Sometimes it feels like there’s a crisis going on in the DC Extended Universe, and I’m not talking about one that takes place on Infinite Earths. The shared cinematic universe inhabited by the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and the rest of the Justice League has gotten off to a rocky start, but it seems like DC is finally hitting its stride. But with so many movies being announced, delayed, and shuffled around, it can be difficult to keep track of what will actually make its way to the big screen. So to help you make sense of it all, today’s episode of The Dan Cave is expanding on Kyle Anderson’s original DCEU round-up and will tell you all about everything that Warner Bros. and DC have coming down the pipeline.
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Release date: December 21, 2018Christmas is coming early in the form of Jason Momoa’s whiskey-chuggin’, denim-in-the-ocean-wearin’, “MY MAN”-yellin’ Arthur Curry, a.k.a. Rockquaman. Based on DC Comics’ New 52 reboot from Geoff Johns, Aquaman leans pretty heavily into the Throne of Atlantis storyline. It has everything you never knew you wanted in a comic book movie, which is to say an octopus playing the drums and Julie Andrews voicing a kraken. Plus there’s already a sequel on the way, so buckle up for the long haul!
Read our review!
Shazam
Release date: April 5, 2019
What if a child who wanted to be an adult didn’t turn into Tom Hanks, but rather Zachary Levi in a muscle suit? That’s the core conceit behind Shazam (and no, I’m not talking about that apocryphal Sinbad genie movie). It’s about a foster kid who is imbued with incredible powers by an ancient wizard and has to stop the evil Dr. Sivana from destroying the world. Honestly, this movie looks like a total blast and gives off major Sam Raimi Spider-Man vibes in the best way possible.
Joker
Release date: October 4, 2019
While the idea of a Joaquin Phoenix-starring Joker movie directed by the guy who made The Hangover and produced by Martin Scorsese sounds like an elaborate prank, it isn’t. It’s a hard-boiled 1980s thriller that shows how the Joker went from nameless nobody to the Clown Prince of Crime. Honestly, the bigger challenge here will be explaining how Joaquin Phoenix transforms into Jared Leto.
Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
Release date: February 7, 2020
In a Gotham City without Batman, who can stand up to the nefarious evil of organized crime? Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Huntress, Black Canary, and Detective Renee Montoya, that’s who! Based on the comic of the same name, Birds of Prey follows this band of badass ladies as they try to stop the murderous crime lord known as The Black Mask. DC also continues to dunk on Marvel by hiring female directors while Kevin Feige spins his wheels, tapping Sundance standout Cathy Yan to bring the film to life. They also now have 100 percent more Ewan McGregor in their cinematic universe, giving them the superheroic high ground. And to answer your question, yes that subtitle is very real.
Cyborg
Release date: April 3, 2020
He’s part man, part computer, all superhero. He’s Cyborg and the only thing I really know about him in the DCEU is how prominently Dr. Pepper factored into his origin story. Remember those shots in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice? There was Dr. Pepper in every single shot of Cyborg and his dad. What’s the message here? Dr. Pepper: Drink us while your child is on his deathbed? In all seriousness though, right now apart from star Ray Fisher, the Cyborg movie is a bigger question mark than the ones on Matthew Lesko’s suit.
Wonder Woman 1984
Release date: June 5, 2020
The year 1984 was a watershed moment in human history. It gave us Cinnamon Toast Crunch, the NES Zapper gun peripheral, and everyone’s favorite soda, Slice. Now it’s giving us a Cold War-era Wonder Woman story with shoulder pads galore, Kristen Wiig as the feline fatale villain Cheetah, and Steve Trevor’s ghost doing his body weight in cocaine! Actually, I’m not positive that last one is true, but I have no good explanation as to why Steve is back from his ill-fated flight. Maybe it’s an elaborate Weekend at Bernie’s situation? Maybe he’s Earth-2 Steve?
