12 Canceled Twists That Would’ve Saved DC Movies (And 13 That Would’ve Hurt Them)

While DC movies seem to have been experiencing something of a rocky period, they should never be discounted as a lesser-than entity when contrasted against the vastly popular and lucrative Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some of the best superhero films have DC origins, just as some Marvel productions have flopped (Inhumans, anyone?).

As excited as we Marvel fans are to experience a surge in the popularity of some of our most beloved characters, we must concede that they wouldn't have been possible without the many preceding DC films, from the incredible Superman legacy to the varied Batman movies that we've enjoyed for decades.

As DC fans, it's easy for us to complain about deleted plot points and deleted scenes that could have made or broken a movie, and the Internet has mitigated the process, providing us with so many examples of plots that could have been, whether from the directors' and writers' mouths to scenes that fell to the cold and unforgiving editing room floor.

We can argue day and night over whether or not From Hell was a good adaptation of the comic or whether or not Robin should have been included in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman. While it's all subjective in the end, there's no doubting our passion for our fandoms.

From the chopped expositions of major characters to tiny moments that could've made a big difference in favor or against the success of a production, here are 12 Canceled Twists That Would’ve Saved DC Movies (And 13 That Would’ve Hurt Them).

25 Hurt: Superman self-inflicted Kryptonite injury - Superman Returns

The Man of Steel is easily one of America's favorite superheroes, more beloved than Captain America, and his never-ending goodness and ability to do what's right at the opportune moment has a lot to do with that. That's why it would have been a disaster to include the deleted scene at the beginning of Superman Returns.

In the scene, Superman's absence is explained by a trip he took to Krypton in a crystal spaceship.

On his little adventure he nearly succumbs to Kryptonite, which would've rendered him as weak and foolish early on in the film.

24 Saved: Darkseid On The Throne - Justice League

Justice League sadly failed to live up to the hype its pretty promos promised, even with its shining moments. The transition from Snyder to Whedon is thought to have much to do with the lack of cohesion; many of Snyder's unused concepts look as if they'd been more interesting. One such unused storyboard that was released included a deleted scene featuring Darkseid on a throne, proving fan theories and rumors about the scene correct.

Adding Darkseid's scene to Justice League would have inflicted more urgency into the film, especially if it were alongside Kevin Smith's own hope for the movie, an early screening scene in which Superman resists the dark side.

23 Hurt: Harley Stays with the Joker - Suicide Squad

One of the worst and best things to emerge from Suicide Squad was Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, inarguably the best character in the film. Her wonderful performance did nothing to detract from the many "couple goal" memes and t-shirts that spawned from her abusive relationship with the Joker.

A scene that nearly made the cut would have only exacerbated the abusive relationship which misguided fans elevate to "love."

In the scene, Harley confronts the Joker about why he doesn't want her to be with him-- which, while technically true to the source material, only furthers the narrative of their never-ending, toxic love.

22 Saved: The Kryptonian Pod Was Supergirl's - Man Of Steel

Kara zor El in the DCEU? Yes, please! That was the route it seemed the Man of Steel had pursued based on the film's prequel promotional materials, which clearly indicates that the open pod Clark Kent discovered in Man of Steel belonged to Kara.

We never saw it mentioned again, though, which is more than a bummer, since some added woman power, canon or not, would be welcome in the verse.

Perhaps Warner Bros. recognized its mistake since talks of a Supergirl movie have been reported this year.

21 Hurt: Nite Owl Perishes - Watchmen

One of the most honorable characters in DC's gritty Watchmen adaptation is Nite Owl. Even if he's as highly flawed as the rest of the cast, his demise, particularly if served with cruel and unwarranted vengeance, would have been an unnecessary dark cloud over an already bleak, depressing movie.

There's merit in the movie, but it's not the warm PG fuzzies of a Marvel movie which many audiences prefer. A deleted scene where a gang of men beat him until he's gone, while canon and meaningful in the graphic novel, would have rendered the depressing film unwatchable for many.

20 Saved: Victoria's Grenade Scene - Red 2

The first Red film, despite its extremely loose interpretation of the miniseries, proved to be a magical romp into completely ludicrous action, nefarious plots, and paranoia. In other words, it was a joy to watch-- the perfect blend of laughs and ridiculous fight scenes.

That's why it's a shame that Red 2, while still fun in its own way, just didn't measure up to its predecessor, as sequels are wont to do.

Could a deleted scene where Helen Mirren's enchanting assassin Victoria uses a grenade to neutralize a guard helped to save the movie? We think so.

19 Hurt: Alfred Meets With Superman - Justice League

Why spoil a good thing? Sure, "a good thing" is a stretch description for Justice League for many fans, but including a deleted scene where Alfred meets with Superman would beat an already beaten horse.

The shot, which was included in the film's promotional materials, was a major moment of hype when it came to the trailer.

