The DC Extended Universe: Your Complete Guide To The Past, Present And Future

Welcome to your one-stop resource for everything you need to know about the DC Extended Universe. And we do mean everything. Here, you'll find a treasure chest of regularly updated information pertaining to every single project in this rapidly expanding film franchise - from 2013's Man Of Steel, to the most distant titles that are still in the earliest stages of development, like Nightwing and Flashpoint. The movies already available to watch are listed under ‘Released’; those films with a specific, confirmed release date are listed under ‘Upcoming releases’; and those expected in the future, but with no confirmed release date, are listed under ‘In development’. Click through the links below to find any and all details you need or simply hit the next page to begin. Released - Upcoming Releases - In Development Released Man Of Steel Released: June 14th, 2013 Runtime: 2 hours, 23 minutes Directed by: Zack Snyder Writers: David S. Goyer, Christopher Nolan Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Harry Lennix Significant characters introduced: Kal-El, Jor-El, General Zod, Lois Lane, Martha Kent, Jonathan Kent, General Swanwick, Lara Lor-Van, Perry White Notable universe developments: Kal-El is born; General Zod is banished to the Phantom Zone; Kal-El travels to Earth and is adopted by the Kent family as Clark Kent; Clark learns to manage his superpowers; Lois Lane discovers the truth about Clark; General Zod arrives on Earth to reclaim the Kryptonian codex. The film opens on Krypton, with the birth of Kal-El. His parents – Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer) and Jor-El (Russell Crowe) – marvel at the first natural birth of a Kryptonian in centuries. The planet of Krypton has become unstable after generations of unchecked mining and, as Chief Advisor to the Supreme Council, Jor-El recommends that the Kryptonian leaders entrust him with the Codex – which contains the genetic map of all future Kryptonian generations. The Council is interrupted by General Zod (Michael Shannon) and his allies, however, as they attempt a murderous coup. Escaping the bloodshed, Jor-El retrieves the Codex and infuses its contents with the DNA of his newborn son. Lara identifies Earth as a suitable planet to which they can send Kal – where he can physically blend in with the local people, while the yellow sun will make him far stronger than any could imagine. General Zod arrives to confront Jor-El, but cannot prevent them from launching Kal-El’s pod – and the military leader kills Jor-El as the infant departs. The Kryptonian Council sentences General Zod and his co-conspirators to the Phantom Zone, though he swears revenge. Krypton – and everyone on it – is destroyed, and the Phantom Zone is knocked out of its orbit. Kal-El lands on Earth and begins his new life with Martha and Jonathan Kent (Diane Lane and Kevin Costner), on a farm in Smallville, Kansas – under the name Clark Kent. As he grows, various super powers begin to manifest in Clark and he finds them terrifying. With guidance from his parents, however, he learns to concentrate and manage his special abilities, while keeping them in check so as not to draw attention to himself. Occasionally, he's forced to reveal his true self, however – such as when the school bus in which he's travelling crashes off a bridge into a river. As a teen, Clark (Henry Cavill) witnesses the death of his adoptive father as a tornado rips him from a queue of stopped cars while Clark keeps those sheltering beneath an overpass safe. He moves to save his him, but is told by Jonathan with a gesture to stay away – the devoted father not wanting his son to sacrifice his anonymity to save his life. Clark then sets off on a journey of self-discovery, travelling the country and leaving behind stories of extraordinary heroism. When Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams) arrives at a military investigation into a craft of unknown origin in the Canadian Arctic, she crosses paths with Clark, who's there as a site worker to gain access to what's revealed to be an old Kryptonian scout ship. She witnesses him gain entry to it, deep in the ice, and documents the entrance while Clark is inside, learning about his heritage. Artificial intelligence presents him with a projection of his biological father, who proceeds to walk him through the history of Krypton – the way his people populated the stars and set up terra-forming colonies, until disaster struck, and the colonies