The future has never looked brighter for the DC Extended Universe.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Black Adam is about to kick off the next phase of DC films, which will reportedly revolve heavily around the Justice League.
Here’s the rundown:
- James Gunn, who has already released two DC projects (The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker), and producer Peter Safran are in talks with Warner Bros. for a mystery movie, and possibly more, that Gunn would write and direct. No word yet on what this mystery movie might look like, but based on the wording it doesn’t sound like a Suicide Squad threequel. Gunn will reportedly focus on Peacemaker Season 2 first before moving on to the mystery movie.
- Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and Warner Bros. Pictures heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy want more of Henry Cavill’s Superman. Producer Charles Roven is currently working on a project that is essentially Man of Steel 2. Writers are currently being sought for the project with Christopher McQuarrie at the top of the wishlist (possibly to write and direct, though sources say he might be too busy with the Mission: Impossible franchise to commit at this time).
- Dwayne Johnson wants a Black Adam vs. Superman movie and may just get one if Black Adam does well at the box office during its opening weekend.
- Matt Reeves is “quietly” working on multiple spinoffs set in The Batman Universe, which will be “focused on Batman rogue’s gallery, both established and more obscure, with characters ranging from the Scarecrow to Clayface to Professor Pyg. All those projects are in the very early stages of gestation.”
- J.J. Abrams’ Superman movie is somehow still in development and will be set outside the DCEU, much like the Joker movies starring Joaquin Phoenix.
- Abrams’ Zatanna movie which was set to debut on HBO Max and was rumored to star Dua Lipa has been scrapped.
- Warner Bros. is still looking for DC’s Kevin Feige. Johnson has reportedly expressed interest in acting as an advisor on the DCEU moving forward. De Luca, a DC fanboy apparently, could also move into a more permanent leadership role for the DC Universe.
- A script for Wonder Woman 3 by Patty Jenkins is expected imminently.
- A script for The Flash 2 has already been written by Aquaman scribe David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. If the first film does well at the box office next summer, WB can act fast on getting a sequel into production.
Now I don’t want to say that I suggested WB focus on the DC characters that have already been introduced back in February 2021, but that’s exactly what I said (or actually wrote, right here). The only project I could care less about is Abrams’ Superman film (I’d rather see Zatanna make her DCEU debut).
Of course, if Black Adam underperforms (or outright bombs) I’m guessing most of these loose plans for the DCEU’s future will be scrapped.
Black Adam opens in theaters on October 21, 2022.
What projects set in the DCEU do you want to see? Are you interested in multiple The Batman spinoffs centered around the Caped Crusader’s rogues gallery?