The Flash
Release date: LOL good one
Come closer, child, and let me tell you about the legend of Flashpoint. Some people say that on a dark and stormy night, just like this, there will be a live-action Flash movie about one of the wildest storylines of all time. It stars professional cosplayer Ezra Miller, has between one and 30 directors at any given time, and has the power to completely reimagine the DC Extended Universe. But somehow, much like Godot, we have to keep on waiting for it.And waiting.And waiting.Seriously, though, will we ever get this movie? Last we heard, WB tapped Spider-Man: Homecoming co-writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein to direct the film, which is purported to adapt the story arc about Barry Allen going back in time to save his mom’s life only to accidentally create an alternate timeline where everyone is killing each other and the world is on the verge of destruction. But hey, crazier things have happened. Specifically the fact that Gorilla Grodd has appeared on TV multiple times before this movie ever came out.
The Batman
Release date: TBD
Much like there must always be a Stark in Winterfell, there must always be a Batman movie looming on the horizon. And Bruce almighty does this movie loom. Originally, the film was centered on a battle between the master assassin Deathstroke, played by Joe Manganiello, and Batfleck. But that version has been scrapped as creative differences brew behind the scenes between Ben Affleck and director Matthew Reeves over how to proceed. Reeves reportedly wants to pull a Joker and cast a younger actor to play Batman at an earlier time in Bruce’s career, but Ben Affleck keeps flip-flopping on whether or not he’s ready to hang up the cape. To put things in perspective, you will literally see an Alfred prequel TV series before this movie ever comes out. Reeves is a great director so it’ll be worth the wait, but that’s a yikes from me.
Justice League Part Two
Release date: TBD
This time, Henry Cavill has a soul patch that he can’t shave. It will look just as weird. The real Apokolips is whatever CG monstrosity they put on top of his real mouth. All jokes aside, this film feels like it’s in limbo until DC gets its cinematic universe in order. We’ll definitely get another one at some point, but whether it pits our heroes against Darkseid remains to be seen. Whatever happens, though, it will almost undoubtedly be without Zack Snyder at the helm.
Deathstroke
Release date: TBD
While it sounds like something they’d call masturbation in an abstinence-only sex ed class, Deathstroke is in fact a master assassin, murderer extraordinaire, and nemesis to the Teen Titans, Arrow, and basically every major DC hero at one point or another. So far all we’ve seen of Deathstroke is Joe Manganiello chilling on Lex Luthor’s yacht at the end of Justice League. Warner Bros. had reportedly entered into talks with The Raid director Gareth Evans to bring this antiheroic assassin saga to life, but right now it feels like Deathstroke is sadly stuck on the island from the beginning of the CW’s Arrow with no Oliver or better beard dye in sight.
Lobo
Release date: TBD
I would say that no one wants a Lobo movie, but then again I didn’t expect Venom to shatter box office records in October either. Lobo is basically a sentient Monster Energy drink. He is an intergalactic motorcycle-riding bounty hunter who was intended to be a parody of overly grim and gritty comic book storytelling. Guy Ritchie was attached to direct at one point, and more recently Michael Bay’s name was being bandied about. If done right, this could be DC’s answer to Deadpool. If done wrong, it could be DC’s answer to Ghost Rider. Either way, I guess I’ll see it.
Justice League Dark
Release date: TBD
They should rename this movie Justice League Dank because it sounds pretty siiiick. (Sorry about that.) Basically, this is the version of the Justice League that combats occult forces, the paranormal, and all manner of magic-based mayhem. Made up of characters like John Constantine, Zatanna, Swamp Thing, Deadman, Etrigan the Demon, and Madame Xanadu, Justice League Dark fights the forces of evil too stygian and sinister for the regular Justice League. Unfortunately the film seems to be hexed against keeping a solid creative team in place. Guillermo del Toro wrote a script for it in 2013, and Edge of Tomorrow’s Doug Liman joined to direct in 2016, but left the next year.
Green Lantern Corps
Look, there’s no way this can possibly be any worse than what Ryan Reynolds subjected us to in 2011. It’s just impossible. With a script being penned by Geoff Johns, a writer known in particular for his excellent Green Lantern comics, and a tone rumored to be basically Lethal Weapon in space, this sounds like a recipe for success. All you have to do is avoid making your villain a giant cloud. Also put Guy Gardner in this movie, you cowards.