began to fail. The Kryptonians began to implement population control and new generations were artificially created – genetically coded to fulfill a specific purpose in society. But it was all for naught, as environmental damage meant their race was doomed. The projection of Jor-El guides Clark to a special suit and describes how he can use his special powers to help the people of Earth avoid a similar fate, encouraging him to investigate the extent of his abilities. Meanwhile, Lois is injured by a sentry drone in the ship and Clark immediately reveals his powers to her to save her life. Dropping her off in a safe place, Clark pilots the ship away, lands it in a remote location, and learns how to fly himself. General Zod has been attracted by the activation of the Kryptonian ship, however, and arrives at Earth to collect Kal-El and retrieve the Codex. His intention is to use technology he's collected from the damaged Phantom Zone and abandoned colonies to terra-form Earth and remake Krypton – at the expense of the entire human race. Clark – dubbed Superman by Lois Lane and the American military and media – vows to stop Zod and save humanity, but in doing so, he causes untold damage to Metropolis and ultimately has to take Zod’s life. With Superman now an internationally recognized hero, and humanity adjusting to the presence of a ‘meta-human,’ Clark resumes his Earthly disguise – which Lois Lane has helped to keep – and gets a job at the Daily Planet, alongside Lois. Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice Released: March 25th, 2016 Runtime: 2 hours, 31 minutes Directed by: Zack Snyder Writers: Chris Terrio, David S. Goyer Starring: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Jesse Eisenberg, Holly Hunter, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, Scoot McNairy Significant characters introduced: Bruce Wayne/Batman, Lex Luthor, Alfred, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Martha Wayne, Thomas Wayne, Aquaman, Cyborg, The Flash Notable universe developments: Bruce Wayne seeks revenge for the destruction caused by Superman’s fight with General Zod; Lex Luthor seeks control over the Kryptonian resources left by General Zod, with a view to using them against Superman; Bruce Wayne unlocks a file containing information about other meta-humans; Lex Luthor kidnaps Martha Kent and blackmails Superman and Batman; Lex Luthor creates Doomsday; Wonder Woman reveals herself. A young Bruce Wayne witnesses the murder of his parents – Thomas and Martha Wayne (Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan) – and struggles with his grief and anger. During their funeral, he breaks away from the procession to the family tomb, and falls into deep cave – disturbing a bat colony. In the present day, Bruce (Ben Affleck) has become the CEO of the Wayne Corporation and desperately tries to reach Wayne Tower in Metropolis as Superman (Henry Cavill) and General Zod (Michael Shannon) cause unspeakable destruction during their battle. As buildings crumble, civilians are caught up in the mayhem in the streets below, with the Kryptonians seemingly oblivious in the skies above. Bruce Wayne is enraged and begins his descent into a spiral of dark vengeance. Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is on assignment to interview a warlord at a remote location in Africa, when the meeting goes awry due to the presence of Russian mercenaries. As the mercenaries open fire and kill everyone within the compound walls, the warlord takes Lois hostage and Superman arrives. He saves Lois, but it soon becomes apparent that the entire situation was manufactured to frame Superman for regional violence that followed his rescue. As the media and the government seek to question Superman’s existence and motivations, Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) tries to manipulate Senator Finch (Holly Hunter) into giving him access to the salvaged Kryptonian technology – in order to build a weapon against Superman. Bruce Wayne, meanwhile, attends a fundraiser organized by Luthor and attempts to steal digital files from his server room. He's thwarted by a mysterious woman (Gal Gadot) who steals them ahead of him and escapes but hands them to him when she's unable to decrypt them. Bruce Wayne uses his advanced technology to open the files and discovers four snippets of video showing other, unidentified meta-humans – including the mysterious woman. He then has a dream of an apocalyptic future, and experiences a vision in which The Flash (Ezra Miller) contacts