Everything DC Just Announced Including New Movies and TV Shows (original) (raw)
Published Jan 31, 2023, 12:05 PM EST
Marco Vito Oddo is a writer, journalist, and amateur game designer. Passionate about superhero comic books, horror films, and indie games, he formally worked as a Senior Writer for Collider. When he's not working, Marco Vito is gaming, spending time with his dog, or writing fiction.
After months of rumors, doubts, and chaos, new co-heads of DC Studios James Gunn and Peter Safran have finally announced their plan for the DCU. During a press conference held on Monday, January 30, Gunn and Safran talked in detail about which characters and stories they will incorporate into the DCU, underlining how they intend to tell a monumental story in two chapters. While there’s still much we don’t know about Gunn and Safran’s endgame, the creative duo already revealed which movies and TV shows will be part of Chapter 1 of the new DCU, also known as “Gods and Monsters.”
There are currently five movies and five series in development by DC Studios, most of which are focused on mainstream characters like Superman, while a few are centered around fairly unknown aspects of the IP like the Creatures Commandos. Besides that, Gunn and Safran have also revealed how they are dealing with current DC productions set to come to theaters, how Matt Reeves’ BatVerse will continue to exist, and what kind of stories they intend to tell in the future. Here’s a quick recap of everything DC just announced.
Robert Pattinson in 'The Batman'
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
The Flash Will Reset the DCU
Ezra Miller in costume as The Flash in movie
Image via Warner Bros
There are currently four DC movies set to be released in theaters in the coming months, which include: Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Since these movies were developed under the previous DC Studios management and were not conceived as part of a bigger storyline, they are not officially part of the multi-year plan for the DCU. However, that doesn’t mean Gunn and Safran are just scrapping all these projects. In fact, they found a clever solution to make everything canon-adjacent by using The Flash movie to reset the timeline. Since the upcoming movie deals with time travel and alternate dimensions, it also creates the opportunity for DC Studios to get a clean board they can fill with the ambitious slate of movies and TV shows. The strategy will also allow Gunn and Safran to reuse some actors from the old DCU without worrying about continuity.
Matt Reeves’ BatVerse is Safe Thanks to “Elseworlds”
Batman looking intently in The Batman (2022)
Image via Warner Bros.
While The Flash will clean the slate for the “Gods and Monsters” storyline, Gunn and Safran also revealed they are incorporating DC Comics “Elseworlds” strategy into their DCU. That means there’ll still be DC stories that are not part of the main canon, and they’ll just take place in a different timeline. That’s the case of Matt Reeves’ BatVerse, Todd Phillips' Joker franchise, and even animated series like Teen Titans GO! In Reeves' case, Gunn and Safran underlined how the filmmaker will move forward with his trilogy plan while also expanding his vision for Gotham City through TV shows such as The Penguin. The sequel to Reeves’ The Batman also got a release date on October 3, 2025.
Superman Legacy
superman-legacy
Superman is unquestionably one of the most important heroes in the DC Universe. So, it’s fitting that the first theatrical release of the “Gods and Monsters” storyline will be Superman Legacy, which is coming to theaters on July 11, 2025. Gunn is writing the Superman Legacy script himself, although no director is attached to the project. Gunn and Safran also revealed this wouldn’t be another Superman origin story, even though the movie will deal with the hero’s double legacy as a Kryptonian and Earth’s protector.
The Authority
The Authority comic book
Gunn is also actively working on a script for The Authority, a movie based on the controversial superteam of the WildStorm label. The Authority is a superteam so concerned with saving the planet that they will often cross moral lines to get things done. Believing that the ends justify the means, the heroes of The Authority often act like villains. While The Authority was initially developed to be part of its own superhero universe, Gunn and Safran are bringing the WildStorm characters into the DCU.
The Brave and the Bold
While Reeves is handling his “Elseworlds” version of Batman, Gunn and Safran have announced that “Gods and Monsters” also includes The Brave and the Bold, which will be a movie focused on the extended Bat Family. More specifically, the upcoming film will put Damian Wayne at the center of the action in a father-son story inspired by Grant Morrison's comic book run. The Brave and the Bold will also introduce a new star in the role of the Dark Knight.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
supergirl-comic
Expected to be released two years after Superman Legacy, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will explore a unique character version of Kara Zor-El, Kal-El’s cousin. While Kal found a loving family on Earth, Kara floated through space in a destroyed fragment of Krypton, witnessing nothing but death and destruction. Inspired by Tom King’s refreshing take on the beloved character, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow intends to show how different upbringings can give birth to very distinct heroes.
Swamp Thing
Image via Warner Bros.
The last film announced for the “Gods and Monsters” chapter is Swamp Thing, which is based on DC’s most-iconic horror character. While there’s little information about this movie, Safran promised the story will “investigate the dark origins” of the character. So, fans should expect the DCU to draw inspiration from Alan Moore's beloved comic book run.
Creature Commandos
Image via DC Studios
The first TV show to be released in the DCU is Creature Commandos, a seven-episode animated series based on the DC Comics team of the same name. The Creature Commandos are a team put together by Amanda Waller and comprise some of DC’s most monstrous characters. Gunn has written the script for all seven series episodes, which is already in production. And as Gunn underlines, the new animated DCU projects aim to feature voice cast members who can also play their characters in live-action productions.
Waller
Viola Davis as Amanda Waller in Peacemaker
Image via HBO
While Doom Patrol was unfortunately cancelled, the series creator Jeremy Carver will join forces with Watchmen writer Christal Henry to bring the Waller series to life. Starring Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, the series will serve as a direct follow-up to Peacemaker and feature characters from Gunn’s previous DC series. That means Peacemaker and Suicide Squad will still be canon in the DCU, even after The Flash resets the multiverse.
Booster Gold
Booster Gold in DC Comics
Image via DC Comics
Gunn and Safran heard the clamors of the masses and are moving forward with a TV show about the fan-favorite character Booster Gold. The Booster Gold series will stick close to comic books and feature a loser who travels back in time and tries to become a superhero by using advanced technology as his power source. In the comic books, Booster Gold often teams up with Blue Beetle, which gives us hope for the Latinx character remaining on the DCU for the long run too.
Lanterns
Green Lantern from DC comics
Image via DC Comics
From the blackest nights of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger will come Lanterns, a series focused on the two most-beloved Green Lanterns in DC Comics history: Hal Jordan and John Stewart. The series draws inspiration from detective stories, like HBO's True Detective, and will portray the Green :anterns as space cops investigating a dark crime that takes place on Earth.
Paradise Lost
Wonder Woman on Themyscira
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
The final TV show currently in development at DC Studios is Paradise Lost, a political drama set in Themyscira, Wonder Woman’s birthplace. Set years before Diana’s birth, the series will explore the political disputes in Themyscira as different Amazons try to seize power for themselves. The show is expected to serve as an origin story of Themyscira itself and reveal how the Amazons created an all-women society hidden from the rest of the world.
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