The history ofDCon film has been a weird one. Since the release ofSuperman: The Movieback in 1978, Warner Bros. spent 30 years only being interested in developing movies based on Superman and Batman, with the rare exception ofSwamp ThingorConstantine. Starting withMan of Steel, they attempted to launch a shared cinematic universe titled the DC Extended Universe, or DCEU for short. Over the span of 10 years, they released films centered around Wonder Woman, The Flash, Shazam, Aquaman, the Suicide Squad, and more. Over this period, they also had many movies based on popular characters, like Zatanna, The New Gods, and Green Lantern,that were canceled by DCor never materialized. They even scrapped a completedBatgirlmovie.
Yet the DCEU lacked the interconnected nature of the rival Marvel Cinematic Universe, and after a series of box office disappointments, Warner Bros. decided to start over. In October 2022, they brought onThe Suicide Squaddirector James Gunn and producer Peter Safranto run the newly reformatted DC Studios that would launch a new franchise known as the DC Universe (DCU). In January 2023, Gunn announced the plans for five films as well as five television series.
Since then, he has announced more films, and details have been given about separate movies set outside his planned cinematic universe (which will be known as the Elseworlds movies).Here is every DC movie currently in development at Warner Bros., both part of the DCU and in the Elseworlds brand.
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in Warner Bros.' rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill’s departure from the role, honoring the character’s roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way.”
The kick-off to the DCU will beSuperman, previously titledSuperman: Legacy. Written and directed by James Gunn, the film will focus on a young Superman as he goes on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human family in Smallville, Kansas. David Corenswet has been cast as Superman with Rachael Brosnan, who is set to play Lois Lane. Nicolas Hoult, who screen-tested for the role of Superman, will play Lex Luthor.
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The film is not an origin story and setting itself from other Superman films byfeaturing many other DC heroes in supporting roleslike Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), and Guy Gardner’s version of Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion). The movie is currently filming and is set for release on July 19, 2025.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrowis also being set up with 2025’sSuperman, withMily Alcock (House of the Dragon) cast as Kara Zor-El/Supergirlin that movie before leading her own spin-off film. WhileSupermanis drawing inspiration from comics likeAll-Star Supermanbut won’t be a direct adaptation,Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrowdoes appear to be an adaptation of the 2022 miniseries of the same name from writer Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely. Those comics saw Supergirl in a galacticTrue Grittype story where a young alien girl asks Supergirl to help her hunt down the man who killed her father.
The movie has gained a lot of momentum with Alcock’s casting, and reportedly,director Craig Gillespie, best known for 2018’sI, Tonyaand 2021’sCruella, has signed on to direct. Ana Nogueira, who was previously working on a Supergirl movie for the original DCEU featuring Sasha Calle fromThe Flash, is penning the screenplay. The movie is set for release on June 13, 2025.
The Authority
The Authoritywill be set up inSupermanwith the introduction of Angela Spica / The Engineer, played by María Gabriela de Faría. The Authority was a superhero team created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch that focused on a superhero team who took matters into their own hands and used excessive violence to stop global crime, even attempting to take control of the planet to secure the safety of everyone in it.
The Authority is a team of anti-heroes that is very different from the Justice League, which has left many fans curious as to why they are getting their own film so early on in this franchise formation. No additional cast has been announced, and no director is set.
The Brave and the Bold
The DC Universe would not be complete without a Batman movie, and while Robert Pattinson is playing the Caped Crusader in his own separate section of films, the DCU will have its own Batman film. TitledThe Brave and the Bold, the movie will feature Batman and Robin, but this Robin won’t be the traditional Dick Grayson most fans are expecting. Instead, it will be Damian Wayne, the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul.
The film will reportedly be heavily inspired by Grant Morrison’s run in the comics that went from 2006 to 2013. The film will also introduce the Bat Family, so fans can expect to see Dick Grayson’s Nightwing and maybe Barbara Gordon’s Batgirl. After showcasing some impressive Batman action inThe Flash, director Andy Muschietti will direct the film.
Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing was one of the few DC characters to get a live-action film during the 1980s, so it’s appropriate that the character is now part of the DCU’s plans.Described as a gothic horror movie, the film will tell the origins of Swamp Thing and is heavily rumored to be inspired by Alan Moore’s groundbreakingThe Saga of Swamp Thingcomics from 1984 through 1985.
James Mangold (Logan) is set to directSwamp Thingand is currently developing it alongside his plannedStar Warsfilm that will explore the origins of the First Jedi, but it is unclear which movie will be made first.
Teen Titans
Teen Titansis the first movie that will be part of the DCU that was not part of James Gunn’s official January 2022 announcement.Teen Titans have been a popular brand for DC, particularly following the introduction of theNew Teen Titansin 1980, with the popular animated seriesTeen TitansandTeen Titans Go!making the characters household names to many generations.