him through time and tells him that Lois Lane is the key. When Senator Finch refuses to acquiesce to the demands of Lex Luthor, he manipulates a survivor of the Metropolis destruction (Scoot McNairy) to testify at a Congressional hearing, unknowingly using a Luthor-made wheelchair containing a bomb. When Superman arrives to testify, the bomb explodes, destroying the U.S Capitol building and killing many inside. Superman is blamed once again. The respective activities of Superman and Batman cause both to be opposed to the work of the other – Batman feeling that Superman is a threat to the human race, and Superman feeling that Batman’s method of meting out brutal vigilante justice is morally wrong. Lex Luthor exploits this fundamental opposition by kidnapping Martha Kent (Diane Lane) and telling Superman that he has to kill Batman, or Matha dies. While the two superheroes are distracted with that, Luthor heads into the crashed Kryptonian ship with the corpse of General Zod and accesses the data banks to learn everything about the universe – and uses the ship and Zod’s body to create Doomsday. The giant Kryptonian creature absorbs aggression and becomes stronger with every attack. Batman and Superman fight, with Batman using Kryptonite to level the playing field. Just as he's about to kill Superman, however, the Man Of Steel mentions his mother’s name, and Batman is caught off guard. Having a mother that shares the same name, Batman is able to regain his humanity, and resolves to rescue Superman’s mother. Batman and Superman are then united in their fight against Doomsday – and are suddenly aided by Wonder Woman, who was the mysterious woman dealing with Bruce Wayne all along. Superman sacrifices himself to kill Doomsday with Kryptonite and, while the world grieves for Superman, Lois Lane and Martha grieve for Clark Kent – who's reported as having been killed in the destruction caused by Lex Luthor. The supervillain is incarcerated but, having lost his mind while learning about the universe, issues chilling warnings about an impending attack from a force beyond the stars. Suicide Squad Released: August 5th, 2016 Runtime: 2 hours, 3 minutes Directed by: David Ayer Writers: David Ayer Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Viola Davis, Cara Delevingne, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Karen Fukuhara Significant characters introduced: Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Amanda Waller, The Joker, Captain Boomerang, Diablo, Killer Croc, Enchantress, Rick Flag, Katana Notable universe developments: Amanda Waller assembles a group of incarcerated supervillains to operate as a suicide squad; Waller passes their information to Bruce Wayne. With elements within the U.S. government and military concerned about the existence of meta-humans – and their inability to control them – government operative Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) resurrects an old proposal she previously devised. The plan involves using supervillains incarcerated in super-max Belle Reve Penitentiary as a Suicide Squad, who would be sent in to potentially combative situations that would otherwise prove deadly to the average person or soldier. To get her plan approved, she uses June Moone (Cara Delevingne) to persuade her superiors. Moone is an archaeologist possessed by an ancient, powerful entity known as Enchantress, who can move through time and space and is beholden to Waller because she literally has her heart in a locked box. Waller’s plan is approved and she assembles her recruits – Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Diablo (Jay Hernandez), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and Slipknot (Adam Beach). She has U.S. soldier Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) come aboard to lead the team, as he's tasked with protecting June Moone and has fallen in love with her – making him easy to manipulate. Rick Flag brings with him Katana (Karen Fukuhara), who's a gifted swordfighter, suing a Soultaker blade that contains the spirit of her murdered husband. Enchantress manages to escape from Flag, however, and reunites with her brother, creating a base in the middle of the city, and launching a plan to destroy the world. The Suicide Squad is sent in to stop her and are kept in check and controlled by the fact that Waller has had small explosive charges inserted into their necks. On their mission, Slipknot is first to test Waller’s resolve and quickly has his head blown up. Meanwhile, The Joker (Jared Leto) is planning