New Superman movie release date, Batman and Robin film lead DCU Chapter One plans
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Update:here we are, ladies and gentlemen – the new DC Cinematic Universe (DCU) era is upon us.
DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran have unveiled the first details of their 10-year DCU plan. You can readTechRadar’s most anticipated DCU movies and TV showsarticle for what we’re looking forward to, too.
And what a lineup it is. To find out exactly what’s coming in DCU Chapter One, check out Gunn’s Twitter video below:
Here are just a few of our plans. Up, up, and away! #DCStudios #DCU @DCComics pic.twitter.com/8XNDNLUEPqJanuary 31, 2023
“As most of you know, DC has been disconnected in film and television for a long time,” co-CEO Gunn said. “It’s mine and Peter’s job to make sure the DCU is connected in film, television, gaming, and animation.”
Elaborating further, Gunn says the DCU will all “work within one story”, apart from the likes of Matt Reeves' Bat-Verse, Todd Phillips’Jokermovies, andTeen Titans Go!These properties will fall under the “DC Elseworlds” label. Gunn also confirmed thatThe Flashwill reset DC’s cinematic slate when it arrives later this year, while DC’s three other 2023 movies –Shazam! 2,Blue Beetle, andAquaman 2– will all lead into the DCU’s next chapter.
But enough talk! If you can’t watch the video above, here’s the first part (according to Gunn!) of the DCU’s next chapter, officially titled “Gods and Monsters”, in full:
Original story follows.
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It’s almost time to find out more about the new DCU.
Three months afterJames Gunn and Peter Safran were appointed co-heads of DC Studios, the duo are set to reveal their 10-year plan for Warner Bros' rebooted DC Extended Universe (DCEU) later today (January 30).
And, frankly, they’re cutting it fine. Gunn has consistently stated that he’d share the first official details about the DCU’s new blueprint before January 2023 ends – so with one day left before February rolls around, the pair are certainly pushing it.
Finally, though, DC fans will learn more about Gunn and Safran’s DCU masterplan. Yesterday, select members of the press were invited to a private presentation concerning the DCU’s revival. Per industry insiderGrace Randolph, those plans will reportedly be made public at 9am PT / 2pm ET / 5pm GMT on Tuesday, January 31 (that’s 3am AEST on Wednesday, February 1 for Australian readers).
So, what can we expect to hear about when the DCU’s new lineup is revealed? Here are six things to look out for ahead of the big announcement.
1. Superman returns
One project we’ll definitely hear about is a new Superman movie. In December 2022,Gunn confirmed the next Superman flickwould “be focusing on an earlier part” in Clark Kent’s life. It won’t be a traditional origins story, though.
Unfortunately, that meansHenry Cavill won’t be back as Superman. Cavill had played the legendary Kryptonian in three DCEU movies – find out which ones in ourDCEU movies in orderguide – and made a cameo in 2022’sBlack Adam, which proved to be his final outing as Kal-El.
2. Matt Reeves' Bat-Verse stands alone
Ever since Gunn and Safran’s appointment, DC fans have wondered about (and, in some cases, worried about) the future of Matt Reeves' Bat-Verse.
The Batman, which arrived in March 2022, drew critical acclaim for tacking the neo-noir detective aspect of the iconic Caped Crusader (read ourreview ofThe Batmanfor more on what we thought). A sequel film and twoHBO Maxspin-offs – a series starring Colin Farrell as The Penguin and an Arkham Asylum-based TV show – have since been greenlit.
With Reeves' Bat-Verse preceding Gunn and Safran’s hirings, many expected it to be folded into the new-look cinematic universe. However, Reeves toldColliderthat his Bat-Verse will remain independent of the duo’s 10-year plan for the DCU. Todd Phillips' Joker film franchise, whose sequel –Joker: Folie a Deux– arrives in October 2024, is also expected to stay as a standalone entity.
Will we learn more aboutThe Batman 2, or some details about those HBO Max off-shoots as part of today’s announcement? We’re crossing our batwings that we will.
3. Gone in a flash?
Gunn and Safran’s DCU reboot has bigger headaches to solve than Reeves' Bat-Verse.
For one, what do they do about the DCEU movies that are yet to land in theaters?Shazam! Fury of the Gods,Blue Beetle,The Flash, andAquaman and the Lost Kingdomare all slated to launch in cinemas before 2023 is over. So, will any or all of these characters be incorporated into the new DCU?