Currently, not much is known about the film other thanSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrowscreenwriter Ana Nogueira, who is working on the script. With Damian Wayne’s Robin being introduced inBrave and the Bold, it is heavily rumored he will appear as the default Robin on the team, while fans have theorized this is where Xolo Maridueña’s Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle will return.
Joker: Folie à Deux
Joker: Folie a Deux
Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to Todd Phillips' critically acclaimed comic book thriller Joker. Reprising his Academy Award-winning performance as the failed comedian Arthur Fleck, Joaquin Phoenix revisits the iconic DC character alongside Lady Gaga, who makes her debut as Joker’s lover Harley Quinn in this standalone continuity of the DC Universe.
While there are no DCU films set for release in 2024, making the release ofSupermanin 2025 a big deal, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any movies based on DC Comics characters being released in theaters. In fact, they have a wild card, the Joker, more specifically,Joker: Folie à Deux. This is a sequel to the surprise $1 billion grossing 2019 filmJoker,which also won star Joaquin Phoenix an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Related:How Frank Sinatra Missed His Chance to Play The Joker in Batman ‘66
While originally intended to be a one-off film, the movie is now getting a sequel whose big hook is featuring Lady Gaga as a new version of Harley Quinn. The movie is also set to be a musical, and like how the 2019 film was heavily inspired by Martin Scorsese’sTaxi DriverandThe King of Comedy,Joker: Folie à Deuxlooks to be drawing inspiration from Francis Ford Coppola’sOne from the Heart. Like its predecessor,Joker: Folie à Deuxis not connected to any other DC Universe except for the previous movie and is set for release on Jul 01, 2025, almost five years from the date whenJokeropened.
The Batman - Part II
The Batman Part II
Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson are returning to Gotham City withThe Batman - Part II. These films will not be connected to James Gunn’s DCU and will instead be a stand-alone franchise, even getting its own Max spin-off series,The Penguin, set for release beforeThe Batman - Part II.Little is known about the movie, and it was originally intended for release in October 2025 but has since been delayed to July 26, 2025, which means it is being released four years after the previous film,The Batman.
Metal Menhas been a property that DC and Warner Bros. have been trying to develop long before even the DCEU was an idea. Originally announced in 2012 by director Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black), the movie was going to be a live-action film set in the DCEU, but it never materialized. In December 2021, it was then reported the movie was going to be developed as an animated movie for Warner Bros. Animation.The movie had secured Disney legends John Musker and Ron Clements, who crafted some of the most iconic animated films, such asThe Little Mermaid, Aladdin,andMoana, to direct. DreamWorks Animation producer Bonnie Arnold was producing the film with Celeste Ballard (Do Revenge) co-writing the script alongside Musker and Clements.
While no word has been made on it yet, James Gunn has not officially announced the cancelation of the project and has said that Elseworlds projects are still on the table, so Metal Men could be conceived as an Elseworlds film or an animated movie set within his shared universe as he looks to feature more connectivity between animated and live-action stories. Metal Men might be the family friendly franchise that DC needs.
Constantine 2
There are two trends that are lighting up the box office: legacy sequels and Keanu Reeves movies. Thus, it makes sense that Warner Bros. would want to cash in withConstantine 2.Constantinewas a loose adaptation of theHellblazercomics that Warner Bros. released in 2005, just months beforeBatman Beginswould kick off a new streak of DC film adaptations. The DCEU was originally planning a new separate Constantine movie, but in September 2022, it announced that it would move forward withConstantine 2instead. A month later, it was announced that James Gunn and Peter Safran would be running DC Films, making many fans believe thatConstantine 2would be canceled.
Yet that doesn’t seem to be the case. Shortly before the release ofJohn Wick: Chapter 4, Keanu Reeves confirmed he spoke with James Gunn and that the film would still be made as an Elseworlds title. The film was delayed due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but it hasnow reportedly been developed once more.
Ta-Nehisi Coates Superman
In Febraury 2021, as the DCEU was in a state of flux following the COVID-19 pandemic, Warner Bros. announced they were developing a new Superman movie from producer J.J. Abrams and written by award-winning author Ta-Nehisi Coates. The movie would focus on a Black Superman, but following the announcement of James Gunn’sSupermanmovie being a top priority for Warner Bros. and the centerpiece of launching the DCU, many suspected Ta-Nehisi Coates Superman would be one of many canceled DC films.
As recently as January 2024,James Gunn revealed that the movie is still in development, and, likeConstantine 2,The Batman - Part II, andJoker: Folie à Deux, it would be an Elseworlds film not connected to the DCU continuity.
