James Gunn hasn’t let us down. He promised that the full slate of projects that he and Peter Safran were planning for DC Studios would be announced in January, and here it is on the month’s final day. Here’s the gist: there are 10 projects in total encompassing film and TV; all will take place following this summer’s The Flash, which could mean they are part of any time travel reboot in that story; and there are very few connections to the current DCEU.
The first phase or “chapter” will be titled “Gods and Monsters”. And kicking that off in a big way is James Gunn’s Superman movie, newly-titled Superman: Legacy, dated for July 11th 2025. Details are few, but we know it will feature a younger Superman as Henry Cavill was replaced some weeks ago.
The Kryptonians will be playing a major role, as a Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow movie is also in the works. What we don’t know is if Sasha Calle, who was cast as Supergirl in The Flash, will continue in that role.
A Game of Thrones-esque story of power and intrigue will play out in Paradise Lost, a series set in the Amazons’ island home of Themyscira. Will Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman show up? That’s unclear, but if not then we may have seen the last of her in the role.
More proof that Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton’s versions of Batman are done, a new film titled The Brave and the Bold will feature Batman and his son, Damian Wayne. In the comics, Damian is the demented son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, making him the grandson of villain Ra’s al Ghul. We last saw Talia played by Marion Cotillard in The Dark Knight Rises, while Liam Neeson played Ra’s in Batman Begins.
Finally, a Booster Gold movie is here! Long rumored to be happening, Booster Gold centers on comedic Justice League member Michael Jon Carter, a discredited athlete from the future who steals a bunch of cool superhero stuff and becomes a hero. He’s usually teamed up with Blue Beetle, who also has a movie coming out this year.
This one is a big deal. The Authority is being made into a feature film. Originally under the Wildstorm imprint and created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, the Authority are a team of heroes who do whatever it takes to get the job done, pushing the boundaries of violence in a way that typical DC heroes won’t. They were designed to be an answer to the Justice League, and features characters that are pastiches of DC Comics heroes.
A new Swamp Thing movie is also happening, which I guess fits into the “monsters” side of things. Combining both supernatural and horror elements, Swamp Thing follows a humanoid plant elemental who fights to defend his home and the environment. Wes Craven directed a Swamp Thing movie back in 1982, and a short-lived series was developed for the defunct DC Universe streaming service.
The weirdest and most Gunn-like project of all is Creature Commandos, an animated series based on WWII horror characters first published in 1980. That team featured a Gorgon, Frankenstein’s Monster, a vampire, and a werewolf battling Nazis. Gunn, who has already written every episode of the series, is turning into more of a Suicide Squad-esque group. Weasel, one of the funniest members in Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, is part of the team, along with Rick Flag Sr., father to Joel Kinnaman’s character.
Viola Davis’ return as Amanda Waller in a new series has been confirmed, spinning off from her roles in Suicide Squad and The Suicide Squad. It’s unclear if anyone from either film, or perhaps even Peacemaker where her daughter was a major character, will appear.
And as for Greg Berlanti’s Green Lantern series? Well, it’s no more, but Lanterns will take its place. This will be a show that follows members of the Green Lantern Corps, but other than that the direction isn’t certain. Berlanti had cast Jeremy Irvine and Finn Wittrock to star, but they are both out. Last we’d heard, focus had shifted to making John Stewart the centerpiece character. Is that still the case, though?
So a ton of news, and even more questions. What’s up with Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn? Jason Momoa’s Aquaman? Where is Peacemaker season two? If Ezra Miller still the Flash?
