Every Confirmed, Rumored, And Possibly Canceled DCEU Movie In The Works At Warner Bros.
There are lots of rumours floating around regarding the DC Films Universe's future but we've sifted through those, confirmed reports, and more to bring you a definitive guide to what's next for the DCEU...
As you no doubt may have heard, Warner Bros. is currently in the process of establishing what comes next for the DC Extended Universe (DC Films Universe?) following Justice League's disappointing critical and commercial performance last November. That's involved some major personnel changes and a new approach to deciding which characters get the spotlight and when and where that will happen.
So, with it becoming clear that the studio is no longer throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, what comes next for the huge number of projects which we know are in various stages of development? Well, that's what we're taking a look at here as we delve into the movies which are confirmed, rumoured, and possibly cancelled based on everything we know about them up until now.
With that in mind then, all you guys need to do is click on the "View List" button below to check out this definitive guide to the DCEU and what films we can expect to see over the next decade or so...
Man Of Steel 2 - Rumoured
Justice League may have been a mess but Joss Whedon's reshoots did result in a Superman that fans have wanted to see on screen ever since he broke General Zod's neck in Man of Steel five years ago. Henry Cavill has said in interviews that talks are taking place at Warner Bros. in regards to a sequel and names like Christopher McQuarrie and Matthew Vaughn have been mentioned as possible directors.
However, with the latter developing a Kick-Ass reboot and an entire Kingsman Universe, common sense says that he's probably already moved on from Superman. More to the point, there's no writer attached so that makes Man of Steel 2 a good three-plus years away at best. However, rumours continue to swirl that we'll see Superman make an appearance in Shazam! and possibly Black Adam.
The Flash - Confirmed
John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein have a pretty mixed track record. They co-wrote Spider-Man: Homecoming but directed comedies like Horrible Bosses and Game Night. However, the fact they've worked on both a teen movie and have a good knowledge of humour does arguably make them a good fit for a character like The Flash, especially as the DCEU's version is young and a joker!
Based on the latest reports about the movie, Warner Bros. is moving away from the darker adventure Flashpoint would have been (presumably meaning we should say goodbye to seeing Jeffrey Dean Morgan play Batman) for a Back to the Future-inspired affair which may or may not include time travel but will almost certainly follow that sci-fi adventure in terms of its approach to tone and humour.
Suicide Squad 2 - Semi-Confirmed
Once Gavin O'Connor signed on to direct the Suicide Squad sequel, it appeared as if the project was rocketing ahead but things have since come to a halt due to even more rewrites (which are presumably being done to ensure it moves away from the darker tone the first instalment had which was obviously more in line with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice). Throw in plans for Birds of Prey and that Joker spinoff for Jared Leto and Warner Bros. could be trying to figure out where exactly the sequel fits.
Black Adam - Rumoured
Talking of Suicide Squad 2 (seeing as he's been rumoured to be Task Force X's main foe there), Black Adam was supposed to happen before Shazam!, a movie set to be released less than a year from now. However, those plans have been halted and while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson remains attached to star, there's currently nothing to say that will happen but Due Date writer Adam Sztykiel coming on board to pen the screenplay definitely seems like a step in the right direction for this project.
Green Lantern Corps - Confirmed
A week ago, we would have had to put this one firmly in the "rumoured" category because all we really knew was that David Goyer was attached to write and potentially direct. Since then, it's been confirmed that Geoff Johns has taken over writing duties for a movie based on his lengthy comic run.
We also know that Hal Jordan and John Stewart will be Green Lantern Corps' leads despite rumours that the honour would go to Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz. There's no word on casting and we have no clue how long it will take Johns to write it so we could be waiting for this one well into the 2020s.
The Batman - Confirmed (Sort Of)
There was a time when it looked like The Batman - directed by Ben Affleck and written by Geoff Johns - would have been released either last year or this one. Since then, things with the movie have changed again and again but Matt Reeves is attached to direct and we recently heard that the filmmaker has turned in his first draft of the screenplay (well, the first act of it as opposed to the whole thing).
Reliable sources reveal that Reeves' Batman is going to be quite a bit younger than the one played by Ben Affleck so that pretty much lines up with what we've been hearing and takes him out of the running to reprise the role of the Caped Crusader. As a result, while it seems as if this movie is definitely happening, it's not the version of The Batman we expected to see when it was announced.
Cyborg - Cancelled
So, yeah, there's no way this one is happening. Despite Warner Bros. initially announcing it as part of the studio's ambitious DCEU slate, it has no writer, no director, and a lead star who failed to make much of an impact in Justice League playing the titular character. This was very much a case of throwing names at a wall to see what would stick so don't expect it to ever become a reality. However, there is a chance we could see Cyborg show up elsewhere in this world. The Flash, perhaps?
Lobo - Rumoured
A Lobo movie has been in the works at one time or another for close to a decade now so it's hardly a surprise to see it included here. However, with Wonder Woman's Jason Fuchs working on the screenplay and Michael Bay named as the studio's top choice to direct, it appears as if it's closer to becoming a reality now than ever before. Unfortunately, it currently appears to be on the backburner but assuming it does come together, it would be a good fit for DC's new R-Rated, standalone label.
Birds Of Prey - Confirmed
What started off as a solo movie for Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn has quickly transformed into a Birds of Prey movie with a writer in the form of Christina Hodson and Cathy Yan set to direct. Rumours continue to swirl about which characters we'll see (Catwoman isn't happening apparently but The Huntress and Black Canary might) and it's been reported that the studio is eyeing this as a launching pad for a number of characters but primarily Batgirl as she also has her own movie also on the way.