Some will and some won’t. In December 2022,Shazam! Fury of the Godsdirector David Sandbergwas snapped wearing a hoodie bearing the new DC Studios logoon it. That’s led fans to believe thatShazam’s film series will be carried over (while you’re here, read ourShazam! Fury of the Godstrailer breakdown).
Meanwhile,Aquamanstar Jason Momoa alluded to the fact that the ocean-dwelling superhero will feature in the DCU, too (perOneTakeNews). It’s unclear what the future holds forBlue Beetle, however, once the Mexican superhero’s solo flick is released in August.
As forThe Flash, the super speedester’s future is also undetermined. It’s unlikely that Gunn and Safran will move forward with Ezra Miller’s iteration of the character, given the criminal charges leveled against the actor over the last 12 months. It’s plausible that The Flash’s time-travel and multiversal plot details will form a key part of the DCEU’s transition into Gunn and Safran’s rebooted universe. We’d be very surprised if the duo retain Miller’s services as part of their DCU, though.
4. Wonder no more
The above characters' fates are yet to be confirmed – hopefully we’ll get some details on them later today – but one superhero who won’t be part of proceedings isWonder Woman.
In December 2022, Patty Jenkins – director onWonder Woman’s two DCEU movies – confirmed thatWonder Woman 3wasn’t moving forward at DC Studios. Putting two and two together, it seems like Gal Gadot (who had played Diana Prince in four DCEU films) won’t be back as the superpowered Amazonian in the new-look DCU, either.
Of course, we could be surprised by Gunn and Safran – more on other potential surprises later – with a rebootedWonder Womanfilm series. Our opinion? Don’t expect Diana Prince to be part of their initial 10-year plan.
5. TV show tie-ins
It’s not all about movies at DC Studios. As well as those Bat-Verse TV spin-offs, we can expect to hear more about the company’s wider TV slate.
As part of ourexclusive report aboutThe Dark Knighttrilogy remaining on HBO Max, we covered the news thatTitansandDoom Patrol– two HBO Max staples – would end after their fourth seasons. Neither show will be part of the DCU, then.
However, there are other series in development that should be part of Gunn and Safran’s masterplan.Peacemakerseason 2, which was announced in January 2022, is definitely on the way.Dead Boy Detectives, a spin-off fromDoom Patrol, is in development, but it’s unclear how it’ll sit in the wider DCU, if at all.
Meanwhile, Gunn has confirmed that the DCU’s slate of movies and TV shows – live-action and animated –will be interconnected. Fan-favorite series, such asHarley Quinn’s R-rated animated show, could be merged into Gunn and Safran’s DCU. Other DC-owned properties, such as the in-developmentGreen Lantern CorpsTV show, plus thesecond season ofThe Sandman, might also be folded into the revived DCEU. However, given that the latter is distributed onNetflix, its potential addition to the DCU could make things messy from licensing and contractual perspectives.
6. Surprises galore
All of the above sounds riveting, but we’re also expecting Gunn and Safran to drop some shocking announcements as part of DCU Chapter One.
We already know thatConstantine 2(starring Keanu Reeves) is in the early stages of creation. A Ta-Nehisi Coates-developedSupermanproject, which sits independent of Gunn’s young Superman movie, is also in development. We’d love to get some more information on these projects, such as their directors, plot synopses, or further casting news.
There are lots of fascinating characters in DC Comics, though, who could be ripe for live-action and/or animated adaptations. For starters, after conducting a poll on Mastodon,Gunn revealed that Booster Goldwas the superhero that fans wanted to see most on the big or small screens.
Elsewhere, industry leakerViewerAnonhas posted two hints about forthcoming DCU projects – one which might tease aBatman and Robinproject. Other teases posted bySuperman on FilmandStephen Colbertsuggest we’ll learn about films and shows that nobody expected, one of which is reportedly a “big impending DC movie” that somehow hasn’t leaked online pre-reveal. Color us intrigued.
Finally, Randolph has claimed that the new DCU is nothing likeMarvel’s cinematic juggernaut. Randolph likened it to the mythological tone of Jack Snyder’s DC movies, such asJustice League, which might not be music to everyone’s ears.
Still, we’re excited to find out what’s in store for the next decade of the DCU. Warner Bros' DCEU has been drifting for a long time now, and, if it wants to truly rivalMarvelon the world stage, it needs an exciting lineup of massive movies and big swing-style TV series. Over to you, Gunn and Safran.
For more DC coverage, read up onhow to watch theBatmanmovies in order. Alternatively, find out which DC movies made it onto our best superhero films list, or the films and TV series that are part of ourbest HBO Max moviesandbest HBO Max showsguide.
As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.
Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
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