Over three years since the inaugural slate was revealed, Co-CEOs and Chairmen James Gunn and Peter Safran of DC Studios have been hard at work crafting films, television, video games and other DC experiences, including Superman (2025). Friday, WB opened their Burbank studio lot to the press to give an update to the DC slate that has had… road-bumps to say the least.
WHAT HAPPENED?
In short, a majority of those original projects seem pretty far off for many reasons, but with the WGA and SAG-Aftra strikes, changes in direction, funding issues and many other problems that would arise for anyone trying to start a new production house in these tumultuous times, DC Studios has had trouble finding its footing, but Gunn and Safran have optimistic news… for some.
PROJECTS IN POST-PRODUCTION
With Creature Commandos starting up the DCU, it’s finally all coming together.
“Superman” is currently being edited right now, with Gunn confirming he’s editing the next trailer, rumored for CinemaCon. Slated for release July 11th of this year, DC’s “Vanguard” project is leading the charge for projects to come and hopefully could set the standard not just for DC but for the genre moving forward. I’m excited, if you couldn’t tell.
“Peacemaker Season Two” is also being edited. We don’t know much other than Gunn stating “It follows Chris Smith more than Peacemaker” and has Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr last seen in Creature Commandos in an antagonistic role.
PROJECTS IN PRODUCTION NOW
“Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” based on the King & Eliquis comic of the same name is filming now with Milly Alcock [House of the Dragon] as Kara Zor-El and Jason Momoa as Lobo. When Gunn was asked what Momoa will look like as the main man, he replies simply with “Like Lobo. He’s got a different skin color.”
Oh yeah.
“Lanterns” the gritty sci-fi mystery with Kyle Chandler [Wolf of Wall Street] and Aaron Pierre [Rebel Ridge] has started filming. It’s got other green lanterns. It’s got Sinestro. It’s got Hal and John. It probably doesn’t have Ryan Reynolds in a CGI suit.
PROJECTS IN PRE-PRODUCTION
“The Batman: Part II” by Matt Reeves starring Robert Pattinson is still in the works. Reeves has “yet to turn in a full script, but what we have read so far is incredibly encouraging.”
“Clayface” penned by Matt Flanagan is in talks for a director now. The R-rated body horror film is officially DCU canon and is said to be able to film this summer, and will start casting whenever the director signs on. Matt Reeves and Andy Muschietti are producing. (Alan Tudyk, who voiced the character in Creature Commandos, will not play the character.)
“Dynamic Duo” is a mixed CGI and Stop Motion animated film. It follows Dick Grayson and Jason Todd and their journeys as Robin. Gunn says he “wants” it to be in the DCU, but no clear answers. Slated for a 2028 release, and described as the all-ages “perfect on-ramp for Gotham.”
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
“Batman: The Brave and The Bold” was a big talking point, and was reiterated to be fully separate from The Batman with Pattinson. The script has made great progress but Gunn wouldn’t say who it was. It was teased that the dark knight would appear soon though when the CEO said “I wouldn’t rule anything out, He could show up in something else. But the actor doesn’t [yet] exist”
“Blue Beetle” is a follow up to the 2023 film of the same name, and is a animated series produced by Angel Manuel Soto and has the return of the entire original main cast of the previous film. The greenlight is coming “pretty soon” and is directed by Miguel Puga and Cristian Martinez.
“Starfire” is another animated series set in the DCU. A origin of the fan favorite character as she escapes Tamaran and explores the stars, meeting characters like Lobo’s daughter Crush, Fern and Princess Amethyst. It also has Space Dolphins.
Speaking of Starfire, Peter Safran accidentally confirms Teen Titans is officially in the works. Following “a group of young superheroes including: Nightwing, Cyborg and the aforementioned Starfire.” Supergirl screenwriter Ana Nogueira is currently working on the script.
Matthew Orton is working on what Gunn says is “something kind of like a Deathstroke / Bane story”. No further details are known, but if Gunn starts posting pictures of The Secret Six sometime soon, that’s probably why.
Luca Guadagnino’s “Sgt. Rock”, a gritty WW2 film set in the DCU was also confirmed, and is now casting to film this summer.
UPDATES ON OLD PROJECTS
Paradise Lost, based on Themyscira, Wonder Woman’s home, is still in development.
Booster Gold waited on a “particular showrunner” (Danny McBride come home, the kids miss you) who expressed interest had unfortunately for one reason or another lost interest after the studio waited on him for about a year. It is currently moving on with another showrunner. (By the way, my phone is always on Gunn if the Booster Gold show needs a coffee boy or writers assistant)
Swamp Thing is “stuck in limbo” as director James Mangold works on other projects, like the Oscar nominated A Complete Unknown and his upcoming Star Wars project.
Waller is going down “a bumpy road”, struggling to find the right direction.
On “The Authority”, Gunn had this to say: “It’s a very, very big movie, if you’re going to do ‘The Authority’ properly. And some story elements perhaps that are in ‘Superman’ and some of the other films we’ve fast tracked step a little bit on ‘The Authority'” and the script has had a hard time coming together, so it’s been benched for now, with the potential to be turned into an adult animated film.
Finally, Gunn adds that there is a story that these individual chapters are leading up to in “about six or so years” that’s “not unlike ‘Avengers: Endgame'”
CONCLUSION
Well, not everything’s going perfectly, but if you are excited for the DCU, show your support for “Superman” this July!
