Much has been said about Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav's intention to replace current Warner Bros. Pictures heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, though the shock success of A Minecraft Movie may have bought the executives some time.
Regardless, Deadline recently spoke to them about the studio's future plans, including a Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sequel and new takes on The Matrix, Practical Magic, Gremlins, Goonies, and more. The DC brand also came up (despite DC Studios being separate from Warner Bros.), and De Luca shared high praise for James Gunn's Superman.
"I love Superman. I think James Gunn has crushed it," he said. "It’s got tons of his trademark heart and humor and the action is jaw dropping. It’s the Superman I grew up with, so I get choked up when I watch it. I think it’s so epic and visually arresting and emotional."
"The performances are great. It is a five-star movie to me, and I can’t wait for the world to see it," De Luca continued. "Yeah, we’re really excited about Superman, James crushed it."
Asked if it's in line with the Richard Donner movies starring Christopher Reeve, the executive added, "I would say in spirit, it is closer to that, but it’s also a big hunk of epic sci-fi. It has a little bit of what I loved about Guardians of the Galaxy, but it’s true-blue Superman. The comic book sources that he uses for inspiration, All-Star Superman and the like are in there, too."
"It is really a love letter to what has made Superman endure for almost a hundred years. He managed to get it all in there," he concluded.
As great as it is to hear a positive review for Superman, many DC fans are far more eager to learn what the deal is with The Batman Part II. Matt Reeves' long-delayed sequel appears to be stuck in limbo, with recent reports suggesting there are major issues behind the scenes.
Neither De Luca nor Abdy shared any specifics, though the latter passed the buck to DC Studios and confirmed that the filmmaker's script still hasn't been submitted.
"We’re not in the weeds on the Batman stuff. It’s really James and Peter Safran who run DC. We have a bit of other collaboration with Matt Reeves, but Peter and James know he is a writer-directing auteur in his own right, and that it will come when he’s written his best Batman script and is ready," she confirmed.
Things aren't looking overly positive for The Batman sequel, though trusted insiders have claimed it remains on track to start shooting at the end of 2025 and, at worst, at the start of 2026. However, until cameras officially start rolling, it's hard to be sure of that.
Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, with The Batman Part II currently scheduled to follow on October 1, 2027.