It’s no secret that the DCEU has struggled to find its footing. Nine years after the release of Man of Steel, Warner Bros. continues to lag behind Marvel’s movie machine in terms of both box office returns and positive reviews. The Warner Bros. Discovery merger introduced new leadership that is eager to see DC’s most prominent names receive the favorable treatment they deserve in an alleged 10-year plan that hopes to put the franchise’s troublesome past behind them. With Black Adam’s release, Dwayne Johnson, who plays the DC heavyweight villain, went so far as to call his film the beginning of the DCEU’s phase one.
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Four movies have been confirmed by Warner Bros. for a 2023 release date, including the long-delayed sequels Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as well as Shazam: Fury of the Gods. Already, the studio is hard at work strategizing what will come next.
James Gunn Has a Mystery Project in the Works
Warner Bros. Pictures
James Gunn has a knack for taking unknown characters and turning them into fan favorites. Guardians of the Galaxy was a fun property that remained mostly unknown to the broader MCU fan base until Gunn worked his magic. Similarly, Gunn brought his talents to work on the latest reboot of The Suicide Squad, which saw a much better reception than its lackluster predecessor. According to an exclusive with The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn has now pitched a DC mystery project.
The first logical choice for what this project might entail would be a spinoff focusing on one or more characters from The Suicide Squad. After all, Gunn has repeatedly mentioned his discussions with Margot Robbie in terms of future Harley Quinn projects. Deathstroke is also a noteworthy contender, as Gunn has mentioned that he considered using the supervillain for hire in The Suicide Squad. Given Gunn’s proclivity for choosing underrepresented and obscure characters, the true nature of his mystery project will be hard to guess until the studio is ready to speak on the matter.
The Long-Awaited Man of Steel 2
The sequel to Henry Cavill’s 2013 Man of Steel was slated for development almost immediately after the film’s release. Since then, numerous obstacles have stood in the way of Superman’s full-throated return. Early development found the sequel evolve into Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, while later negotiations between Cavill and the studio failed to reach an agreement.
The new Warner Bros. heads are hoping to right the ship as Man of Steel 2 has once again entered development. According to the same exclusive, Man of Steel 2 is actively seeking writers and directors willing to tackle the film. It is expected that Henry Cavill will return for the 2013 follow-up as Warner Bros. seems to have plans to give fans more of his particular iteration of the iconic superhero. Additionally, Superman appears in Black Adam – This would be a pretty weird move if the studio planned on ditching Cavill for another actor.
As for what the story may be and when fans can expect to watch it, the internet is full of guesses. Regardless of the wait involved, here’s hoping the studio follows through on its promise to properly develop its flagship properties before releasing them to a disappointed public.
The Flash Films
Ezra Miller’s controversies aside, The Flash is projected to be among the best DC films yet offered within the fledgling franchise. The Hollywood Reporter exclusive also revealed that the screenplay for The Flash 2 has already been written by Aquaman’s David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who penned the script for Aquaman. This shows the massive amount of confidence the studio has in the film, which isn’t due for release until June 23, 2023.
If The Flash can live up to expectations, both critically and financially, there is a decent chance the studio will be willing to look past Ezra Miller’s sordid history in hopes of building a solid franchise. Still, Warner Bros. isn’t without options should they choose to part ways with Miller. Current DCEU stories are rife with multidimensional theory and time-tampering – in other words, the perfect guise to recast Miller’s version of Wally West, should the need arise.
Matt Reeves’ Batverse
Arguably, the only DC property to receive the full gamut of success has been The Batman. Directed by Matt Reeves, the reboot of Gotham’s masked vigilante was welcomed by millions of fans worldwide as they packed theaters for the film’s bold three-hour runtime. The exclusive also shined some light on what might be next for the expanding Batverse. It was noted that Reeves is meeting with various directors and writers in a rumored effort to tackle some of Gotham’s biggest criminal names. RumoredThe Batman spinoffs include projects focused on Scarecrow, Mister Pyg, and even Clayface.
As Matt Reeve’s Gotham-centric universe is considered a separate entity from the mainline DCEU, he has a lot more freedom to direct the growth of the Caped Crusader’s rogues’ gallery. This provides Reeves the ability to hand-pick characters that will complement Robert Pattinson’s Batman and introduce them at a pace that makes sense for his particular vision.
In the midst of all the questions and feverish speculation, one thing is certain – The upcoming The Penguin HBO Max series and untitled Arkham Asylum project are just the tip of the Matt Reeves iceberg. We can only hope that the rest of DCEU manages to keep up.
