2025 promises to be an important year for DC Studios. Led by filmmaker James Gunn and veteran producer Peter Safran, the studio has been formed to right the ship and get the DCU back on track after a largely dismal run for the brand courtesy of the DCEU.
Consistency will be key for the DCU moving forward as the franchise can no longer afford the odd critical and commercial success, only for the rest of its offerings to be Black Adam and The Flash levels of bad.
Despite a strong end to 2024 courtesy of Creature Commandos and Superman, The Batman 2's recent delay and test screening rumblings have once again pointed to a shared world that's in major trouble. Is there anything to it or is a false narrative being created?
In this feature, we break down everything you need to know about those recent developments and explore why there's still so much negativity surrounding DC Studios and the DCU on the back of a couple of huge successes...
5. The Batman 2 Delayed...Again
We recently brought you the disappointing news that The Batman 2 has been delayed by another year; originally scheduled for 2025, the sequel was pushed to 2026 and is now set to open on October 1, 2027.
Gunn has repeatedly defended what will end up being a five-and-a-half-year gap between The Batman and its sequel but fans are growing impatient and want answers (particularly when it's no secret the DCU will soon introduce its own version of the Caped Crusader).
There are rumblings that filmmaker Matt Reeves is dealing with serious personal issues. If correct, we hope both he and his family are okay.
However, a statement of some sort to put an end to the speculation - most of which is making DC Studios look downright inept - would be welcomed. If nothing else, it means Reeves could be left alone to cook.
4. What About The Brave and The Bold?
Fan interest in The Brave and the Bold decreased the second The Flash director Andy Muschietti was announced as being at the helm of the Batman and Robin-led reboot.
The filmmaker has said the movie has been "postponed" but Gunn responded to a fan by claiming the movie hasn't been delayed. While we expect it to eventually come to fruition, Muschietti would arguably be a much better fit for the horror-focused Clayface where Batman will likely play a small role.
There continues to be speculation about Robert Pattinson becoming the DCU's Dark Knight and, as much as we love the idea, it doesn't feel like an overly realistic prospect all things considered.
Going back to last January when everyone said it was a bad idea to have The Brave and the Bold and The Batman franchises exist at the same time, it's fair to say nothing has really changed since then. It simply doesn't make sense.
3. Superman's Supposed Test Screenings
The Superman trailer generated a ton of positive buzz for the reboot after a questionable first-look photo and excitement for the July release has understandably increased significantly (trailer views have also suggested there's still plenty of interest in the Man of Steel).
Alas, it didn't take long for one scooper to claim that early word from test screenings was negative. The buzz was said to be "not good" and the tone was compared to "the first Captain America movie and the Mummy films." That doesn't sound too bad, right? Fortunately, subsequent reports suggested many who attended these internal screenings felt it was "Guardians of the Galaxy-level good."
As you might expect, the usual suspects have jumped on this to paint the DCU in a negative light. We'd advise taking any claims like this with a pinch of salt for now, though, and don't put much stock in either claim.
However, if Superman doesn't live up to expectations and Gunn has missed the mark...well, the DCU won't be able to rebound from the days of the DCEU quite as easily as DC Studios hopes.
2. A Lack Of Clarity
Gunn deserves a lot of admiration and respect for taking the time to answer fans and debunk bogus rumours. However, there's a good reason why Kevin Feige isn't doing the same thing for Marvel Studios.
While the filmmaker has the best intentions, it's hard to escape the feeling the DCU would be better perceived if he'd remained silent.
For example, DC Studios announced a slate of projects - dubbed "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters" - last year but Gunn has since very publicly said some won't happen and that nothing will be greenlit until a script is finished (which is why Clayface is coming before the likes of Booster Gold and Paradise Lost).
Gunn shares plenty of compelling insights but squabbling with social media randoms about the five-year gap between The Batman and its sequel ultimately isn't as effective as a publicist's statement or, as mentioned above, silence.
1. Continuity Confusion
As we acknowledged at the start of this feature, December was a great month for DC Studios. Creature Commandos debuted to rave reviews and the Superman trailer broke records (and won over even the most sceptical fans).
It's unfortunate then that the DCU's continuity issues remain. If you're a hardcore fan - and we're guessing most of you reading this are - then we're sure you can figure the whole thing out.
However, can the same be said for the casual viewer who tunes into Creature Commandos, sees a bunch of Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad references, and then somehow needs to realise that all this is taking place in a world with a different Superman? Oh, and Amanda Waller is still the same. And Peacemaker, but not Batman even though his shadowy cameo in the series could easily be mistaken for Batfleck.
We now have former Aquaman Jason Momoa playing Lobo; it's a great casting decision but, again, what will a casual fan make of it? Only time will tell with this point but the DCU is off to an undeniably muddled start.