The DC Comics superhero movie universe is under new management, and it’s coming out swinging with a new Superman movie, another cinematic Dark Knight and a sequel to “The Batman” with Robert Pattinson.
On Tuesday, DC Studios co-chairmen and CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran announced the first wave of 10 theatrical films and HBO Max TV shows – a “chapter” titled “Gods and Monsters” – that will create a Marvel-esque long-term interconnected story featuring iconic characters. This first phase “tells cohesive stories that highlight love, compassion, and the innate goodness of the human spirit,” Safran said in a statement.
Here what’s to come in DC’s future:
James Gunn lays out the beginnings of the new DC universe in a new video
The Man of Steel kicks off the busy reboot
The first film of this new slate is “Superman: Legacy,” which Gunn – the “Guardians of the Galaxy” filmmaker who’s also behind recent DC projects “The Suicide Squad” and “Peacemaker” – is writing. (No star has been announced, but it won’t be the most recent guy in the red cape, Henry Cavill.)
This upcoming Superman tale “is the true foundation of our creative vision for the DC universe,” Gunn said in a statement. “Not only is Superman an iconic part of DC lore, he is also a favorite character for comic book readers, viewers of earlier movies and fans around the world. I can’t wait to introduce our version of Superman, who audiences will be able to follow and get to know across films, movies, animation and gaming.”
Other new films focus on Supergirl as well as a new Batman and Robin
Gunn and Safran’s universe is getting its own Batman and Robin with “The Brave and the Bold,” focusing on a father/son story rather than the more recent solo Dark Knight projects. (No news yet on who will play this new Caped Crusader.)
In addition, “The Authority” translates a superhero group from the comics to the screen for the first time, “Swamp Thing” digs into the dark origins of one of DC’s fan-favorite supernatural creatures and “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” takes the heroine on a sci-fi adventure.
What’s not clear yet is how heroes from this year’s DC movies – like Zachary Levi’s hero of “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” Ezra Miller’s speedster in “The Flash” and Jason Momoa’s sea dude in “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” – will fit (or not) into the new universe.
Viola Davis’ ‘Suicide Squad’ character gets her own TV show
Gunn’s “Peacemaker” team returns in “Waller,” a new HBO Max series centered on Davis’ morally dubious leader of Task Force X from the “Suicide Squad” movies. (The character also appears in “Creature Commandos,” a seven-episode animated show written by Gunn and featuring a black-ops team of monstrous prisoners.)
Other upcoming TV series include “Booster Gold,” featuring the longtime DC character who uses technology from the future to pretend to be a superhero in modern times; “Lanterns,” which centers on Green Lanterns – and intergalactic cops – John Stewart and Hal Jordan; and “Paradise Lost,” a drama focused on the home of the Amazons that gave birth to Wonder Woman.
Don’t worry, Bat-fans: Robert Pattinson’s coming back
DC also announced that “The Batman – Part II,” a sequel to last year’s blockbuster starring Pattinson as the young cape-and-cowled detective, will arrive Oct. 3, 2025. But it won’t be part of the connected superhero universe. Instead, the project – and other movies and TV shows that fall outside of that story line – will be labeled as “DC Elseworlds” projects.
Read more about DC’s heroes and villains
‘Peacemaker’:How HBO Max show became a hair metal superhero spin on the ensemble comedy
‘The Batman’:See the ‘very cool’ deleted scene showing Barry Keoghan’s Joker vs. Robert Pattinson
‘The Suicide Squad’:How James Gunn made these supervillains his own
‘It was terrifying’:Robert Pattinson embraces a Dark Knight who’s ‘a mess’
Story Credit: usatoday.com