Following the critical and commercial disappointment of
Justice League, Warner Bros. took a different approach with its solo outings for
Shazam and
Aquaman, and more recently found huge success with the R-rated
Joker origin film.
With several sequels in various stages of development and a new
Batman movie on the way, the studio certainly appears to have turned a corner - but fans are still wondering what's on the horizon for several major characters, including
Superman and
The Flash.
Now,
Variety has published a report which provides some very interesting updates on WB's plans for DC's most iconic heroes, both on the big screen and on the upcoming HBO Max streaming service. We also have the latest on the much-discussed "Snyder Cut" of
Justice League, and fans may not like what the trade's insiders have to say.
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Superman
We'll start with the character DC fans are most curious about, The Man of Steel.
It doesn't sound like anything is set in stone when it comes to this iconic hero, but Variety does confirm that the studio has had discussions with director J.J. Abrams to see if he could "help find a way to make Superman relevant to modern audiences." Michael B. Jordan was also in talks to play the character, but apparently he wasn't ready to commit to the project.
Henry Cavill recently stated that he wasn't done with Supes yet, but it certainly sounds like the role is vacant!
A new
Superman film is unlikely to hit screens before 2023
Batman
We know Matt Reeves is in the process of rebooting The Dark Knight with Robert Pattinson taking over the cape 'n cowl, but it sounds like there are also tentative plans in place for spin-offs featuring the villains that'll be introduced in the movie, including the Riddler (Paul Dano), Penguin (Colin Farrell), and Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz).
Apparently, "key cast members from The Batman and Birds of Prey have contract options to appear in sequels and standalone films."
Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad
The success of Todd Philips'
Joker appears to have inspired a lot of confidence in future R-rated projects, and it looks like
Birds of Prey and
The Suicide Squad will both carry the more adult-oriented rating.
These Harley Quinn-centric outings are not expected to be in the "pitch-black, grim vein of Joker" however, and will likely be much lighter in tone. A series of recent
Birds of Prey reshoots are said to have "dramatically improved test screening results."
Green Lantern
Despite the recent announcement of a Greg Barlanti-produced
Green Lantern series for HBO Max, that
Green Lantern Corps movie is still said to be a priority at WB.
Apparently, Geoff Johns is set to deliver a script at the end of the year, and the project may be presented to Abrams and Bad Robot to see if the company would be interested in producing.
The Flash
Despite rumors to the contrary, that standalone
Flash movie is still very much in development with
It director Andy Muschietti at the helm.
Ezra Miller is set to reprise the role of Barry Allen, but he is tied up until shooting finishes on the next
Fantastic Beasts film, which means that cameras are unlikely to roll until 2021. Christina Hodson (
Bumblebee) is working on the screenplay, and will then move on to write the solo
Batgirl movie.
Aquaman and The Trench
James Wan is still attached to direct a sequel to the billion-dollar hit that was
Aquaman, but shooting is not expected to commence until early 2021.
Warner Bros. is also still planning a spin-off based around the villainous undersea creatures known as
The Trench, and a director is currently being sought.
The "Snyder Cut" Of Justice League
Finally, we have a disappointing update on the fabled "Snyder Cut" of
Justice League.
Despite the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut hashtag gaining a lot of traction with several major stars such as Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot showing their support, insiders reckon it's "never going to happen," describing the movement as a "pipe dream."
Although HBO Max is reportedly "looking for DC properties that could inspire films that premiere on its platform," there are currently no plans for the Snyder Cut to find a home on the streaming service.