Suicide Squad 2
That’s right, folks, Twoicide Squad is happening and it might be the most anticipated movie in DC’s current lineup thanks to Warner Bros. poaching James Gunn after Marvel kicked him to the curb over some old tweets. Will Gunn include even more helicopter crashes than the first one? And set to the sweet strains of 1970s yacht rock? Will someone answer Will Smith’s question about what kind of squad we are? Will Jai Courtney finally win his Oscar for Captain Boomerang? The answers to all of these and more…probably won’t be coming any time soon. So let’s all resume trying to guess which obscure villains and B-sides we’ll eventually get when Gunn sticks it to Marvel in the wildest redemption story imaginable.
Booster Gold and Blue Beetle
Release date: TBD
It’s the story of a disgraced football star from the future who travels back in time to be a superhero and a tech genius who wears a highly advanced beetle costume must team up to save the day, presumably first and foremost from themselves. Oh, and did I mention there’s a snarky robot named Skeets? Because there’s a snarky robot named Skeets. Booster Gold and Blue Beetle is being directed by DCTV mega-producer Greg Berlanti and is eyeing Zak Penn to write the script. Little is known about it at this point apart from that it’ll be a comedy-heavy superhero buddy cop movie. Fingers crossed they’ll keep Skeets as a secret villain though, because what could be more terrifying than an evil Alexa?
Blue Beetle
Release date: TBD
Because one movie is never enough, a Blue Beetle movie is also being developed for the Jaime Reyes version of the character. Reyes, a Mexican-American teenager, is the third character in the DC Universe to don the mantle of Blue Beetle. In the comics, he discovered a mysterious scarab that came from an alien culture which had belonged to the previous Blue Beetles, and it gives him a special suit of armor that grants him superhuman abilities. Scarface remake writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer is penning the screenplay and producer Zev Forman is shepherding the project. Little is know at this time, but the movie is exciting in that it would mark the first standalone DC movie with a Latino lead.
Gotham City Sirens
Release date: TBD
No, this isn’t the story of a bunch of EMTs called to clean up after Batman, administering splints to fractured bad guy bones. It’s the movie adaptation of a comic starring Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn. Suicide Squad director David Ayer is supposed to helm the film. He posted a mysterious picture of the villain Black Mask to his Twitter feed and also shared a photo of him with Harley Quinn creator Paul Dini. But given what we know about Birds of Prey, it seems like Harley Quinn has left this girl group behind, making it increasingly unlikely that this film will ever come to pass. Hey, at least we’ll always have Bright 2: Too Damn Bright.
Man of Steel 2
Release date: TBD
In the immortal words of that old McDonald’s commercial, Hey, it could happen! But probably not. At least we’ll always have The Witcher and Henry Cavill’s mysterious Instagram posts about maybe getting a tattoo made out of his dog. If you don’t believe me, look it up.
Deadshot
Release date: TBD
So that’s it, huh? We’re some sort of spin-off-icide squad? That’s right, folks, Will Smith’s Deadshot, the man who is handsome at aiming, could get his very own movie. Smith revealed he is in talks with WB about the movie on Instagram while bungee jumping in the Grand Canyon to celebrate his 50th birthday because that’s how you celebrate half a century of life in the Biggest Willie Style possible.
Nightwing
Release date: TBD
While Nightwing might be overshadowed recently by a certain four-letter word from Robin on Titans, dink Grayson is still set to get his very own big-screen adventure. Directed by The LEGO Batman Movie director Chris McKay and written by Bill Dubuque, Nightwing is said to be a badass action version of everyone’s favorite former circus boi. Actually, we should just call him a snackrobat because Nightwing is thicc as hell. But I digress. Chris McKay is also working on a Dungeons & Dragons movie too, so it mostly just feels like he read through my Google search history and is turning it into movies. Good luck, buddy. It’s about to get real weird.