It contains nothing less than cringe-worthy dialogue and the confirmation of the film's big Captain Obvious moment: "I'm assuming you're Alfred." Well, Mr. Kent has never really been known for his zippy one-liners...

18 Saved: Tom's Nightmare - A History Of Violence

Scene 44 in DC's A History of Violence was a graphic, horrifying dream sequence in which the ex-criminal lead, Tom, witnesses his worst fears come to life.

When he defends his wife and children by taking his enemy down, he realizes that the man not only survives but takes him out instead.

It's a violent and fitting scene to represent the nature of the story, but it never made it to the film.

Viggo Mortensen, the actor portraying Tom, thought the villain should whip his gun out of his chest, but director David Cronenberg thought it was too close to another one of his movies, Videodrome, so it ultimately wasn't used.

17 Hurt: Constantine Has a Demon Lover - Constantine

Constantine had enough issues to make plenty of fans wince, particularly the deviation from the titular hero's responsibility in the loss of the life of a young girl through a demon summoning instead of his "half-breed" sight, which would have created a much richer story.

Something cut that would've hurt the movie, despite its canon status, was the inclusion of Constantine's demon lover.

Ellie, played by Michelle Monaghan, is actually half-demon. Her depressing role as a less-than-supportive companion in several scenes was filmed but not included in the final version, to help John appear even lonelier.

16 Saved: Batman Chases A Dog - The Lego Batman Movie

Lego Batman is easily a fan-favorite version of the big black bat, more beloved than Kilmer or Clooney's portrayals. The Lego Batman Movie doesn't need much elevating but the inclusion of a hilarious scene where Batman chases a "lawless" dog would have enhanced the film.

Why would Batman chase a dog down? Because the dog is violating leash laws, naturally.

The scene is funny from multiple angles, from the Bat's ridiculous interpretation of the law to the irony of all of the laws he breaks himself. The destruction in the wake of the chase is hilarious as it calls attention to the major damage that Batman wreaks in the middle of heroics all the time.

15 Hurt: Robin Pulls The Trigger - Return Of The Joker

It's a horrifying scene that might have made the animated Return of the Joker heavier and more poignant, but it was too dark for the final version.

Tim Drake, brainwashed by the Joker, pulls the trigger in the film, but instead of taking out Batman he regains just enough of his own conscience to shoot the Joker instead.

It's already disturbing to see Bruce's tormented trainee break down and give up all of his secrets to Batman's nemesis, but to stand at the end of the smoking gun simply went to far in the eyes of the filmmakers. The idea of a child taking a life was disturbing enough to warrant a cut.

14 Saved: Quatermain Was An Addict - The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen should have been an extraordinary triumph, but its writing and production were a perfect storm of chaos, rendering the extremely loose adaptation a failure on many accounts.

The leaders of the team in the comic, a non-vampiric Mina and Nemo, were reduced to background characters in deferment to Sean Connery's Quatermain, who not only wasn't an addicted as he should have been, but also led to Connery quitting acting for good.

It's no wonder fans of the comic despised the final product of this catastrophe.

13 Hurt: Evey Becoming V - V For Vendetta

If you've only seen the V for Vendetta film and not read the comic, you probably don't know that Evey Hammond becomes V.

The reason this plot twist would've hurt the movie is because of the route the film went with the story between Evey and V.

The film version of the pair is much more romantic than the comic, in which V not only doesn't have feelings for Evey, but even leaves her behind at one point.

While her transition into his protegee is the perfect resolution for the comic, it wouldn't translate in the film, where her character is much less militant and more sentimental toward V.

12 Saved: Pediatric Visit - Man Of Steel

When compared with the earlier Superman films, Man of Steel unfortunately turned out to be a yawnfest with low chemistry, poor connection with the audience, and enormous special effects that can't save the plot.

More scenes depicting the humanity of the characters, or any character development at all, could have improved the film.

There's a cut scene where Clark visits the pediatrician and screams, shattering the window, when a simple hearing test assaults his sensitive ears. It might be a bit intense for audiences to see a little boy endure that but it would help us relate to him better, which is vital in a movie where Superman feels more alien than human.

11 Hurt: Wonder Woman Fights Superman - Justice League

Wonder Woman has been the saving grace of the DC cinematic universe for the past few years. The original concept for a Justice League movie included a fight between Superman and Wonder Woman, but watching her beat up America's golden boy would never lend credence to her righteousness on screen.

She has the odds stacked against her already as the only woman in the Justice League, requiring her to be better than everyone in order to stand a chance at audience acceptance.

Luckily, she's Wonder Woman, so she already fits that bill, and Gal Gadot does not disappoint in bringing her to life.

10 Saved: Harley Reject's Joker's Deal With Enchantress -  Suicide Squad

In the original plan for the Suicide Squad film, the Joker had a pact with Enchantress all along to return Harley Quinn to him following her destruction of everything.

