After months of promising big changes, the DC universe has officially received its first official reset courtesy of filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran.
Gunn, a Marvel vet, came over to DC a few years ago to take on 2021’s The Suicide Squad and found a permanent home last fall as the comic book studio’s new film and television co-chief.
On Tuesday, Gunn made his grand reveal of the studio’s first steps in its new film and television plan. He led his announcement with a pretty honest assessment of how things have been going on the DC side of the fence for some time.
“As many of you know, DC has been disconnected in film and television for a long time,” Gunn said in the video. “It’s one of our jobs … to come in and make sure the [DC Universe] is connected in film, television, gaming and animation, that the characters are consistent, played by the same actors, and it works within one story.”
The first chapter of the “DCU” will reportedly be titled “Gods and Monsters.”
Here are just a few of our plans. Up, up, and away! #DCStudios #DCU @DCComics pic.twitter.com/8XNDNLUEPq
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) January 31, 2023
Gunn added that already established projects, like Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe and Todd Phillip’s Joker films, will get the branding of “DC Elseworlds,” meaning that they’ll veer away from the newly forming “DCU.”
Gunn teased a number of big DC projects and gave clarity on some others. Let’s break down below what the highlights were.
We're getting a new Batman movie
Holy oversaturation, Batman! Gunn teased what’s undoubtedly going to be one of the most integral parts of this new “DC Universe” with a new take on the Caped Crusader.
Rather than just feed in Reeves’ take on Bruce Wayne in the “DC Elseworlds,” a new Batman will be established for the “DCU” with a film called The Brave and the Bold.
We don’t know a release date for this yet, but it will reportedly follow Wayne and his son, Damian Wayne. In the comics, Bruce Wayne’s assassin son Damien takes up the mantle of Robin. His mom is the villainous Talia al Ghul. That should make for a fascinating dynamic, and something that’s not really been covered on other Batman films.
“This is the introduction of the DCU Batman,” said Gunn (via The Hollywood Reporter). “Of Bruce Wayne and also introduces our favorite Robin, Damian Wayne, who is a little son of a [expletive]. … It’s a very strange father-and-son story.”
Superman is back, and Supergirl is here
While Henry Cavill is officially done with playing Clark Kent/Superman, Gunn promised that a new version of the superhero is on the way in a couple of years.
Superman: Legacy will hit theaters on July 11, 2025. While we know Gunn will write the screenplay, no actor or director has been attached to the project just yet.
Safrin described the project as this (via THR): “It’s not an origin story…It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks that kindness as old-fashioned.”
Gunn also teased that a Supergirl film that’s in the works. He said it’ll be a “big, science-fiction epic film” and one that’s adapted from Tom King’s recent Supergirl: World of Tomorrow comic run.
There’s no word yet if this project will star Sasha Calle, who is set to play Supergirl in this summer’s The Flash.
The Green Lanterns are going to streaming
After the Green Lantern film above debuted to poor reviews in 2011, the emerald-clad superhero has been on ice for quite some time.
However, Gunn teased an all-new project for HBO Max called Lanterns that is reportedly going to follow Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart.
Gunn said that it’ll be a “terrestrial-based T.V. show” that is akin to HBO’s True Detective.
On the show, Gunn shared that Jordan and Stewart will reportedly be “space cops” who patrol Earth and discover a “terrifying mystery” that ties into the larger story that Gunn and company are trying to establish.
The Batman sequel will hit in 2025
If you loved last year’s The Batman, you won’t have to wait too, too much longer for the sequel.
The Batman: Part II has been announced for release on Oct. 3, 2025.
While we don’t know much other than Reeves returning to direct and Robert Pattinson returning to star as Batman, we can guess 2023 Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan’s Joker will play a bigger role in whatever is on the horizon.
You can check out a deleted scene above that showed a bit more what Keoghan’s version of the role will entail.
The Wonder Woman world is getting an HBO Max series
The is still no news on what will happen with Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman after Patty Jenkins shared she won’t direct a third film in the franchise.
However, the character’s home of Themyscira/Paradise Island is headed to HBO Max in a new television show.
Gunn revealed that the new series Paradise Lost will be a Game of Thrones-style series with Paradise Island standing in for Westeros.
Other Projects on the Horizon
- For the rest of 2023, you can look for DC movies like Shazam: Fury of the Gods (March 17), The Flash (June 16), Blue Beetle (Aug. 18) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Dec. 25). Per THR, Gunn called The Flash “probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.”
- Movie projects based on DC properties like Swamp Thing and The Authority are in the works, per Gunn.
- A spinoff of Gunn’s Peacemaker series titled Waller is in the works at HBO Max, which will star Oscar-winner Viola Davis as Amanda Waller.
- An animated series based on DC’s Creature Commandos is in the works for television. Gunn said he has written all the episodes.
- Booster Gold will get his own HBO Max television series, per Gunn. Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell has mentioned he’s a fan of the character.
