For the past decade, Warner Bros. Discovery failed to create a cinematic universe that lived up to DC’s beloved comic book characters. That will hopefully change with James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DCU.
Gunn and Safran were given complete control over DC Studios in 2022 and tasked with creating a decade-long storyline spanning movies, TV shows, and video games. So far, Gunn and Safran have been keeping the new DCU under an absolute veil of secrecy, and no one can tell what their ambitious storyline will look like. However, we already have an extensive list of movies and TV shows that are currently being developed.
Gunn and Safran revealed that their decade-long storyline will be split into two chapters. The first chapter, aptly named “Gods and Monsters,” comprises multiple theatrical releases and TV shows. While not everything has a hard release date yet, there’s a lot to be excited for as a DC fan.
Creature Commandos
- Release date: December 5, 2024 (Max)
- Showrunner: James Gunn
Creature Commandos is based on an obscure DC superteam made entirely of classic monsters. Gunn has already proven that he’s the master of using relatively unknown characters to create deeply emotional stories, a feat he managed with both the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and The Suicide Squad. So, since he wrote all seven episodes of the show, it’s only fair to assume that he’ll manage to make us also fall in love with the Creature Commandos.
Although their series will be animated, Gunn and Safran have already decided that whoever voices a DCU character will play the same role in any live-action project reusing the same heroes and villains. Considering that Creature Commandos has a star-studded voice cast, the show will give fans an appetizer of exciting things to come.
Notable voice talent includes Sean Gunn as G.I. Robot/Weasel, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, and David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein. Additionally, Steve Agee will appear as John Economos, and Viola Davis will return as Amanda Waller. Since these characters were part of The Suicide Squad, Gunn’s first DC movie will probably be incorporated into the new DCU.
Superman
- Release date: July 11, 2025
- Writer/Director: James Gunn
If Creature Commandos is the new DCU appetizer, Superman is the main dish. Previously known as Superman: Legacy, the next cinematic adaptation of the Man of Steel will set the tone for the whole DCU and potentially show Warner Bros. Discovery that Gunn and Safran can pull off a massive box office haul. Or the movie will flop, and the new DCU might be buried right as it starts. The stakes have rarely been higher for a single cinematic project, so Gunn himself took the task of penning the script and directing the movie.
Instead of a new origin story, Superman takes place years after the Son of Krypton revealed his existence to the world. That explains why the movie will star multiple heroes and villains, including Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer, Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord, and Milly Alcock as Supergirl.
As for the titular character, David Corenswet was chosen as the DCU’s Man of Steel, with Rachel Brosnahan playing Lois Lane. Nicholas Hoult will portray the villainous Lex Luthor.
Peacemaker (Season 2)
- Release date: 2025
- Showrunner: James Gunn
While the first season of Peacemaker was aired before the DCU reboot, Gunn has already written the script for the eight episodes of Season 2. That means Peacemaker will be absorbed into the new DCU, a smart movie from DC Studios. Peacemaker is a direct spinoff of Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, starring John Cena as the titular vigilante. The first season balanced comedy and character growth perfectly, so it would be a shame if the story went to the trashcan after the DCU reboot.
Since Steve Agee’s John Economos and Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller are coming to Creature Commandos after appearing in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, we expect Season 2 of Peacemaker to be more entangled with the general DCU. The season is already in production, with Season 2 scheduled to premiere after Superman.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
- Release date: June 26, 2026
- Writer: Ana Nogueira
- Director: Craig Gillespie
Inspired by the comic book miniseries of the same name by King and Bilquis Evely, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will follow the tragic story of Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin. While Superman was sent to Earth to be raised by a loving family, Kara grew up in a fragment of Krypton, watching everyone she loved die while she floated through space. As such, the will explain the different personalities of the two Kryptonians.
Gunn and Safran described Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow as a “sci-fi epic,” which means the movie will most likely take place in space and explore Kara’s journey. Gunn has publicly praised the script, penned by Ana Nogueira, and went as far as to give her a second DCU project to write, Teen Titans. Plus, the fact that Supergirl was put ahead in the production pile means that DC Studios is quite confident in its success.
