James Gunn has confirmed the new projects in development at DC Studios amid the reboot of the franchise, including new Superman and Batman films. The troubled superhero franchise is in the midst of a major shake-up, as Guardians of the Galaxy director Gunn and his co-CEO of Peter Safran are spearheading a decade-long plan to invigorate and connect the superhero projects in the new DC Universe (DCU).
In the announcement, Gunn said: “As many of you know, DC has been disconnected in film and TV for a long time. It’s our job to come in and make sure the DCU is connected in film, TV, gaming and animation, that the characters are played by the same actors and work within one story.
“One of the things that’s very important for me is that the director’s vision, and the vision of the writers and the creators is unique, and something special. Storytelling is always king, that’s all that matters to us, and I want to be true to those stories and give you something different than you’ve ever seen before.”
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Before Gunn and Safran were appointed the new studio heads, there were four DC films already set for release this year, the future of which looked uncertain. Gunn has now confirmed that the films will be released as planned, and will pave the way for the future of the DCU.
The first of these is Shazam sequel Fury of the Gods – starring Zachary Levi, Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu – which will release in March. This will be followed by The Flash – slated for release in June – which will serve as the catalyst for the reboot as scarlet speedster Barry Allen (played by Ezra Miller) travels to alternate timelines and resets the DCU.
This will lead into hispanic superhero flick Blue Beetle in August, followed in December by Jason Momoa’s latest outing in Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, which will mark the final project before the reboot and lead directly into the future projects. The projects that follow – a mixture of film and TV – will come under the first chapter of the DCU, titled Gods and Monsters.
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Details are sparse on the new projects, with many still in the very early days of development. As part of the announcement, Gunn also confirmed that the sequels to Todd Phillips’ Joker and Matt Reeves’ The Batman – as well as its planned Penguin and Arkham spin-off shows – will be independent of the main DCU, and form what he calls DC Elseworlds.
Here, we break down every DCU project now in development.
Creature Commandos
Written by Gunn, this HBO animated series will follow the Creature Commando characters, who were first launched in 1980. It will see a ragtag team including Frankenstein’s monster, a werewolf, a vampire and a gorgon coming together to fight Nazis in World War II.
It will also feature characters from the Suicide Squad world including Weasel and Rick Flag’s father, Rick Flag Sr. Gunn confirmed the show’s voice actors will also play the roles in live action later in the DCU.
As one of the lesser-known DC works, fan reaction to the project has been mixed. On Twitter, @TheMSeries1 said: “Creature Commandoes is obscure as s**t so no one is really a fan of them lol.”
@zombieundergrnd said: “Creature Commandoes seems like an odd choice but 100% down with it.”
Waller
Centred on Suicide Squad director Amanda Waller – played by Viola Davis in previous and future projects – this live-action TV series will see the team from John Cena-led series Peacemaker appear alongside Davis and continue the arc of that show. It is being produced by Watchmen writer Christal Henry and Doom Patrol creator Jeremy Carver.
Superman: Legacy
Described by Gunn as “the big one” and the “true beginning of the DCU,” the new Superman film – being written by Gunn – will focus on a younger Clark Kent as he attempts to balance his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Safran has confirmed the movie will not be an origin story of the Man of Steel.
It comes after Henry Cavill controversially left the franchise weeks after confirming he would reprise his role following a cameo in Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam. The actor donning the famous red and blue suit is yet to be confirmed.
Despite the excitement of a fresh take on the character, fans are still reeling from Cavill’s exit from the franchise. @RealFolkDudes said: “I wish they had kept Henry Cavill too but I’m still excited to see how this turns out.”
@Jonnkenobi echoed: “Even though I’m gonna miss Cavill in the role, this still sounds promising.”
Lanterns
LANTERNS — This enormous TV event series follows intergalactic cops John Stewart and Hal Jordan as they uncover a dark mystery. #DCStudios
Get to know Hal Jordan: https://t.co/2xcLLC7mN6
Get to know John Stewart: https://t.co/k7euZ6c4Bu pic.twitter.com/f8n5X9zOF1— DC (@DCComics)
This TV series will focus on two members of the intergalactic law enforcement organisation Green Latern Corps, Jon Stewart – an ex-marine and one of DC’s first Black superheroes – and Hal Jordan – the test pilot played by Ryan Reynolds in the panned 2011 Green Lantern film. Set for release on HBO, the series will follow the two “space cops” as they watch over Earth and “discover a terrifying mystery that ties into the larger DCU.”
