The DCEU has been at the center of a lot of controversy in recent months, and DC fans are hotly debating the best path forward for the franchise and its films. Plus, the recent cancelation of Batgirl, due to the Warner Bros. and Discovery merger, has only made this discussion more intense.
During a recent earnings call, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said that the studio would borrow from Marvel’s playbook and embark on a “10-year plan focusing just on DC.” At the current time, it isn’t known what the complete plan is. However, the call did name-check several upcoming DC movies, suggesting that they will be part of this future plan.
Every currently confirmed DC movie
Several DCEU movies are currently confirmed. And these films seem unaffected by the cuts made during the merger (or appear to be at the current time).
Currently confirmed are:
- Black Adam (October 21, 2022) — A spin-off from 2019’s Shazam!, this movie focuses on the popular DC anti-hero, supervillain, and frequent Shazam foe, Black Adam. Dwayne Johnson is in the title role.
- Shazam: Fury of the Gods (December 21, 2022) — A sequel to 2019’s Shazam!, this film sees Shazam and his friends fight a new threat, and Zachary Levi returns to the title role.
- Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom (March 17, 2023) — Based on popular Justice League member Aquaman, this film sees Jason Momoa return to the aquatic mantle he first wore in 2018.
- The Flash (June 23, 2023) — One of the most controversial films of the currently confirmed set, The Flash has had a tumultuous production history, made worse by the lead actor, Ezra Miller, getting into lots of legal trouble in recent months. This has led to many fans demanding that the film be scrapped entirely.
- Blue Beetle (August 18, 2023) — Based on fan-favorite hero Blue Beetle, this film sees Xolo Maridueña step into the legendary costume.
- Joker: Folie A Deux (October 4, 2024) — A sequel to 2019s critical and commercial success Joker, this film will see Joaquin Phoenix reprise the role of Arthur Fleck. The film will also feature Lady Gaga, and it is rumored that the film will be a musical.
Currently rumored DC movies
Alongside this, there are lots of rumors about films that might be part of this 10-year plan. However, it should be noted that at the current time, these are nothing but speculation.
Director Patty Jenkins has said she is working on a 3rd Wonder Woman film. While little has been announced, it seems unlikely it will be dropped due to both Jenkins and lead actress Gal Gadot’s fame and power within Hollywood. Especially as the first two Wonder Woman films did well for the studio, and Wonder Woman is one of DC’s core characters.
If DC really wants to copy Marvel, then it’s likely that all of the core Justice League members will get films to both establish their new continuity and lead into a big Justice League crossover movie in the vein of The Avengers. So, we can likely expect a Superman movie (maybe Man of Steel 2) and a Green Lantern movie to round out the traditional Justice League lineup. We can also expect an Aquaman 3 if the upcoming Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom makes its money back at the box office.
Of course, DC may copy Black Widow by introducing characters in a crossover and giving them solo films later if they prove popular enough, especially with previously tricky-to-adapt heroes like Green Lantern.
The success of 2022’s The Batman also guarantees at least one Batman film coming in the next few years, though it might not be linked to the 10-year plan. DC may instead opt to keep that franchise separate for the time being or to make a The Batman sequel as well as a mainline DCEU Batman film. Of course, this could lead to two different Batman continuities operating simultaneously, which management might deem too risky.
James Gunn also has several projects in the works for DC at the current time. While only one of them is currently known, Peacemaker Season 2, the others have not been announced. However, it is likely that these will be kept, if only to keep on James Gunn’s good side as the director has shown that he has major mainstream appeal.
Only time will tell what the DCEU 10-year plan ends up looking like. However, as the initial chaos caused by the merger fades, and the dust clears, we’ll likely learn more about the future of the DCEU.