to extract his girlfriend, Harley Quinn, from the situation, and makes the manufacturer of the explosive charges neutralize hers. His plan fails, however, and he's seemingly killed in a helicopter crash as Harley Quinn looks on. She then rejoins the Squad, rather than escaping on her own, and the team discovers the truth about Flag, Enchantress, Waller and the horrors of each other’s crimes. During a final confrontation, Diablo is killed and Harley Quinn finally stops Enchantress and thwarts her plan. June Moone is saved and reunited with Rick Flag, and Deadshot is allowed to spend a brief time with his daughter. The Squad is then returned to Belle Reve – albeit with some new privileges in light of their efforts. Just as all seems quiet, though, The Joker bursts through a wall and rescues Harley Quinn. Wonder Woman Released: June 2nd, 2017 Runtime: 2 hours, 21 minutes Directed by: Patty Jenkins Writers: Allan Heinberg, Zack Snyder, Jason Fuchs Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, Elena Anaya, David Thewlis, Said Taghmaoui, Ewen Bremner, Eugene Brave Rock, Ann Wolf Significant characters introduced: Hippolyta, Antiope, Steve Trevor, Ares, Etta Candy, Artemis, Menalippe, Philippus, Senator Acantha, Epione, Mnemosyne, Venelia, Aelia, Euboea, Penthiselea, Niobe, Egeria, Trigona, Senator Timandra Notable universe developments: Diana, Princess of Themyscira, travels to Man’s World to kill Ares in an attempt to stop World War I; In contemporary France, Bruce Wayne returns to her a picture of Steve Trevor, his colleagues, and Diana, taken after they liberated the town of Veld. In modern day Paris, Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) works at the Louvre Gallery and receives a case from Bruce Wayne. Upon opening it, she finds a print of the photograph contained in the digital file stolen from Lex Luthor in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. The sight of the photo prompts her to recollect the story of how it came to be taken. She recalls her childhood on the island of Themyscira and details the history of the Amazons, and their relationship with the other Gods. The destiny of the Amazons was largely shaped by Ares, who waged war against Zeus and the Gods after becoming jealous of the privileges afforded mankind. Having been given a hidden island, the Amazonian Army trains for combat, though the all-woman Themyscira is entirely at peace. Diana is the only daughter of Hippolyta, Queen Of The Amazons (Connie Nielsen) - and the only child on the island - and longs to train with the Generals, so that she might become a great warrior like her mother. But Hippolyta forbids it, because something about Diana is different to the other Amazons. Eventually, she's persuaded, however, and Diana begins to train. As she grows into adulthood, she's even able to best General Antiope (Robin Wright) – sister of Hippolyta and leader of the Amazon Army. After a troubling incident involving her wrist-cuffs, Diana heads to the clifftops to clear her head and witnesses a small plane crash into the ocean nearby. A man is trapped in the wreckage and she dives in to rescue him. As she pulls him on to the beach, German forces that were in pursuit also burst through the magical cloak that hides Themyscira from the world and they invade the beach. The Amazon Army arrive, though, and engage in an epic battle - during which Antiope is killed. naThe Amazons question the rescued man, who identifies himself as Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) – an American working for British Intelligence and who's trying to bring an end to World War I. The Amazons are unaware of world affairs and are disturbed to hear of the carnage happening on a global scale. Diana's convinced that Ares's to blame, and that if she kills him, the war will end. She argues with her mother and the Amazonian senators that she should be allowed to travel to Man’s World to kill Ares and save humanity. After failing to receive permission, Diana decides to go anyway, and steals a battle suit, shield, lasso of truth, and a sword from the Amazon armoury. She says goodbye to her mother, and sets sail with Steve Trevor – headed for London. Trevor stole plans from the German scientist, Dr. Maru (Elena Anaya), and they indicate an intention to commit mass murder with poison gas. He seeks to prevent this atrocity. In London, Diana struggles to understand life in Man’s World. Having been raised on Themyscira, an unequal society makes no sense to her, and she cannot understand why anyone would allow