While this sounds terrible given the toxic concept of Harley and her Puddin' living dysfunctionally ever after, it's actually a saving grace since Harley uses the opportunity to refuse Mr. J, choosing her teammates over her abusive lover.

It's a more empowering moment for Harley since she's directly refusing the Joker, who has proven that he wants her after all, even if it's to manipulate and use her as usual.

9 Hurt: Sawyer Is Avenging Huck - The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Many changes could have improved League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but creating some little revenge story for Tom Sawyer could have hurt it a little bit.

Focusing more on Sawyer as a son figure to fulfill Quatermain's parental vacancy lends a tiny bit of humanity toward the film instead of weighing it down with yet another "I will avenge thee!" plot.

The movie already has that plot between other characters, such as Mina and Dorian.

Including a Huck Finn thread would've been unnecessary.

8 Saved: Tombstone Drop - Mask Of The Phantasm

Mask of the Phantasm may be an animated feature but it remains one of the most beloved Batman films of all time. The origin story of Batman heavily features the theme of tombstones, which fits the somber tone of the story quite well.

It's too bad that one of the scenes that features a tombstone was cut for its macabre quality.

The plot featured a bad guy being taken out by the falling stone-- a moment that would have surely been included had the film been live-action. Director Bruce Timm declared it inappropriate for audiences so it was axed.

7 Hurt: James Bond's Ancestor -  League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen

If you aren't familiar with Campion Bond after watching League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, don't fret. The character, who appeared in the source material and is an ancestor of James Bond, was cut from the movie.

While Robbie Coltrane and Jason Isaacs were approached for the role, we're pretty sure neither actor, despite their talents, could have saved the film. With Connery already at the helm of the team it just would have been distracting.

"Why is this guy Bond when Bond isn't Bond?" Audiences would have wondered.

6 Saved: Bane Being Bullied - The Dark Knight Rises

One of the most annoying things about The Dark Knight Rises was the lack of pure evil in Bane. When you need random characters to cry, "What are you?!" to demonstrate your villainy, especially after following Heath Ledger's Joker, you just aren't leading bad guy material.

Had the DC universe ran with the original plan to portray some of Bane's backstory, including a history of being bullied, it might have saved his storyline.

It's hard enough to be evil with a mask muting every expression, let alone with minimal history. If you're truly bad you don't need to tell people.

5 Hurt: A More Serious Proposal - Justice League

Clark Kent and Lois Lane don't have a fun-filled relationship in the DCEU. On the contrary, the pair seem to be built on seriousness and smoldering stares, which don't do much for audience engagement.

The little joking proposal that Superman gives her lends a smidgen of humanity toward an otherwise unexplained attraction that somehow never needed the aid in the older adaptations.

The original script called for a more serious proposal which, although more fitting for this incarnation of the couple, would've just generated more snores.

4 Saved: Two-Face's Escape - Batman Forever

Batman Forever is terribly campy and irreverent in ways that Christopher Nolan was later able to completely about-face, but it didn't have to be.

Original cuts of the film were much darker and sound more satisfying than the end product.

In one scene, Two-Face escapes from Arkham Asylum after not only shattering a wall and hog-tying a guard but also leaving a life-threatening note regarding Batman. It paints the picture of the threatening villain that fans deserved, but didn't get in the weird movie.

3 Hurt: Lex Luthor's Babies - 1978 Superman

It's almost an insult to the cunning, cruel villain everyone loves to hate. While the 1978 Lex Luthor of the beloved Superman film isn't as morally ambiguous as more recent renditions of the character, he's still a formidable foe who should never be underestimated and his dastardly plots are unrivaled.

That's why Luthor's "babies," unseen carnivorous creatures he uses to terrorize everyone from his own henchmen to his mistress, are such a cheap tactic.

Not only does using the word "babies" here appear tacky, but Luthor's malice is easily conveyed without the theatrics.

2 Saved: The Red Book Plot - Batman Forever

Bruce Wayne's guilt over the loss of his parents after he begged to leave the theater early weighs upon him throughout his life, fueling his career as a vigilante. Although the dots do connect, it still feels like a bit of a stretch, especially once the man is grown and realizes that he had no control over the attack.

That's where the deleted Red Book plot of Batman Forever could have saved the film. The diary, which reveals young Bruce's insistence in seeing a show that night, lends more credence to his guilt and could've helped Kilmer's Frosty Bat appear slightly more likable.

1 Hurt: Giant Squid Destroys New York - Watchmen

It's a scene that many devout fans cried foul over missing, but would the impact of a giant squid attack really have had the same impact on screen.

Zack Snyder had his reasons for eliminating the canon squid from the film and we're grateful for it since it wouldn't have translated well in the finished product.

Snyder does point out an homage to the squid in the film. "If you notice, [Dr. Manhattan's] reactor is actually called the Sub Quantum Unifying Intrinsic Device." The acronym for the device? "SQUID."

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What twist would you have liked to see in a DCEU movie? Let us know in the comments!

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