The DC Extended Universe might be struggling to find some critical success, but its movies
are still making a lot of money.
And Warner Bros. has more than a dozen — 16, actually, for those keeping count — in various
stages of development right now.
So what do fans have to look forward to over the next five or so years?
Let's crack the cover and find out.
Wonder Woman
It's been a long road, but director Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman movie is set to finish
a journey that many fans never thought would arrive in theaters in June 2017.
DC's biggest female hero is long overdue for her solo shot at big screen glory.
Thankfully, the early trailers from the film look fantastic, and Gal Gadot's take on Diana
was one of the best things about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
So, there's something to build on.
But there's been a cloud of negative buzz surrounding the project, with some supposed
insiders claiming it's a mess.
For the sake of DC, and Wonder Woman fans everywhere, we hope those rumors are far from
the truth.
Justice League
Zack Snyder's Justice League, set to hit theaters in November, 2017, picks up in the wake of
Batman v Superman, and is reportedly having its tone heavily retooled on the fly after
all the negative buzz from Batman v Superman's overly grim tone.
It'll apparently follow Batman and Wonder Woman as they look to assemble a team of heroes
to pick up the slack following Superman's apparent "death" at the end of that film.
Considering it's not the Justice League without Superman, we'd think it'll also feature that
guy's resurrection, too.
Aquaman
He's been the butt of jokes for years, but James Wan's December 2018 Aquaman film looks
to finally bring some respect to the man who talks to fish.
Casting burly Game of Thrones alum Jason Momoa in the title role didn't hurt much, either.
The film will reportedly feature the classic comic character Black Manta as the central
villain, and introduce audiences at large to the wider world of Atlantis and the undersea
kingdom's culture.
It's a risky venture, but having Furious 7 director James Wan at the helm means if nothing
else, the action should at least be up to snuff.
Shazam!
Warner Bros. has been prepping a Shazam! movie for awhile now, and all we really know is
that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is attached to play the villain, Black Adam.
Outside of that, there hasn't really been a lot of momentum.
We don't know a lot about the story, and the filmmakers have been coy about just how much
it will, or won't, connect to the DCEU at large.
Outside of Johnson and a projected release date of April, 2019, there's been no word
on casting — like who will play teenager Billy Batson or his super-powered alter ego.
Whoever it is, the pressure will be on to actually match up against Johnson as the big
bad.
Green Lantern Corps
No casting has been announced for this film about superpowered space cops, but the studio
is actively working this one behind the scenes, with a script from David Goyer and Justin
Rhodes on the way.
Despite the fact that it's three years out, Warner Bros. is bullish, with a release date
of July 2020 already locked.
No word on the plot, but it's been described as "Lethal Weapon in space."
Which, you know, sounds pretty much perfect.
We also know it'll focus on two different characters: the popular Green Lantern characters
Hal Jordan, who was previously played by Ryan Reynolds, and John Stewart.
Bringing Stewart is a wise move.
He's a fan favorite, and getting him in the mix will help this film stand apart from the
previous, critically panned Green Lantern flick.
Hey, it can't really be worse, right?
"Yeah, that part I heard about."
The Flash
Pretty much the only thing we know about DC's Flash feature set for 2020 is that it'll star
Ezra Miller as the big-screen Barry Allen.
Aside from that, everything is in flux.
Director Rick Famuyiwa was originally attached, but he left the project in late 2016 due to
creative differences.
It's been months, and, as of the making of this video, the studio is still looking to
fill the directorial void.
Considering all the creative problems DC has had behind the scenes, the split from Famuyiwa
isn't a great sign, but, Warner Bros. looks to be taking its time to try and get this
one right, which is smart.
As the CW's hit Flash series has proven, there's an audience out there that loves this character.
The pressure is on to get them out from in front of their TVs, and into theaters.
Cyborg
By the time Cyborg shows up in his solo movie, fans should be pretty familiar with him.
Ray Fisher's version of the character will have co-starring roles in Justice League and
The Flash, and as much as Warner Bros. loves cameos, it wouldn't be surprising to see him
pop up elsewhere, too.
We already got a fleeting glimpse at Cyborg thanks to those handy Lex Luthor YouTube videos
in Batman v Superman.
But we'll presumably learn more about him over the next few films.
Since the character will have been thoroughly introduced by the time this one rolls around,
it stands to reason it probably won't be an origin story.
Or if it is, at least it won't be the entire focus of the story.
The Batman
Batman is easily the cash cow of the DC universe, and Warner Bros. seems keen to get a standalone
movie made starring Ben Affleck as the new version of the Dark Knight.
Affleck has been developing the project for awhile, but it was recently announced he wouldn't
be directing.
Instead, he'll be focusing on his work in front of the camera.