patriarchy to flourish. She rails against military commanders who would sit safely in offices, hundreds of miles from the conflict, and make life or death decisions about other people. She also inspires Steve Trevor and his colleagues – Etta Candy (Lucy Davis), Sameer (Said Taghmaoui), Charlie (Ewen Bremner), and The Chief (Eugene Brave Rock) – to come together to try to foil the plan of Dr. Maru and her superior, Ludendorff (Danny Huston). As the team reaches the frontline of the war, Diana becomes increasingly frustrated at Steve Trevor’s refusal to deviate from his narrow mission and defies him to lead troops across No Man’s Land – liberating the occupied town of Veld. This is where the photograph is taken. As Diana and Steve acknowledge their growing affection for one another, they press on to find Dr. Maru and Ludendorff – who Diana is convinced is actually Ares in disguise. When the Nazis test their poison gas on the town of Veld, killing everyone that the team just rescued, Diana experiences an existential crisis. She rails against humanity, frustrated by the nonsensical nature of war and conflict, and the ease with which people can kill each other. Incensed, she races to the airfield where the poison gas is being loaded onto an airplane and finds Ludendorff. She kills him, but quickly realizes that he's not Ares at all and that men are not all inherently ‘good.’ This causes even more consternation for her and the real Ares tries to manipulate her to join him. She seems to be outmatched by the power of Ares, until she witnesses the sacrifice willingly made by Steve Trevor and the friendship and love shared by the rest of the team. Filling her mind with love rather than anger, Diana achieves her full potential as Wonder Woman and defeats Ares with a final, devastating, powerful bolt of energy. The defeat of Ludendorff and Dr. Maru turns the tide of the war and it comes to an end – but Diana grieves for Steve Trevor amid the celebrations. Back in modern day Paris, Diana emails Bruce Wayne and thanks him for returning the photograph. She then dons her Wonder Woman battle suit and heads off to fight evil once again. Upcoming Releases Justice League Releasing: November 17th, 2017 Runtime: TBA Directed by: Zack Snyder (with post-production work directed by Joss Whedon) Writers: Chris Terrio, Zack Snyder (with additional scenes written by Joss Whedon) Starring: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Henry Cavill, Connie Nielsen, Amy Adams, Billy Crudup, Amber Heard, Diane Lane, Willem Dafoe, Jeremy Irons, J.K. Simmons, Ciaran Hinds, Robin Wright Possible characters introduced: Henry Allen, Mera, Nuidis Vulko, Commissioner Gordon, Steppenwolf, Dr. Silas Stone Rumours: Steppenwolf arrives as a first-wave threat ahead of a Darkseid invasion of Earth; Superman returns; We may see our first sight of Green Lantern. The ‘Big Bad’ so far revealed is Steppenwolf – to be played by Ciaran Hinds. Steppenwolf was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in New Gods #7 in 1972. He's the military leader for the planet Apokolips, and is the Uncle of the fearsome Apokolips leader, Darkseid. Steppenwolf is an immortal super-being, who wields an electro-axe. In the New 52 reboot of the source material, Steppenwolf leads Darkseid’s Parademons in an invasion of Earth and the Justice League must unite to stop him. This ties in very closely with the dream sequences seen in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, and the preview footage so far seen from this Justice League project. In the comic books, Steppenwolf is ultimately killed by Bizarro – an alternate version of Superman – after he recruited Bizarro into being a soldier of Apokolips. This also ties in with Bruce Wayne’s previous dream sequence. Nuidis Vulko, meanwhile, is associated with the character of Aquaman and was created by Bob Haney and Howard Purcell in The Brave And The Bold #73 in 1967. He's depicted as being a friend and ally to Aquaman, with a degree of moral flexibility that sometimes places him in conflict with the choices and actions of Aquaman. The question of whether Green Lantern will feature in this film remains unanswered – and may well stay that way until Justice League is released. We know that the character will arrive at some point in the franchise, since the Green Lantern Corps movie is confirmed for 2020, but the casting is still under wraps. While Zack Snyder directed the film for the entirety of its main shoot, Joss Whedon took over for post-production and reshoots, due to a Snyder family