Lanterns
- Release date: TBA
- Showrunner: Chris Mundy
According to Gunn and Safran, Lanterns will work as a detective story in which the Green Lanterns investigate a cosmic mystery on Earth. Instead of focusing on a specific iteration of the hero, the TV show will feature Hal Jordan and John Stweart. Hal Jordan is the original comic book Green Lantern, while John Stweart became famous thanks to the fan-favorite animated Justice League animated series. Since Nathan Fillion will appear as Guy Gardner in Superman, he will likely reprise this Green Lantern in the series, too.
Gunn and Safran have been playing coy about the new DCU. Still, they revealed that Lanterns is one of the main projects they are developing, and other mysteries at the show’s core will help fans understand the overextending DCU storyline. It’s good, then, that the show is already going into production in January 2025, which means we can expect a late-2025/early-2026 release date.
Lanterns stars Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan.
The Authority
- Release date: TBA
In 1992, comic book legend Jim Lee created the WildStorm universe to write superhero stories outside the constraints of Marvel/DC. DC eventually bought the WildStorm universe, using the Multiverse as an excuse to incorporate some characters into their main line of comic books. That’s precisely what happened with The Authority, a superteam getting their own movie in the new DCU.
The members of the Authority believe that the ends justify the means when pursuing world peace, which leads them to take villainous actions against crime, such as killing certain social groups or depositing elected leaders. So, while the Authority thinks of itself as a team of heroes, they are often portrayed as antagonists to the Justice League. The Engineer is one of the core members of the Authority, and she will appear in the Superman movie, played by María Gabriela de Faría. That means even before The Authority hits theaters, Gunn will already use its characters in other stories.
Waller
- Release date: TBA
- Showrunner: Christal Henry & Jeremy Carver
Waller will give Viola Davis her own TV show as the ruthless Amanda Waller after many years of playing the character in multiple DC projects. Initially, Gunn had planned for Waller to take place after the events of Peacemaker Season 1 when Amanda Waller’s dark deeds were exposed to the whole world. However, the DCU-specific needs have changed these plans.
Waller will be back for Creature Commandos, and Peacemaker will get its second season before Waller appears in her titular show. That’s probably why the series is still in the early stages of development, as Gunn needs to rework the story so it makes sense in the DCU continuity.
The Brave and The Bold
- Release date: TBA
- Director: Andy Muschietti
The Brave and the Bold will introduce a new Batman to the DCU, accompanied by the Damian Wayne iteration of Robin. For those needing a reminder, Damian is the biological son of Bruce Wayne, who was initially trained by the League of Shadows before being rescued and turned into a hero by his father.
The Brave and the Bold will focus on the extended Bat Family and draw inspiration from Grant Morrison’s 2006-2013 run of the Batman comic books. After directing The Flash, Andy Muschietti was chosen to helm The Brave and the Bold. While that might concern fans, since The Flash is horrible, Muschietti deserves the benefit of the doubt. The disastrous result of The Flash was due to many years of development hell and the constant meddling of Warner Bros. Discovery executives. Nevertheless, Muschietti proved to be a good soldier and took the blame for the movie. So, he deserves the chance to show what he can do when granted proper creative freedom.
The DCU version of Batman is expected to be more fantastical than the ones from Matt Reeves or Christopher Nolan. Proof of that is Clayface, a fan-favorite, albeit not realistic, Dark Knight rogue who already appears in Creature Commandos.
Blue Beetle
- Release date: TBA
- Showrunner: Miguel Puga
While Blue Beetle, starring Xolo Maridueña as the titular character, failed to impress at the box office, the character was mainly well-received by fans. Fortunately, DC Studios has plans for the hero, with an animated series currently developing.
Miguel Puga is helming the Blue Beetle animated series. The live-action movie’s director and writer—Angel Manuel Soto and Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, respectively — will serve as executive producers. However, that doesn’t mean anything else from the live-action movie will be salvaged, as there’s no official news of Maridueña returning to voice the hero.
