consistent leadership

• It gives the brand a future beyond WBD’s corporate circus

Could it still go south? Sure. Mergers are insane, and if the DCU struggles to have consistent success, well Netflix will quickly pull the plug.

Could everything collapse like a house of cards? It’s Hollywood. So as I always say, anything can happen.

But right now? For DCU fans, this is not the worst case scenario. It might actually be the best one.

But the biggest thing you need to remember is…

None of us, not me, not you, not the Snyder ultras will truly know what is going to happen until the dust settles and it actually happens.