bereavement. Aquaman Releasing: December 21st, 2018 Runtime: TBA Directed by: James Wan Writers: Will Beall, James Wan, Zack Snyder Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Temuera Morrison, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Possible characters introduced: Queen Atlanna, Ocean Master, Thomas Curry, Black Manta, Rumours: The story of how Aquaman came to the throne of Atlantis. Aquaman was created by Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in 1941. Arthur Curry is the child of human Thomas Curry and Atlantean Queen, Atlanna. When he learns that he's the heir to this underwater throne, he must step up to seize his destiny and be the hero that the Kingdom needs. At San Diego Comic-Con this year, Jason Momoa presented early footage from the film, which reportedly included underwater ships seen by fishermen. When questioned, Momoa stated that those were Ocean Master’s ships, and that Aquaman would be “fighting” his brother. In his original origin story, Ocean Master is Orm Curry – Arthur’s entirely human half-brother. He's resentful of Arthur’s powers and privilege, and becomes a high-tech pirate in order to overthrow Aquaman’s throne. However, the DC Extended Universe appears to be lending greatest weight to the New 52 storylines of the source material – meaning the film universe is relying heavily on the re-launched versions of DC characters. If this is indeed the case, then Ocean Master is entirely Atlantean – being the child of Atlanna and a member of the Atlantean Guard - and is the heir to the throne of Atlantis. Nuidis Vulko – advisor to Atlantean monarchy – accuses Ocean Master of killing his mother to take the throne, however. When Arthur Curry begins searching for Atlantis and his heritage, Vulko informs him of his suspicions, and tells him that he's the rightful heir. Aquaman must then fight his tyrannical half-brother. Shazam Releasing: April 5th, 2019 Runtime: TBA Directed by: David F. Sandberg Writers: Henry Gayden Starring: TBA Possible characters introduced: Billy Batson, the Wizard Shazam, Doctor Sivana Rumours: The character of Black Adam will not appear. Shazam was created by Bill Parker and C.C Beck, and made his first appearance in Whiz Comics #2 in 1940. Shazam is the alter-ego of teenager Billy Batson, upon whom a dying wizard bestows magical powers. In the New 52 re-launch, Billy Batson is a homeless teen chosen by the Wizard Shazam to become his successor. Having received his powers, when Billy says the word ‘Shazam,’ he transforms into an adult, costumed superhero. Over the years, Batson has become closely associated with the anti-hero Black Adam, and is indeed one of his main adversaries. However, though Dwayne Johnson has long been cast as the Black Adam of the DCEU, Johnson himself has been heard to state that Black Adam will not appear in the film. In this case, it's perhaps possible that the movie will see the adaptation of Shazam’s first battle, with Doctor Sivana. Wonder Woman 2 Releasing: December 13th, 2019 Runtime: TBA Directed by: TBA Writers: Patty Jenkins, Geoff Johns Starring: Gal Gadot Possible characters introduced: Cheetah Rumours: Speculation regarding the era in which the story will be set includes World War II, the Cold War, and the modern day. Patty Jenkins – director of Wonder Woman – is reportedly writing the story treatment for Wonder Woman 2 with Geoff Johns. The era in which it will be set has yet to be confirmed, and Patty Jenkins is not yet officially signed on to direct. Cyborg Released: April 3rd, 2020 Runtime: TBA Directed by: TBA Writers: TBA Starring: Ray Fisher Possible characters introduced: Amazo Rumours: The character follows the New 52 version of DC stories. Cyborg was created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez – first appearing in DC Comics Presents #26 in 1980. Since we've seen part of his origin story in the snippet of footage from Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, we know that the origin story of this Cyborg will follow the New 52 storyline, in which he's injured in his father’s S.T.A.R Labs workroom as he works on a Mother Box from Apokolips. Victor’s father turns him into a cyborg in order to save his life and, since it's energy from the Mother Box that helps initiate the power in his mechanics, Victor is able to access Darkseid’s plans. Green Lantern Corps Releasing: July 24th, 2020 Runtime: TBA Directed by: TBA Writers: David S. Goyer, Justin Rhodes, Geoff Johns Starring: TBA Possible characters introduced: Hal Jordan, John Stewart