It has been nearly a decade since the DC Extended Universe was kickstarted with Zack Snyder's Man of Steel in 2013. Since then, it has been a wild rollercoaster ride for the studio as it tries to keep up with Marvel and its countless projects. While there certainly have been a string of hits, there are more misses that have occurred, especially in the way the Snyderverse has been handled.

But even though Warner Bros. Discovery has tried to distance their DC projects from Snyder's work, recent developments have shown otherwise. We take a deep dive below at some signs pointing out the Snyderverse will be the DCEU's primary timeline soon enough.

4 compelling signs DC will go with the Snyderverse

4. Shazam 2: Fury of the Gods uses old Snyderverse footage

A couple of weeks back, the trailer for Shazam 2: Fury of the Gods was shown at San Diego Comic Con. In it, fans can see Billy Batson in his Shazam form feeling worthless as he mentions other established heroes in the DCEU. What follows is a montage of the Flash, Aquaman, and Batman being described by him.

While other DC characters could have been mentioned or different footage was used, the trailer went with clips that show Jason Momoa's Aquaman during his first film, Ezra Miller's Flash in a scene from Justice League, and Batman with Ben Affleck donning the suit. The common denominator here is that all of these clips originated from Snyderverse-related films.

If Warner Bros. Discover was serious about moving past the Snyderverse, these clips would not have been used at all. Instead, the use of these scenes solidifies the existence of these characters in the current DCEU setting, making the case for the Snyderverse to stay alive.

3. Ben Affleck is in Aquaman 2

A few weeks ago, Jason Momoa confirmed that Ben Affleck's Batman will be appearing in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the sequel to the 2018 DCEU film. Although the news itself is exciting, to say the least, it raises the argument in favor of the Snyderverse.

 

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After the disastrous showing of Justice League and Affleck bowing out of the solo Batman film, all seemed lost for the actor to play the Dark Knight in the DCEU. The success of Robert Pattinson's The Batman and Michael Keaton returning to the role for Batgirl and Flash made it clear that the DCEU is easing Affleck's character out and moving forward from the Snyderverse.

But as recent developments have shown, it appears that Affleck's participation in the Aquaman sequel is just the tip of the iceberg. Of course, a studio wouldn't just hire an actor of Affleck's caliber for a single appearance. The expectation here is that Batfleck will be seen more in the future. To what extent isn't really known at this point, especially with the success of Pattinson's Batman. What's certain is that the return of Affleck in Aquaman can open more doors for the Snyderverse to cement its footing in the DCEU.

2. Warner Bros. Discovery is axing projects that don't move the DCEU forward

In a move no one expected to happen, Warner Bros. Discovery decided to cancel Batgirl after spending around $90 million on it. Supergirl, an African-American Superman, and Wonder Twins were also among the projects that won't be moving forward in the DCEU. On the good side, though, fans will still have Blue Beetle and Joker: Folie à Deux to look forward to.

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These projects were overseen and developed under the leadership of Walter Hamada, president of DC films, and they were meant to push the Snyderverse out of the picture. Instead, David Zaslav, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery opted to drop the axe on Hamada's projects, much like what happened to Batgirl. With the elimination of these projects, there is a better chance for Snyderverse-related characters to come back and establish their footing in the DCEU.

1. DCEU's 10-year plan

Along with the earlier entry, Zaslav mentioned a 10-year plan to elevate DCEU to new heights. This occurred a couple of weeks ago when the CEO discussed plans for the franchise.

“You look at Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, these are brands that are known everywhere in the world,” Zaslav said. “And the ability to drive those all over the world with great story is a big opportunity for us. We have done a reset. We’ve restructured the business. We’re going to focus where there will be a team with a 10-year plan focusing just on DC,” Zaslav said.

When thinking about it, the studio would never go on and do a full recast of these established DC characters. It would take a lot of time and money to replace the people playing these heroes, such as Gal Gadot and Jason Momoa. That's why it only makes sense for Warner Bros. to bring back Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck into the fold and include them in the 10-year plan. This would only serve to strengthen the idea that the Snyderverse isn't really dead and is coming back soon.

With all of the rumblings over at DC, one would imagine that they don't stand a chance against a juggernaut like Marvel. But beneath the surface are these different signs that Warner Bros. Discovery is doing something and Zack Snyder's vision will be the focal point of the plan. It remains to be seen where these seeds will bear fruit and if it's going to work out well in the future.