By moving Affleck out of the director's chair and hiring Matt Reeves, it seems the studio
might be trying to get the project made sooner than later.
Meanwhile, Affleck has said numerous times that he wasn't in a huge hurry to get it done.
Little is known about the project, aside from the fact that it'll likely feature Joe Manganiello
as key villain Deathstroke.
But, with the project getting a revamp, who knows if Deathstroke will even survive the
rewrites?
Dark Universe
Sometimes known as Justice League Dark during development, this project is set to focus
on the mystical side of the DCEU, featuring characters such as John Constantine, Swamp
Thing, Deadman, and Zatanna.
Edge of Tomorrow's Doug Liman signed on to direct in 2016, though there hasn't been much
information since then.
Considering the success Marvel had with Doctor Strange, it stands to reason Warner Bros.
will be keen to get this one off the bench soon.
Hopefully they'll tap Matt Ryan play John Constantine on the big screen, because let's
be honest — the dude is perfect.
Gotham City Sirens
David Ayer's follow-up to Suicide Squad looks to be this Harley Quinn-centric spinoff, as
opposed to a straight-up sequel.
Ayer is set to reteam with Margot Robbie for the film, which will focus on Harley Quinn
and several other female heroes and villains across the DC Comics canon.
No word on which characters will show up, though ladies like Catwoman and Poison Ivy
seem likely.
Between this and the Wonder Woman movie, DC has an excellent opportunity take the edge
over Marvel Studios in female-led superhero fare, which could be a huge move for a studio
playing catch-up.
The movies just, you know, need to be good.
Justice League 2
Warner Bros. originally penciled this one in for 2019, but it's since been bumped to
an unspecified date to clear out some space for The Batman.
This one might not be locked in anywhere at the moment, but of all the projects at the
far end of DC's master plan, it stands to reason another Justice League is one of the
most bankable.
The Avengers has become a flagship franchise for Marvel, and DC is looking to leverage
Justice League the same way.
Of course, there are a lot of standalone movies and spinoffs to make in the meantime.
Man of Steel 2
All logic points to Superman featuring in the Justice League film in some way, but despite
Man of Steel formally kicking off this shared cinematic universe, the studio doesn't seem
to be in a major hurry to give him another solo adventure.
The cast has confirmed a script is in the works, but with so many other movies on the
docket, you have to think it could be years until they actually get around to making this
one.
There's also the questions of how DC wants to treat the character in the long term, and
whether or not they've learned anything from the Hulk over at Marvel.
Both are insanely powerful characters, and both typically work a bit better in an ensemble.
Much like Marvel pulls Hulk out to play in the big movies, DC could follow the same playbook
with Superman.
Suicide Squad 2
A proper Suicide Squad sequel is in development, but there's been no word on when it'll actually
hit the big screen.
Despite anemic reviews, the first film still made a whole lot of money — and introduced
characters like Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, and Will Smith's Deadshot, both of whom will
almost certainly pop back up in the DCEU down the line.
Suicide Squad is a semi-proven commodity within the universe, which is significant.
But with Warner Bros. high on getting Gotham City Sirens off the ground, this one could
stay on the back burner for awhile.
Deadshot
Will Smith is one of Hollywood's biggest stars, so it's no surprise Warner Bros. is looking
to spin him off with a film focused on his Suicide Squad character Deadshot.
Outside of Ben Affleck, Smith is arguably the biggest star in the DCEU — so it's only
a matter of time until they get him suited back up for another fight against Batman.
At this point, the project seems to be in very early development, and there's no word
on where it might eventually fit in the overall schedule.
Black Adam
This one has everyone a bit confused.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been attached to co-star in a Shazam movie for years, playing
the villain Black Adam.
And we recently heard Warner Bros. is now developing a full-fledged Black Adam spinoff
film, which will split the character off into more of an antihero.
Johnson explained the plans to reporters:
"We're building our world that way, and then we can come together at some point."
It remains to be seen how DC will juggle a two-pronged side section of the DCEU while
they're still trying to establish the main universe.
Lobo
Word leaked in 2016 that Warner Bros. is looking to bring the space bounty hunter Lobo to the
DCEU.
And Wonder Woman writer Jason Fuchs is reportedly working on the script now.
The studio has also signed Brad Peyton, who helmed the earthquake movie San Andreas, to
direct.
A film based on Lobo has kicked around development hell for the better part of a decade, with
Sherlock Holmes' Guy Ritchie attached to make one as far back as 2009.
Despite the false starts, this new project is apparently a fresh take on the character.
Considering the success Fox and Marvel have had with Deadpool, Lobo could be a foul-mouthed
sweet spot for DC to get in on the action.
Maybe.
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