They DO need a clean slate. They bad vibes from the past movies are going to carry over unless they signal 100% 'hey we're doing things differently now and what happened before doesn't'.
If they really want to differentiate themselves from Marvel they need to abandon the "CU" part of the equation and just make good solo movies that showcase the characters.
and they are doing what you're saying. They're going to focus on Standalones for the next few years (two solo movies before and nothing but solo movies for the forseeable future after Flashpoint), and then try to make a Cohesive Universe with crossovers again once they've got enough solo movies out. They've learned they can't go any direction except Marvels direction.
But the fact is you only get ONE first BVS and Justice League movie, and when you mess up the FIRST justice league movie, nobody is going to go see the follow ups. That's gonna be a mark held against them by audiences forever.
Trying to make DC the dark and edgy Mature answer to Marvel is trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
Because Imitating the competition 100% right down to tone and goofiness doesn't make you seem desperate at all or condemn you to being trapped in their shadow FOREVER. They were trying to market to a different audience who wanted more mature Superhero material, it didnt pan out. So now they're just going to be diet-Marvel forever. You got what you wanted Chuck. I also fundamentally disagree that making a darker story with a non-batman character instantly compromises that character. But that's something we're never going to come to an accord over.
and yes. Audiences DO care about continuity between movies because it's all that's keeping them coming back to the theater.
compelled the big two to pander to the kind of completely worthless person that writes letters to comic books demanding an explanation for how Spider-Man was in Alaska with Wolverine when he was in Queens going curtain shopping with Mary Jane or some shit. The DCCU embraced all the shit that drowned the fun out of comic books.
AND THERE IT IS!
Because God forbid we care about what the people who buy the books think right? We should totally make everything samey and generic and not try to make stories for fans. God forbid stories try to be ABOUT something deeper right?
Also. Things aren't like that at DC anymore. Rebirth has pretty much managed to find the balance between the dark/gritty and silver age idealism.