DC Studios has announced "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters," the opening salvo of the new DCU. The news was shared with a small group of reporters at a private event at Warner Bros. yesterday, proving that no matter how much things change, the studio remains the same (the DCEU slate was revealed in an equally underwhelming manner).
We do have a great video announcement from James Gunn, though, in which he shares new details on each of the movies and TV shows coming our way over the next few years.
A true shared universe, the DCU will begin with an animated Creature Commandos TV series based on the comic book that brought vampires, werewolves, and zombies into the DC Universe. Sean Gunn's Weasel from The Suicide Squad will appear, as will Rick Flag Sr., with live-action and animated voice actors set to be the same moving forward.
Gunn wrote the entire seven-episode series.
Next up is a live-action TV series titled Waller. As you might expect, it follows The Suicide Squad's Amanda Waller (played by Viola Davis), with the story taking place between the events of Peacemaker's first and second seasons (the latter has been delayed due to Gunn's many DCU commitments).
Chrystal Henry (Watchmen) and Jeremy Carver (Doom Patrol) are writing Waller.
Superman: Legacy is where the new DCU will really kick off, though, and Gunn may well end up directing as well as writing. It's been set for a tentative July 11, 2025 release.
The live-action Lanterns TV series focuses on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, and replaces the previous show that was going to revolve around Guy Gardner. It's been compared to True Detective.
Then, there's The Authority based on Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch's comic book series of the same name. The movie will bring Wildstorm characters into the DCU, while Paradise Lost is going to take place on Themiscyra prior to the birth of Wonder Woman, delivering a Game of Thrones-style story about the all-female society.
The Brave and the Bold introduces the DCU's Batman, but he won't be played by Robert Pattinson. This take on the Dark Knight will introduce the Bat-Family and follow Bruce Wayne's attempts to wrangle his new Robin, Damian Wayne, under control in a father/son story.
The Batman II is still on the way, though, and exists in an Elseworlds reality; that's been dated for October 3, 2025.
A Booster Gold TV series is also being developed, while Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is based on Tom King's comic book series and looks set to put a new spin on the character (the comic the movie is inspired by followed the hero in space on a mission of revenge; it's unclear whether The Flash's Sasha Calle will reprise the role).
We're even getting a Swamp Thing movie delving into the character's origins (hence, "Monsters").
It doesn't appear to be a full-blown reboot as some DCEU actors are clearly sticking around. What we don't currently know is how any of this will be explained or if there's even any need to do so.
Check out Gunn's full announcement below and stay tuned for updates.