Rumours: Green Lantern could be introduced in one of the Justice League films. The Green Lantern Corps was created by John Broome and Gil Kane, and first appeared in Showcase #22, in 1959. For three billion years, the Green Lantern Corps has patrolled the universe, under the guidance of the immortal race of Guardians. The Corps is essentially an inter-galactic law enforcement agency with 7202 operatives policing 3600 sectors. Most sectors have two Lanterns – each possessing a Power Ring that grants the wearer abilities derived from their own willpower. In Development The Batman Releasing: TBA Runtime: TBA Directed by: Matt Reeves Writers: Matt Reeves Starring: Ben Affleck Possible characters introduced: Deathstroke, The Penguin Rumours: Joe Manganiello is rumoured to play Deathstroke; Josh Gad is rumoured to play The Penguin. This project has been the source of much consternation among fans eager to see a solo Batman film starring Ben Affleck. Initially, Affleck was slated to write, direct, produce and star in the movie, with Joe Manganiello also on board as Deathstroke. Over time, the film has been repeatedly delayed, and Affleck has dropped out of the role of director. Eventually, Matt Reeves signed on to take the helm and it was announced that the script would be re-written. At that point, the continued involvement of both Manganiello and Affleck in onscreen capacities was called into question. While Affleck confirmed repeatedly at Comic-Con this year that he remains committed to the role, rumours still swirl around the likelihood of him walking away. Likewise, doubt remains regarding the role of Deathstroke. Batgirl Releasing: TBA Runtime: TBA Directed by: Joss Whedon Writers: Joss Whedon Starring: TBA Possible characters introduced: Barbara Gordon Rumours: The Joker may appear. Batgirl was created by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff and first appeared in Batman #139 in 1961. This first incarnation was Betty Kane, but she was replaced in 1967 with Barbara Gordon. The Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl was introduced by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino in Detective Comics #359 in 1967, and sees the daughter of Commissioner James Gordon take on the vigilante mantle. When this film was announced, it was stated that writer-director Joss Whedon would be using the New 52 re-launch of Batgirl (written by Gail Simone) as a “starting point.” This means that the Batgirl of the DCEU should be a highly experienced superhero, experiencing some level of post-traumatic stress disorder. In the source material in question, the story picks up with Barbara Gordon three years after the events of the story The Killing Joke – in which she's shot and paralyzed by The Joker. In the interim period, she became Oracle – acting as a source of information for her crime-fighting colleagues – but underwent ground-breaking surgery to achieve the ability to walk again. The New 52 Batgirl has undergone intensive physical therapy and rehabilitation to return to vigilantism on the streets of Gotham. Justice League Sequel Releasing: TBA Runtime: TBA Directed by: TBA Writers: TBA Starring: TBA Possible characters introduced: Darkseid Rumours: Zack Snyder may not direct. The second Justice League film, following the 2017 movie. Flashpoint Releasing: TBA Runtime: TBA Directed by: TBA Writers: Joby Harold Starring: Ezra Miller Possible characters introduced: TBA Rumours: The storyline may give us Flashpoint Batman – Thomas Wayne, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan (from Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice). This will be the solo movie for The Flash, who was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino and first appeared as the character Jay Garrick in Flash Comics #1 in 1940. The character was then rebooted as Barry Allen by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, and this incarnation first appeared in Showcase #4 in 1956. The Flash has since been rebooted a further six times in the comic books. In the New 52 series, Barry Allen’s father is incarcerated for the murder of his mother – and this is a plot choice borne out by the trailer for Justice League. Warner Bros. confirmed during the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con that the film previously planned as The Flash would now be Flashpoint – directly adapting the comic book storyline of the same name. This would see Barry travel back in time to prevent the murder of his mother – unwittingly launching an alternate timeline in