Batgirl
Release date: TBD
For years, fans have asked DC Comics to give them what they truly wanted: a Batgirl solo film on the big screen. And then in 2017 DC said, Okay, sure, but Joss Whedon is going to make it. And a great darkness spread over the land for about a year or so until Joss realized he didn’t have a story, so he left. And there was much rejoicing. A new scribe, Bumblebee’s Christina Hodson, was brought on board to record the tale of Barbara Gordon. When we’ll actually see it is a subject of much mystery, but hey, good things take time.
Black Adam
Release date: TBD
Black Adam stars Dwayne The Rock Johnson as the corrupted predecessor to Shazam, Teth-Adam. We don’t know whether we’ll see Black Adam as an out-and-out villain or as more of an antihero, but something tells me this will be at least as good as the Rock’s last trip to Egyptian-infused mysticism, The Scorpion King. Production is tentatively set to start in 2019, but considering we have been waiting since 1945 to see Black Adam’s big screen debut, I think we can wait a little while longer if need be.
Supergirl
Release date: TBD
We haven’t had a Supergirl movie since 1984, but this time we’re going back in time even further with an origin story rumored to take place in the 1970s and a script from The Cloverfield Paradox writer Oren Uziel. Here’s hoping that chicken restaurants factor just as prominently into the marketing stills for this one too.
The Joker
Release date: TBD
Because much like Pringles, with Joker movies, once you pop, you can’t stop. And Warner Bros. clearly cannot stop making Joker movies. Hopefully this movie will just be comprised of all the unused footage of Jared Leto from Suicide Squad, including a 16-minute one-take scene of him meticulously laying all those guns and knives on the floor before making weird snow angels in the middle of them. Or maybe it won’t happen at all. Leto is supposed to be playing Morbius the Living Vampire in Sony’s Marvel Universe, a role which will hopefully require him to be far less in-character all the time always.
New Gods
Release date: TBD
Jack Kirby was a deeply talented and deeply weird guy, and one of the weirdest things he ever created was the Fourth World for DC. New Gods was an epic story about the godlike inhabitants of two far-flung planets, the paradisiacal New Genesis and the nightmarish Apokolips. We’ve seen inklings of the Fourth World in the DCEU so far through Justice League’s Steppenwolf and its many, many Parademons, which are military forces from Apokolips, but now director Ava DuVernay is looking to tell us a story about the New Gods on their home turf. Hopefully this means we’ll get to see Mister Miracle, Orion, and Big Barda grace the big screen. And hopefully we won’t get a post-credits scene of that time Superman and Big Barda accidentally shot a porno. It’s very real. And very uncomfortable.
Plastic Man
Release date: TBD
DC is planning to follow up Shazam with another more comedic take on the superhero genre: Plastic Man. With a script penned by Amanda Idoko and former New Line co-founder Bob Shaye producing the project, Plastic Man will look to adapt the story of Patrick “Eel” O’Brien, a gang member who gets doused with a mysterious chemical during a heist gone wrong that gives him the power to stretch his limbs to superhuman degrees. With his newfound powers, O’Brien breaks good and becomes a police officer, using his stretchiness to be the longest arm of the law humanly possible.
Harley Quinn vs. The Joker
TBD: Oh god, who knows?
Oh, you thought I was done talking about movies with Harley Quinn and the Joker? Ha ha ha, that’s rich. Like Jeff Bezos showering in truffle oil. No, my sweet summer child, this article will never end, because there will always be between one and seventeen more variations on Gotham City’s worst couple. The film, written and directed by Bad Santa writers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, is said to explore the toxic relationship between these two characters, which sounds like code for a big-screen version of Paul Dini and Bruce Timm’s Mad Love comic. And honestly, I don’t hate the sound of that. I’d just rather rewatch The New Batman Adventures version instead.And those are all the DC Comics movies currently in development that we know about. But tell me — which of these do you most want to see? What would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below.
Images: Warner Bros; DC Comics; NetherRealm; TriStar Pictures