Gunn described the series as “almost like [HBO anthology crime drama] True Detective”. This is seemingly one of the most hotly anticipated projects announced, with fans keen for a Green Lantern project since the character was cut from Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
@AmericanAsian_ said: “This is my most anticipated one! The lanterns have always been such an intriguing part of the DC universe and really hope we finally see them being done justice in live action.”
@NickDavis25 said: “True Detective in space made me gasp for joy.”
The Authority
Described as a “passion project” of Gunn’s, this film is based on the characters from Wildstorm comics, which launched in 1992 as an independent entity under DC Comics. The ensemble of cynical and pragmatic superheroes first appeared in 1999’s The Authority comic series by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch.
Gunn said: “The authority are a group of superheroes who think the world is broken, and they want to fix it by any means necessary. I think it’s a very different look at superheroes.”
Paradise Lost
This Wonder Woman prequel series will be set on Paradise Island, also known as Themyscira, the birthplace of Diana Prince. Gunn described the show as almost like “Game of Thrones with Westeros, but with all of the inhabitants of Paradise Island.”
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman’s introduction in the DCU will come in The Brave and the Bold, and follow the Dark Knight and his son Damian Wayne, who takes on the mantle of Robin. Based on Grant Morrison’s acclaimed comic book, the film will mark Robin’s first appearance in a Batman film since 1997’s ill-fated Batman & Robin.
Damian is Bruce Wayne’s biological son whom he shares with Talia al Ghul, who was played by Marion Cotillard in The Dark Knight Rises. Bruce was unaware of his son’s existence for the first eight to 10 years of Damian’s life.
“Damian Wayne is my favorite Robin,” Gunn said. “He’s a little assassin who Batman tries to get in line. And so this is the story of the two of them, and the beginning of the bat family in the DCU.”
Fans are particularly excited for the project, speculating that it could the first successful incarnation of a live-action Batman and Robin team up. @AndyRevo19 said: “This could possibly be the first ever GOOD live action Batman & Robin movie.”
@jonnkenobi added: “Damian Wayne in live action is fantastic, here’s to finally getting a proper Bat-Family in the DCU.”
Booster Gold
This HBO series will focus on the little-known and sometime member of the Justice League, Booster Gold. He previously appeared in in Smallville and the Arrowverse series Legends of Tomorrow.
Gunn said: “He’s a loser from the future who uses future technology to come back the present day and become a superhero so that people will love him. It is basically the superhero story of imposter syndrome on an HBO Max series.”
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Described by Gunn as “a big science fiction epic film,” Supergirl will introduce Superman’s cousin and fellow Kryptonian, Kara Zor-El, described by Gunn as “a much more jaded character” than Clark Kent. It is based on Tom King’s comics run of the same name from 2021 and 2022, and is said to be “much more hardcore” than Superman.
Gunn said: “We see the difference between Superman, who was sent to Earth and raised by loving parents from the time he’s an infant, versus Supergirl, who was raised on a chunk of Krypton, and watched everyone around her die and be killed in terrible ways for the first 14 years of her life.”
Fans of the character are excited to see the first feature length adaptation of the character, following the six-season CW series Supergirl. @RockandRollGuy1 said: “Hopefully Tom [King] will write or co-write the movie. The book itself is fantastic.”
@Dynamogirl810 said: “My wish come true. A Supergirl Movie.”
Swamp Thing
The final reveal is the “very dark horror story” and origin story of the monster Swamp Thing. The green humanoid creature found popularity during its original comic book run in the 1970s, and again in the 1980s under Watchmen creator Alan Moore.
Gunn and Safran have promised the film will have a much darker tone than the rest of the DCU. Speaking to Variety, Gunn said: “This is a much more horrific film, but we’ll still have Swamp Thing interact with the other characters.
“Although it’s totally outside of the rest of the DCU, it will still feed into the rest of the stories.”
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