The Joker - Semi-Confirmed (x2)
Are you ready for two solo movies revolving around The Joker? No? Well, tough luck because you're getting them. While it's fair to say the vast majority of fans would prefer to see the spotlight on the Clown Prince of Crime going to war with Batman, Warner Bros. is plotting an R-Rated, low-budget, standalone origin story set in the 1980s directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix.
That's not all, though, as we recently learned that Jared Leto's version of The Joker from Suicide Squad is also getting his own movie. The studio is currently attempting to find a writer and it's unclear how it will tie into Suicide Squad 2 beyond it being the first of a possible number of spinoffs for characters from that franchise. What direction this one could go in is literally impossible to even fathom.
Nightwing - Rumoured
Director Chris McKay has revealed plenty of interesting details about Nightwing on Twitter but the movie doesn't appear any closer to actually happening. While it's clearly on the docket at Warner Bros., it doesn't seem to be a priority and there could be any number of reasons for that. Perhaps the biggest is the fact Dick Grayson will receive the spotlight in DC's upcoming Teen Titans TV series.
Whatever the answer may be, it seems Warner Bros. has cooled on the idea of expanding Batman's world on the big screen and there's actually another member of the Bat-Family who's now a priority...
Batgirl - Confirmed
While Joss Whedon was initially set to direct Batgirl, the Justice League backlash and various comments made by his ex-wife resulted in him choosing to leave (being fired from?) the project. Christina Hodson (Bumblebee) is currently working on the script and Warner Bros. is endeavouring to hire a female director to take the helm of the project. As we mentioned above, though, it appears as if the studio will wait and see how the character fares in Birds of Prey first.
Gotham City Sirens - Cancelled
It's been so long since we've heard anything solid about this one that common sense says David Ayer is no longer involved and that the Suicide Squad spinoff simply isn't happening. After all, Birds of Prey has essentially replaced this one anyway and moviegoers really don't need that and another Harley Quinn led team-up movie which just replaces Batgirl and Black Canary with Catwoman and Poison Ivy!
Hopefully, Warner Bros. does find a place for those characters somewhere in theDCEU because they deserve their chance to shine but giving this movie to Ayer really doesn't seem like the best move.
Harley Quinn Vs. The Joker - Rumoured
If you were wondering why we're seemingly so down on the idea of Gotham City Sirens, then it probably has something to do with the fact that Harley Quinn is being given more than enough of the spotlight without taking the lead in that too! After all, did you forget that Focus directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra have been pegged to write, direct, and produce the film featuring these two?
There are conflicting reports about whether or not this is what Gotham City Sirens has evolved into but it's going to be very interesting seeing how Warner Bros. handles all these movies and how they link up to each other and inform one another in order to tell a much larger story...or not. Time will tell, I guess!
Justice League Dark - Rumoured
Justice League Dark (once known as Dark Universe) has lost almost as many directors as Gambit (ironically, Doug Liman actually left the DC Comics adaptation to helm that before walking away from the X-Men spinoff). The last we heard about this was that Warner Bros. was looking for a new director and are hoping to secure an A-List cast to play the likes of John Constantine and Swamp-Thing.
While this movie would be vastly different to Justice League, there's a chance the studio feels like the brand has been tarnished and that's why it's been so long since we've heard anything about the project. There is, of course, a chance it could still happen but we'll just have to wait and see for now.
Deathstroke - Rumoured
Slade Wilson was supposed to be the big bad of The Batman but that movie has obviously changed hands and Deathstroke's future is now something of a mystery. We did hear that Gareth Evans would be directing but comments from the filmmaker have pointed to the project not being on the cards for him for the foreseeable future. Joe Manganiello clearly remains a fan but assuming Deathstroke shows up in Titans, there's a chance Warner Bros. has completely cooled on the fan-favourite villain.
Injustice League - Rumoured
This is very much a rumour because the trades have never even mentioned it but there's a lot of theories out there which point to this group showing up down the line, especially as it seems Joss Whedon actually reshot that scene of Lex Luthor talking about forming the Injustice League.
Suicide Squad made it clear that moviegoers are interested in stories about villains and an Injustice League spinoff would be good fun and would make great use of characters like Lex Luthor, Black Adam, The Joker, and Deathstroke. Unfortunately, this is probably only in the "idea" stage as of right now.
Aquaman - Confirmed
Aquaman is set to hit theaters in December and after a first proper look at the movie courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, it definitely appears as if this one will follow in Wonder Woman's footsteps by being something truly special. It boasts an impressive cast, a more than capable director in James Wan, and an environment we've never seen in a superhero movie before, so here's hoping anyway!
Shazam! - Confirmed
All we've seen from Shazam! so far is a banner (photographed, not officially released online) and a plethora of set photos. It's safe to assume Warner Bros. is waiting until Comic-Con to pull back the curtain on the movie but will DC's most Marvel-like movie yet succeed or prove to be a pale imitation? That remains to be seen but there's a lot to look forward to here and it has a lot of potential.
Wonder Woman 1984 - Confirmed
Wonder Woman exceeded expectations in almost every respect and fans are obviously hoping the sequel will do the same. There's really no reason why it shouldn't, especially with impressive casting additions like Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal. We have a lot of questions right now - including how Steve Trevor has returned - but those first official images were very cool and the sequel should be must-see.
The New Gods - Confirmed
I almost forgot about this one! Ava DuVernay obviously signed up to direct this one fairly recently and it has a lot of potential, providing it doesn't end up going down the same route as A Wrinkle in Time. However, despite that movie's flaws, it was visually stunning and featured a lot of creativity, so the filmmaker could well create something really special by delving deep into this part of the DCEU.
We may even finally get to see Darkseid on the big screen and The New Gods is actually a movie which would tie into a lot of different releases and set the stage for some huge, exciting new storylines.
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