5 Upcoming DC Movies That We Can’t Wait For

Following on from our piece about "5 Upcoming Marvel Movies We Can't Wait For," we now take a look at the other side of the comic book coin: the lurid cinematic world featuring, or inspired by, DC characters. For all the rivalry that exists between the two comic book giants ,even the most ardent Marvel associates might struggle to deny the importance of DC. Arguably two of the world's best-known superheros in Batman and Superman have roots and history in DC comics, and as this incredible universe continues to push on into fresh cinematic territory, an exciting list of upcoming movies featuring some the most absorbing superheroes and villains ever created has recently begun to gather momentum. So, on that note, here are 5 upcoming movies featuring DC comic book characters that we simply cannot wait to see hit theatres. 5) Shazam You'll have to wait a while for this one, but we've been promised that it's coming. Known as Captain Marvel until relatively recently this hero, in Pokemon creature style, is now named after the exclamation he makes when bursting into superpower: Shazam! This one magic word transforms young boy Billy Batson into a chisel-jawed superhero, who absorbs strength, speed, stamina, wisdom, power and courage from the Gods themselves. Having made a fleeting appearance on the big screen way back in the 1940's - a time when this superhero was even more popular than a certain Clark Kent - Shazam's lack of cinematic presence has paled in comparison to his vast capabilities as a superhero. The last time Billy Batson's alter-ego stood tall on theater screen, World War II was in full swing, which is enough of an indication to suggest that a Shazam movie is long overdue. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has confirmed his part as anti-hero Black Adam, but it remains to be seen who will bare the bolt of lightning to play the film's protagonist. Aside from an estimated release date for 2019, cards remain tight to the chest on this one, and it'll be fascinating to see whether the movie emerges as a family-friendly popcorn blockbuster, or alternatively a complex, mythological slice of dream cinema that will break new ground for a comic book film. 4) Green Lantern Ryan Reynolds is hoping for a little more luck with his next effort at transforming a comic book character into an appealing cinematic presence. Having played Marvel anti-hero Deadpool as a dull mute in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the actor later found himself flailing around in the spectacularly over-stylized film adaptation of DC's Green Lantern, unable to make himself heard over the special-effects team deliriously pounding away on top of him. But thankfully, the future looks bright for both the Hollywood star and the Green Lantern character. Reynolds is all set to take another stab at Deadpool in the sort of part he originally wanted, and Hal Jordan's lime-shiny superhero is getting another feature film. The Green Lantern is no stranger to alternative forms of media, having appeared in a variety of animated Justice League movies. But his live-action Hollywood debut wasn't quite what the fans wanted, and when Warner Bros. announced plans for a Green Lantern reboot set for 2020, the disappointment of Martin Campbell's nuclear-shaded sound-and-light show slowly began to ebb away. With the release date still several years away, the rumor mill continues to unapologetically crank away - with Chris Pine currently the odds-on favorite to take the lead role. The various forms that Green Lantern has adopted over the years means that there's plenty of material to choose from and we can only hope that the next team to cast Hal Jordan/Kyle Rayner up on screen will take a good long look at what the fans want, rather than beam up another piercing special-effects show to compensate for lack of good material. 3) The Flash A sinewy, red and gold blur who's been whooshing through the DC comic book world since the first month of 1940, Flash's famous unfocused figure is finally ready to hit big screens with a bang in 2018. Four separate men have fit themselves into this superhero costume over a seventy year period in comic book history, and it is male #2, Barry Allen, who gets the reputed nod for the highly-anticipated movie adaptation. For a superhero with lightning-bolt speed, Flash sure has taken a hell of a long time to reach the big screen. Despite having a couple of television shows to his name over the years (one of which titled The Flash is currently broadcasting), his own feature film debut has hit countless roadblocks, with director David S. Goyer dropping out of the project way back in 2004, and a Justice League movie composed by Kieran Mulroney also falling flat a few years later. A big screen feature finally appears to be in motion, however, with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller