The Hollywood Reporter has dropped an extensive story on the current state of affairs at DC under the new leadership from Warner Bros. Discovery, and it sounds like some fans could be very, very happy, as they've learned that the studio is actively developing a new Superman movie (basically Man of Steel 2) and are extremely keen on bringing back Henry Cavill as the titular superhero.
The project is currently seeking writers and has a wishlist of top talent they're meeting with. Cavill's Mission: Impossible - Fallout director Christopher McQuarrie was believed to be at the top of that list, but the studio has reportedly not reached out because he's currently busy writing and directing a pair of Mission: Impossible sequels with Tom Cruise, so he won't be available to fit their accelerated timeline.
Meanwhile, there's also another potential Superman project in the works as Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson has been focused on getting a Superman vs. Black Adam movie rolling, and considering that he was at the direct center of bringing Cavill back to the role, it seems quite probable that the studio will acquiesce to his big-budget demands.
According to their sources, Superman was never in the cards for Black Adam, but the plan came together during recent reshoots. However, when DC Films head Walter Hamada nixed Johnson's ambitious pitch, the actor went around the executive and got his green light from Warner Bros. studio heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy.
A long round of negotiations between both the studio and Cavill's reps followed, with a Labor Day deadline set, and once both sides came to terms, the short scene was shot in mid-September.
Additionally, there's also a third Superman-centric project in the works from Ta-Nehisi Coates, which would introduce a Black Superman and still has JJ Abrams attached as a producer. It's said to be more of a standalone in the same vein as Joker rather than connecting to the main DC continuity. However, it's status remains up in the air, due to recent developments.
In related news, Matt Reeves is already hard at work on his sequel to The Batman and is also developing on a spinoff series for Colin Farrell's Penguin... and it sounds like he's actually working on a lot more than just that.
According to THR, Reeves is already meeting with writers and directors to make more movies and shows focused on Batman's huge rogues' gallery, some of which would include Scarecrow, Clayface, and Professor Pyg, amongst many others. It should be noted though, that it's still very early in the process for any of those prospective spinoffs.
Elsewhere, The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran are engaged in talks with WB for a mystery DC movie that Gunn would helm. He's prepping to direct a new season of Peacemaker first, but will then shift his focus to that aforementioned mystery project.
Some final tidbits: the script for a sequel to next year's The Flash has already been written and turned in by Aquaman scribe David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. A scriptment for Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 3 is also expected to be submitted soon.
There's a lot to digest here, but one thing's for certain: Warner Bros. Discovery wants to bring Superman back to the big screen as soon as possible and in a very big way. It also sounds like they're quite open to exploring the more obscure corners of the DC multiverse to expand this universe in a way we've never seen before.
However, with rumors already circulating on the possibility of WB Discovery being sold within the next three years, it's fair to wonder whether we'll see these lofty plans actually materialize, although, for the time being, it does sound like exciting days lie ahead for comic book movie fans.