We recently learned that Warner Bros. is planning on launching a new DC Films banner telling some very different standalone stories which are set apart from the DC Extended Universe. The first of those will be a Taxi Driver style origin story for The Joker and it's clear the studio has big plans for this label.
So, which projects will follow this one? We've given it a great deal of thought and come up with what we believe are the eight most likely possibilities for what could come next for these DC Comics movies.
From R-Rated low-budget projects delving into different genres to characters who would struggle to find a place in the DC Extended Universe, these all have the potential to be truly amazing and unique.
8. The Crime Syndicate
An alternate Earth version of the Justice League, The Crime Syndicate is an interesting bunch of villains who definitely have the potential to shine on the big screen. The problem with using them in a future Justice League movie is that the cast would have to pull double duty and that's problematic for a number of reasons. However, a standalone movie means Warner Bros. could cast a new group of actors as the evil counterparts of Batman (Owlman), Wonder Woman (Superwoman), and Superman (Ultraman).
Delving into their twisted origins and how the villains have brought ruin upon their world, this very different take on the Justice League would likely be compelling to fans and non-fans alike. I suppose the only question with this one is who they should be pitted against but the latest iteration of the team had fallen short against the Anti-Monitor so that could be a good place to start.
7. Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come is pretty bleak but based on what we know about that Joker origin story, it will more than likely fit in with what Warner Bros. is planning for these standalone stories. Set in the near future, things pick up with heroes like Superman and Batman forced to come out of retirement to take control of a new generation of vigilantes who are fighting crime in worryingly extreme ways.
That's a simplified explanation but there's no denying that an action-packed, character driven tale like this would work wonderfully. After all, the novelty of introducing older versions of fan-favourite characters in a futuristic setting would generate a lot of buzz and if it was styled after the work of artist Alex Ross, it could be visually stunning too. This needs to be a standalone story and wouldn't fit in the DC Extended Universe so there's really no reason not to release this under that banner. Hell, let Zack Snyder helm it and do for this story what he did for Watchmen!
6. The Judas Contract
The New Teen Titans was one of DC's most successful titles for a time and while a live-action TV series is in the works, there are things a big screen take on their adventures could do that the show will not. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, it featured Deathstroke picking off the Titans one by one and featured both a very personal story and twists and turns which fans never saw coming.
With it looking unlikely that Joe Manganiello is going to play Slade Wilson in The Batman, he could take on the role here, possibly as the lead while the teenage superheroes playing just a supporting role. How much moviegoers would be interested in rooting for the bad guy as he takes down heroes like Nightwing and Raven is hard to say but this is a project which could be taken in some very exciting directions if it's handled the right way under this new banner at Warner Bros.
5. Superman: Red Son
Red Son is an Elseworlds story which follows the life of a Kal-El who crash lands in Soviet era Russia rather than middle America. He's joined in the tale by very different takes on heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman and rumours are already swirling that a live-action take on the Mark Millar penned tale is in the works. Now we know about this new DC Films banner, it makes sense that it's probably being developed under that label and that answers the question of whether Henry Cahill would reprise the role (he obviously won't).
Given the current political climate, it's easy to see a superhero themed political thriller like this going down well but would such a dark take on the Man of Steel be the right move? After the mixed response to both Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, that's hard to say for sure but it would be a shame not to do something with a story this inventive and original.
4. Jack Kirby's New Gods
After Jack Kirby made the leap to DC Comics, he created The New Gods, a space opera style story which took abandoned ideas from his Marvel days to create a whole new mythology. Everyone from Darkside to Orion and Highfather were introduced here and the movie featured a ton of action and characters who are still having an impact on the DC Universe decades later.
Trying to fit a movie like this into the DC Extended Universe would be a challenge, especially with Zack Snyder introducing Darkseid and Apokolips in Justice League. A standalone adventure, meanwhile, could delve into this trippy world in a Guardians of the Galaxy/Thor: Ragnarok style adventure which stands a very real chance of being a hit. With unique visuals, bizarre characters and a setting unlike any other superhero movie, The New Gods could be just the sort of offbeat adventure this new banner needs.
3. Green Arrow: Supermax
We're going way back into the archives for this one but Supermax is a movie which was in the works long before the DC Extended Universe existed. The premise was that Green Arrow would be wrongly imprisoned and forced to escape to save himself, crossing paths with villains like Lex Luthor and The Joker along the way. It had potential but never happened and this would make for an amazing R-Rated standalone adventure for the Emerald Archer.
Oliver Queen is a character deserving of the big screen treatment and considering the fact Arrow has done so much with the character, this approach would be something fresh and unlike any other DC Comics (or Marvel) movie. In terms of budget, a breakout movie like this with fight scenes in the style of something like The Raid is likely the exact sort of project Warner Bros. is looking for.
2. Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth was a groundbreaking graphic novel released shortly after Tim Burton's Batman hit the big screen. Following the Dark Knight as he attempted to put an end to an uprising in this iconic Gotham City location, the hero comes face to face with a number of his villains, plays a twisted game of hide and seek with The Joker, and learns the origin of the asylum's twisted founder, Amadeus Arkham.
All of this sounds like the perfect basis for a standalone movie and there were rumbling some time ago that Warner Bros. was mulling over a Batman movie featuring the Caped Crusader battling his way through Arkham Asylum. The studio could even have this play out from the viewpoint of his villains, making Batman a shadowy figure who, to them, is the true enemy. Either way, an R-Rated movie like this set in a singular location could be amazing.
1. Reverse-Flash
If The Flash TV series has proved anything, it's how great a villain the Reverse-Flash is. While he'll more than likely appear in Flashpoint, I would much prefer to see his origin story play out in full in a standalone movie such as this. Completely removed from the adventures of Barry Allen, we could follow Eobard Thawne's devotion to the Fastest Man Alive in a futuristic setting before learning how he became a heroic speedster and ultimately succumbed to madness after travelling back in time to meet his idol and being met with rejection/disappointment.
A new Flash would have to be cast but his role would be minimal as we'd see everything from Eobard's point of view, including how he ultimately hatches a plan to destroy Barry's life and become his greatest foe. Yes, this story could play out in the DC Extended Universe but I think a solo movie for the villain stands the chance to be something special and freeing it from continuity might ultimately do the project a huge favour.
Which of these standalone stories would you like to see as part of the new DC Films banner? Do you have some suggestions of your own? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.