Speaking to investors on a Q1 Earnings call, WB CEO David Zaslav revealed a somewhat intriguing tidbit about what's being planned by James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Studios.
While most comic readers view the DC brand as having 3 pillars- Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman- effectively known as The Trinity; Zaslav says the DCU has four cornerstones.
Speaking on the call, the CEO began by discussing how the studio evaluates whether to sell off IP to other networks and streaming services versus developing other IP in-house.
"It’s important for us to be able to sell our content to third-parties [but] as we look at our titles, there are many that are really just for Warner Bros. When you look at the major characters with — that James Gunn and Peter Safran are developing with their 10-year plan around D.C., that is to build asset value for us globally everywhere in the world, Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, Supergirl. So those are — we look at those as big asset builders and big differentiators."
At WB's Upfront showcase today, Zaslav reportedly doubled down on the above statement, stating that those 4 characters were the pillars of the DCU.
It's interesting that Zaslav included Supergirl in this statement, as the character is more readily identified as a Superman supporting character as opposed to a superhero that has an established brand all her own.
Many DC purists would argue that other heroes, such as Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, or Green Arrow, are more deserving of such a high-profile position.
It's also somewhat intriguing that the CEO mentioned Batman and Wonder Woman, as these characters haven't really been a major focus of the DCU, other than having far-off projects announced as part of the DCU's Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters slate, first announced in 2023.
Perhaps 2025 will be the year that the DCU shifts focus to these two other characters, now that Superman is set for release later this summer and Supergirl has wrapped filming?
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
Are you excited to see Supergirl receive an elevated status or do you think other heroes are more deserving? Let us know in the space below.