The DC Cinematic Universe (DCU) has gone through a lot of upheaval in the final months of 2022 after James Gunn and Peter Safran became the President and CEO of DC Studios. A series of projects have been canceled, many familiar faces have had to leave, including Superman Henry Cavill and “Black Adam” Dwayne Johnson. In other words, Gunn and Safran are trying to rebuild this entire superhero universe, and that inadvertently makes the future of DCU more uncertain and unpredictable than ever.

As if to reassure fans, recently, James Gunn announced the projects in the first half of the first phase of DCU – “Gods & Monsters” (roughly translated: Gods and Monsters), officially starting in 2025. In the immediate future, this phase will bring audiences a total of 10 movies and TV shows, with brand new stories revolving around some familiar DC faces. According to Gunn’s plan, DC Studios will release 2 movies and 2 TV series for HBO Max each year.

Film projects in the first phase of DCU

DCU will reboot with 5 odd movies, including: Superman: Legacy, The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Swamp Thing.

Superman: Legacy

is the opening project for DCU, currently being finalized the script under the pen of James Gunn. Most likely Peter Safran will take the role of director and producer for this film. Expected to be released on 11/7/2025, Superman: Legacy will focus on Clark Kent’s difficulties in balancing the life of a superhero and an ordinary person, instead of re-exploiting the origin story of Superman. Besides, this movie also explores the story of Superman becoming a symbol of kindness in a world where many people believe that kindness has become outdated.

The Authority

is a project that is in the drafting stage and will be based on the characters of Wildstorm. According to DC Studios, this film will exploit antihero characters, who have good nature but are always pushed into situations by a world full of instability that force them to become tricks. and more cunning.

The Brave and the Bold

will be a movie revolving around the legendary DC character duo – Batman and Robin. In it, the role of Batman will be given to a completely new face instead of Ben Affleck or Robert Pattinson. Based on Grant Morrison’s Batman series, this film will retell the story when Bruce discovers Damian Wayne is his son. Trained to be a professional assassin, Bruce will now have to learn how to be an exemplary father and raise Damian in the most appropriate way. Some other members of the Bat family will also be participating in The Brave and the Bold.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

will be inspired by Tom King’s series of the same name, released from 2021 to 2022. Tom King will also join the production team of this project. While Superman was sent to Earth and raised in the loving arms of foster parents, Supergirl must survive on a fragment of the planet Krypton drifting across the universe and be forced to witness her loved ones for the first time. passed away in a cruel, tragic way.

Swamp Thing

is the film that will revolve around the origin story of the character of the same name released in 1974 of DC.

TV projects in the first phase of DCU

In addition to 5 movies, DC Studios will also bring 5 TV works to the opening phase of DCU, including: Creature Commandos, Waller, Lanterns, Paradise Lost and Booster Gold.

Creature Commandos

is the only animated project in the Gods & Monsters period. Currently, Gunn has completed the script for 7 episodes in this series, with the central characters being Rick Flagg Sr. – who will appear on the big screen in a future live-action work, Nina Mazursky, Doctor Phosphorus, Eric Frankenstein, GI Robot, Weasel and main antagonist Bride of Frankenstein.

Waller

is the spin-off movie project revolving around the character Amanda Waller that was announced earlier, with Viola Davis still playing the lead role. This series will take place between the first 2 seasons of Peacemaker. Jeremy Carver (Doom Patrol executive producer) and Christal Henry (Watchmen screenwriter) will join Waller’s production team.

Lanterns

will revolve around two Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart. According to DC Studios, this is a detective series, with Green Lanterns playing the role of mysterious super policemen on Earth. Besides, Lanterns is also a bridge to an overall story about an ancient horror, and also connects to other DC film and TV projects.

Paradise Lost

is a prequel to Wonder Woman with a Game of Thrones style, revolving around the origins of Themyscira before Diana Prince. This series will delve into the political game that plays out in this island nation, and how a feminist society consolidates their power and influence.

Booster Gold

is a series centered on a futuristic tech superhero who suffers from imposter syndrome. Currently, DC Studios is still looking for the right face for the main role of this series.

The future of DCU

The above is only a list of half of the projects in the first chapter of DCU – Gods & Monsters, and the other half will be announced in the near future. Crucially, this plan shows that DC Studios wants to grow their cinematic universe across multiple platforms, including cinema, television, and possibly others.

For DC Studios, the most important thing is to complete every story and script before moving on to the next stages, such as casting, designing costumes or shooting. With a plan of two chapters lasting for 8-10 years, they are certainly still incubating a lot of other projects and will be announced at the most appropriate time. Besides, Gunn and Safran also emphasized that this plan is not fixed and can be adjusted flexibly over time.

The immediate problem that DC Studios needs to solve is the relationship between the movies that will be released in 2023, 2024 and the first chapter of DCU. This year alone, this studio will release Shazam! Fury of the Gods on March 17th, The Flash on June 16 and Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom on December 25th. Currently, it is difficult to confirm the role of these 3 projects in DC’s new cinematic universe.

In addition, the projects announced above also show that DC Studios will spend a lot of time investing in each of its superheroes, including Superman, Batman, Supergirl or Green Lantern. That means it’s probably not until the end of the first phase, or the beginning of the second, that they produce the project. Justice League. And it will certainly be a very different Justice League than the version directed by Joss Whedon (2017) or Zack Snyder (2021).

Source:

ScreenRant, DC Studios