Paradise Lost
- Release date: TBA
Paradise Lost takes place in Themyscira, the all-female island where Wonder Woman is born. Set before the birth of Diana, the series promises to deliver a gripping political drama not unlike Game of Thrones. The TV show’s title references Paradise Island Lost, a comic book story by Phil Jimenez and George Pérez about a civil war on the fabled island.
Since Wonder Woman is canonically hundreds of years old, Paradise Lost will occur in the DCU’s far past. The choice to go back in time so much allows Gunn and Safran to create a healthy distance from Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, who will not be back in the new DCU after Wonder Woman 3 got canceled. That way, the new DCU can explore Themyschera’s history and mythology while taking the time to find Gadot’s replacement.
Swamp Thing
- Release date: TBA
- Writer/Director: James Mangold
Swamp Thing explores the origins of one of DC’s most beloved horror characters. The movie will be written and directed by James Mangold, the man behind the fan-favorite Marvel adaptation Logan.
Swamp Thing is mainly inspired by Alan Moore’s The Saga of the Swamp Thing comic book run, an unsettling body horror story that could result in the scariest DC movie ever. Thanks to Alan Moore, Swamp Thing became a fan-favorite character, so Mangold has the massive weight of expectations over his shoulders. However, according to Gunn, Swamp Thing is a pet project for the director, which is always good to hear.
Booster Gold
- Release date: TBA
Booster Gold is the last DCU series in the “God of Monsters” story arc. In DC Comics, Booster Gold is a disgraced football star from the 25th century who travels back in time to gain fame as a superhero. Thanks to the advanced technology he brings back in time, Booster Gold has the power to face supervillains and team up with other superheroes. However, he lacks the know-how of the superhero business, which often leads to comedic situations.
It’s worth noting that Booster Gold frequently teams up with Blue Beetle in the comic books. No one knows if Xolo Maridueña’s version of Blue Beetle will be incorporated into the DCU, but the Booster Gold TV show is an excellent vehicle to bring the hero back to live-action.
Teen Titans
- Release date: TBA
- Writer: Ana Nogueira
Even if Gunn and Safran laid out their whole plan for the “Gods and Monsters” arc, a Teen Titans movie is also being developed by DC Studios. That means it might be a while before Teen Titans hit theaters. Even so, the project already has a writer attached to it, Ana Nogueira, who’s also penning the Supergirl movie.
The Teen Titans are a supergroup classically formed by the sidekicks of DC’s greatest heroes and other young crimefighters. While there’s a popular animated series about the team currently airing, Teen Titans Go!, the grounded nature of the DCU indicates the live-action movie should draw inspiration from adaptations such as Young Justice.
Untitled Bane and Deathstroke movie
- Release date: TBA
- Writer: Matthew Orton
While there’s little information about it, DC Studios is working on a script for a Bane and Deathstroke team-up movie. Both characters are major villains in Batman’s mythos, men capable of pushing Bruce Wayne to the brink. Plus, both have close ties with the League of Assassins, the organization shaping up to be the leading foe of Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
Bane was last adapted for the big screen by Christopher Nolan, with Tom Hardy playing the part in The Dark Knight Rises. Deathstroke, in his turn, had multiple live-action versions over the past decade, from TV shows such as Titans and The CW’s Arrow to Joe Manganiello’s short-lived tenure as the assassin in the defunct DCEU.
Dynamic Duo
- Release date: TBA
- Writer: Matthew Aldrich
DC Studios is planning to expand the Dark Knight corner of the DCU further with an animated Dynamic Duo movie. Batman: The Brave and the Bold revolves around Bruce Wayne’s relationship with Damian, which means the Dark Knight has already had multiple Robins over the years. So, Dynamic Duo will help bridge the gap by following two fan-favorite members of the Bat Family: Dick Grayson and Jason Todd.
Dick is the original Robin, who later becomes Nightwing, protector of Bludhaven. Jason is the Robin the Joker murders in cold blood. Jason eventually returns from the dead and takes up the mantle of the Red Hood, a bloody antihero. The movie will explore Dick and Jason’s formative years before they were pushed to different paths.
Matthew Aldrich, the writer of Pixar’s Coco and Starlight, is penning the project. New Orleans-based Swaybox will handle the animation.
Published: Oct 21, 2024 05:45 am