having been recruited to help develop it. If you're concerned at the prospect of the directors of 21 Jump Street making a superhero movie, you really needn't be. Lord and Miller are also the duo who directed the eye-popping animated LEGO Movie, and given LEGO's warm ties to comic book characters, it's safe to say that this pair know the DC universe like the back of their hands. Elsewhere, Ezra Miller is all set to play the light-speed protagonist; a noticeable shift away from his eerie performance in We Need To Talk About Kevin and his easy-going teen character in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It's an intriguing choice of casting to say the least, and regardless of how it turns out, it'll be nice to finally see Barry Allen hit the big screen. 2) Suicide Squad For anyone who enjoys watching the bad guys wreak havoc on an unsuspecting city, the prospect of Suicide Squad is enough to send you dancing down the street with giddiness. Comprising of a mouth-watering assortment of supervillains, the Suicide Squad are all set to create gleeful cinematic pandemonium in August 2016, leaping off the comic book page onto the big screen for the very first time outside of animated form. A variety of villains have held membership cards for the Suicide Squad across the years, and for the film adaptation next year there's an exquisite selection of evil characters to gawp at, including Deadshot, The Joker, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Plastique, Enchantress and Boomerang. Whilst the reality of a Suicide Squad movie has got many DC fans foaming at the mouth, one of the main points of discussion surrounding the film has been the choice of casting. Will Smith has readily shaved his head for the role of Deadshot, causing some fans to scratch their own at the thought of the Fresh Prince adopting the role of the vicious marksman. Meanwhile, Jared Leto promises to deliver some sadistic thrills as The Joker, with Jai Courtney starring as Boomerang and Cara Delevingne as the darkly magic Enchantress. Elsewhere, Margot Robbie as the maniacal Harley Quinn looks to be a delightfully congruous casting choice on paper, and it's one of the few roles you can vividly picture before it even becomes a reality. We saw a sniff of femme-fatale about her in The Wolf Of Wall Street, and if Robbie manages to draw on these evil leanings whilst striking the right notes of insanity, her portrayal of Quinn could prove to be a captivating watch. David Ayer provides a safe pair of hands for rough and tumble action movies, with the filmmaker having penned Training Day and S.W.A.T, as well as directing both End of Watch and Fury. He's set to face his toughest challenge yet with Suicide Squad though and in less than 18 months, we'll have had our first taste of big screen supervillain play. 1) Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice The biggie that everyone is talking about: Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is all set to hit cinema screens in a little under a year now. Some are practically already queuing to retrieve premiere tickets, whereas others remain a little more withdrawn. As the date continues to grow tantalizingly closer, conflicted opinion continues to bounce across social media, ranging from sheer excitement at the prospect of DC's two biggest heroes sharing the screen to looming skepticism after the uneasy reception that met Superman's solo flick Man of Steel back in 2013. What we do have here though is a stunning cast, with Jesse Eisenberg set to take on the role of the malicious Lex Luther, Amy Adams playing love interest Lois Lane, and Jeremy Irons donning the tux as Alfred the Butler. It's been widely documented that Ben Affleck has been chosen to slip into the Batsuit to square off against Henry Cavill's Clark Kent, and this in itself has polarized the comic book community. It's hardly surprising that Batfleck has a divided opinion. The actor has had his fair share of disasters during his career (receiving a somewhat watery reception for his portrayal of Daredevil back in 2003), but as a performer he appears to be very much on the up in recent years - putting Runner Runner aside. But even his harshest critics will have to hope that Affleck pulls it off, especially given how he's supposedly signed up for five additional movies on top of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. As Warner Bros. do their utmost to keep a lid on leaking information about one of the most gigantic upcoming superhero films of all time, small snippets of information continue to wriggle free, such as the Suicide Squad being set to make a brief appearance and some wicked images of the new Batmobile. Squabbling surrounding the film continues to remain rife, but the fact the two DC comic legends are all set to go toe-to-toe in a feature-length live-action movie can surely only be cause for celebration, right?