the process. In this alternate timeline, Thomas Wayne was never murdered, and instead it's he that becomes Batman – albeit a much darker Dark Knight than Bruce ever was. This has given rise to speculation that we could see Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the Batsuit. Justice League Dark Releasing: TBA Runtime: TBA Directed by: TBA Writers: TBA Starring: TBA Possible characters introduced: John Constantine, Deadman, Zatanna, Swamp Thing, Ertigan The Demon Rumours: Speculation continues that this could fill one of the currently untitled DC Films release slots in 2018 or 2019. Justice League Dark was created by Peter Milligan and first appeared in Justice League Dark #1 in 2011. It's designed to be a team-up for the more supernaturally-gifted DC characters. Filmmakers that have been associated with this project include Guillermo del Toro and Doug Liman, though the director’s chair is currently empty. Man Of Steel Sequel Releasing: TBA Runtime: TBA Directed by: TBA Writers: TBA Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane Possible characters introduced: TBA Rumours: TBA A script for this sequel to Man Of Steel is currently in development. Suicide Squad 2 Releasing: TBA Runtime: TBA Directed by: TBA Writers: Zak Penn, Adam Cozad Starring: TBA Possible characters introduced: TBA Rumours: Several cast members of the first film have expressed interest in returning. A sequel to the 2016 film, Suicide Squad. Mel Gibson was in talks to direct, but reportedly dropped out of the running. Gotham City Sirens Releasing: TBA Runtime: TBA Directed by: David Ayer Writers: Geneva Robertson-Dworet Starring: Margot Robbie Possible characters introduced: Poison Ivy, Catwoman Rumours: Other female characters from the Bat-verse may appear. This was announced as a spinoff from Suicide Squad, with Margot Robbie producing and reprising her role as Harley Quinn. It's intended to focus on the female characters of the Batman universe, but little more has been heard of the project. Black Adam Releasing: TBA Runtime: TBA Directed by: TBA Writers: TBA Starring: Dwayne Johnson Possible characters introduced: Black Adam Rumours: Superman may appear, or Black Adam may be introduced earlier in the DCEU. Black Adam was created by Otto Binder and C.C Beck, and first appeared in The Marvel Family #1 in 1945. His first origin story depicted him as an Ancient Egyptian, but the New 52 reboot had him revealed as a former slave whose nephew was chosen to become Shazam. His nephew shared his magical energy with Adam, though, to help him heal wounds received while helping his nephew escape slavery. Rather than use his powers for the benefit of others, however, Adam is consumed with a desire for vengeance against those that enslaved him – and this is the root of his anti-heroism. Nightwing Releasing: TBA Runtime: TBA Directed by: Chris McKay Writers: Bill Dubuque Starring: TBA Possible characters introduced: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd Rumours: Batman may appear. The Nightwing character has a long history in DC Comics, having first been created by Edmond Hamilton and Curt Swan in Superman #158 in 1963. Superman assumes the identity of Nightwing alongside Jimmy Olsen as Flamebird, as they disguise themselves as Batman and Robin-inspired vigilantes in a shrunken Kryptonian city. The next incarnation of Nightwing was created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez in Tales Of Teen Titans #44 in 1984, when Dick Grayson ceases to be Robin, and becomes a superhero in his own right. He opts for the identity of Nightwing as homage to Superman and Batman. But, it would seem that the character of Jason Todd could be central to the Nightwing story that occurs in the DCEU – as indicated by the damaged ‘Robin’ costume seen prominently displayed in the Batcave in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. Jason Todd replaced Dick Grayson as Robin to Bruce Wayne’s Batman, but he was killed by The Joker – by way of a brutal crow-bar beating and being locked in a building with a bomb. In both the source material, and the DCEU, it's Jason Todd’s costume that hangs in the Batcave. In the comic books, Jason Todd is later resurrected and becomes a villain – at one point wearing the costume of Nightwing while committing murderous acts. This brings him into conflict with Dick Grayson - the 'real' Nightwing - who must then rescue Todd and work alongside him for the greater good. The film is currently in development, so it's not yet clear which direction the plot will take.