During the Q1 earnings call with investors, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav voiced strong confidence in the company’s upcoming film slate, particularly when it comes to the DCU.
Said Zaslav, "Looking ahead, we are excited about the strong slate across all of our studios, starting with DC Studios launching Superman in July."
"We’re wrapping on Supergirl and are deep into production on Lanterns, all part of our ten-year plan to reignite the DC brand globally and drive long-term franchise value."
Revealed in January 2024, the Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters rollout slate of the DCU has grown and expanded since the original announcement.
Somewhat recently, it's been revealed by DC Studios co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran that The Authority, Swamp Thing, Booster Gold, and Waller have all been put on the back burner for various reasons, while other projects not originally part of the slate announcement, like Teen Titans, are moving to the forefront.
- Creature Commandos animated TV series
- Waller live-action tv series
- Superman: Legacy live-action movie
- Lanterns live-action TV series
- The Authority live-action movie
- Paradise Lost live-action TV series
- The Brave and the Bold live-action movie
- Booster Gold live-action TV series
- Teen Titans live-action movie
- Sgt. Rock live-action movie
- Bane and Deathstroke team-up movie
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow live-action movie
- Swamp Thing live-action movie
This vote of confidence from Zaslav arrives as reports surface of change on the horizon at WBD. Industry experts think WBD is heading towards a potential breakup, three years after WarnerMedia and Discovery finalized their merger.
In particular, it's said that WBD may be looking to jettison some of its television assets such as CNN, TNT, Discovery, Animal Planet, TBS, HGTV, Cartoon Network, and a host of other networks. Instead, the studio would potentially only retain HBO and its Max streaming service as the television arm of the company.
In December, WBD took initial steps toward selling off its television assets by implementing an internal restructuring that split its streaming and studio divisions.
"WBD would be leaner and have stronger growth potential without cable assets. But finding a buyer could be difficult. Linear TV is deteriorating and WBD has big debts," said eMarketer analyst Ross Benes [via Reuters].
Without a steady stream of content from its television networks to bolster Max’s lineup, this could present an ideal opportunity for WBD to ramp up production of more DCU TV series.
On the other hand, Marvel Studios and Disney+ provides a clear-cut warning of what could happen if quantity is stressed over quality.
The once infallible MCU brand has been diluted by a stream of Disney+ offerings, which has led to even Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige stating that the MCU was starting to feel like homework and not entertainment.
As WBD navigates potential corporate restructuring, the success of its upcoming DCU slate will be crucial in shaping the future of the iconic superhero franchise on both the big and small screens.