The future of the DCU has been in question ever since the Warner Bros. Discovery merger led to the brutal cancellation of projects like Batgirl, as well as the hiring of James Gunn and Peter Safran as co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios. On Jan. 31, Gunn and Safran sought to put these questions to rest by releasing a slate of upcoming releases, including new film and TV projects.
Some of the projects won’t come as surprises. “Diamond characters” like Batman and Superman will be getting their own movies — no, Henry Cavill still isn’t returning to play the Man of Steel.
Lesser well-known characters like Booster Gold and the Creature Commandos will also be receiving their own TV series, following Gunn’s pattern of giving obscure characters — like the Guardians of the Galaxy or several members of 2021’s The Suicide Squad — a higher profile. Here’s what else you can expect from the next phase of DC film and TV, which Gunn and Safran have called Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.
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What new DC movies did Gunn and Safran announce?
Superman: Legacy
Mark your calendars for July 11, 2025, because that is (tentatively) when DC’s next Superman movie will be hitting our theaters. Written and possibly directed by Gunn, Superman: Legacy will not be a Superman origin story. According to Safran in an announcement to reporters, this film is the official kick off for the next stage of DC, and will explore how Superman balances his Kryptonian heritage with his time on Earth. The pair did not reveal who would be donning Superman’s iconic cape.
The Authority
Based on the comics from imprint Wildstorm, The Authority follow a superhero team that isn’t afraid to go to extremes to save the world. According to Gunn, the DCU is “not just a story of heroes and villains.” The members of the Authority may just blur the line.
The Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold marks the introduction of the DCU’s Batman as well as its Robin: Damian Wayne. Based on the Grant Morrison run of comics, The Brave and the Bold follows Batman as he meets the son he never had… who just so happens to have been raised by assassins. (Gunn described Damian as “little son of a bitch.”) This Batman is not the same as Robert Pattinson’s take on the Caped Crusader. However, if you’re a fan of Battinson, you’re in for good news…
The Batman Part II
Pattinson returns Oct. 3, 2025 in another Batman movie directed by Matt Reeves. Will we get to see more of Barry Keoghan’s take on the Joker? Who knows?
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
This iteration of Supergirl will apparently be “much more hardcore” than the Supergirl we’re familiar with. While her cousin Superman escaped Krypton and had a happy upbringing on Earth, Supergirl was raised on a chip off the destroyed Krypton, where she witnessed death and carnage for the first 14 years of her life.
Swamp Thing
The DCU gets the horror treatment with Swamp Thing, which will end the first part of Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.
What new DC TV shows did Gunn and Safran announce?
Creature Commandos
Creature Commandos, an animated series written by Gunn, is already in production. The show takes a team of monsters originally brought together to fight Nazis and gives it a modern twist.
Waller
We’ve seen Viola Davis make the role of Amanda Waller her own in both The Suicide Squad and Suicide Squad. Now, she gets her own HBO Max series — a spin-off of Gunn’s Peacemaker.
Lanterns
The Green Lanterns finally comes to the DCU in Lantern, which will feature both Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Safran described the show’s as “very much in the vein of True Detective” and “terrestrial-based.”
Paradise Lost
Game of Thrones meets Wonder Woman in Paradise Lost, a drama set on Wonder Woman’s home island of Themyscira. The series, supposedly full of scheming among the Amazons, takes place before the events of Wonder Woman.
Booster Gold
What do you get when a “loser from the future” goes back in time and uses future technology to pose as a superhero? Booster Gold. According to Gunn, the low-level hero is “imposter syndrome as a superhero.”