The time has come. Today finally James Gunn and Peter Safran , co-presidents and co-CEOs of DC Studios , announced the first plans of the studio.
Five films and five series announced to the press at the studio in Burbank, which make up the first part of the first chapter of the DCU, called Gods and Monsters (Gods and Monsters).
Some familiar titles appear on the list, from the Gunn -penned Superman film, now titled Superman: Legacy , a Swamp Thing film, and a Booster Gold series …
First Details
Safran said the DCU is a multiverse, but the titles presented today exist in a single universe. The plan is to release two films and two series a year. Neither the movies nor the series will go into production until the scripts are finished, Gunn said :
“People have become addicted to release dates, to making movies whatever the cost. I’m a writer at heart and we won’t make a movie until the script is done.”
Titles that already have release dates will also be moved up the calendar if the script isn’t ready before production. He said:
“I’ve seen it repeated over and over: it’s a mess. It is the main reason for the deterioration of the quality of movies today, compared to 20-30 years ago.
They make these movies where they haven’t written the third act yet. And then they start writing them during [production], you know, crafting them as they go. And then you watch a bunch of people punching each other, and the action isn’t smooth.
You can’t tell the same “good guys, bad guys, giant thing in the sky, good guys win” story over and over again. More morally complex stories need to be told. We need to tell stories that don’t just pretend to be different genres, but really are.”.
There are no directors tied to any project though they said they are “very close” to signing two. The only confirmed actress is Viola Davis as Amanda Waller in the HBO Max series , Waller .
Safran and Gunn left the door open for G al Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller and Zachary Levi to continue playing Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and Shazam, respectively. Gunn reiterated that Henry Cavill will not continue to play Superman.
With the members of the writers room, Gunn explains , they have drafted the potential master plan, which gives a general idea of the direction the DCU will take.
The members of the writers room are: Drew Goddard (The Martian), Jeremy Slater (Moon Knight), Christina Hobson (The Flash, Batgirl), Christal Henry (Watchmen) and cartoonist Tom King (Batman, Mister Miracle). Gunn has indicated that some of these writers will continue to work on DCU projects, including Henry, who serves as co-showrunner on Waller .
Finally, added Safran will be able to sell titles to other platforms besides HBO Max :
“So we’ll figure out if there are some upcoming shows that might do better elsewhere, or [if] there’s no room on HBO Max for us. But we like the idea of having shows on Amazon, Hulu and Netflix. Broaden the DC audience.”
CINEMA
Superman: Legacies
It will mark the beginning of the DCU, the release date is scheduled for July 11, 2025 . It won’t be a Man of Steel origin story written by James Gunn . Safran hopes Gunn :
“May I be persuaded, perhaps, to direct it.”
Safran said :
“It centers on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. It’s kindness in a world that he considers kindness old-fashioned.”
Gunn added :
“Superman is for everyone. It’s a film about the four quadrants that should speak to everyone in the world.”
The Authority
An ensemble film about superhumans who have a less than ideal approach to saving the world. Gunn explained :
“It’s not just a story of heroes and villains, and not every movie and TV show is going to be about good guys versus bad guys. There are some very questionable people, like the Authority, who basically believe that you can’t fix the world easily, and they take matters into their own hands.”
The film is being written, but it has not been revealed who is writing it. Speaking of Authority, Safran added:
“I’m a bit like Jack Nicholson in Code of Honor. They know you want to corner them, or at least they think so.”
The characters created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch come from Wildstorm , the label launched in 1992 as an independent entity under the leadership of Jim Lee , the current head of DC Comics, which later became a DC brand.
In the comics, the Wildstorm characters were then brought into the main universe of DC comics, with the New 52 initiative in 2011. Gunn has stated that he and Safran intend to do the same in the DCU.
The Brave and the Bold
Based on the comics by Grant Morrison , which Gunn called “Incredibly influential” on the DCU. It will introduce the DCU version of Batman, separate from the Pattinson version in the Reeves films , and the “Bat family.”
Robin returns to the cinema, but this time it will be Damian Wayne, the biological son of Bruce. Gunn described him as his favorite Robin:
“A little son of a bitch, a murderer and a murderer.”
Bruce did not know of his existence during the first 10 years of the boy’s life. Gunn added :
“It’s a strange father-son story between the two of them.”
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Based on the comics by Tom King , published between 2021 and 2022, it stars Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin. Gunn explained:
“It’s a very different kind of Supergirl, much more ‘hardcore.’
We see the difference between Superman, who was sent to Earth and raised by loving parents since he was an infant, and Supergirl, who was raised on a rock fragment of Krypton and watched everyone around her die and be killed. in terrible ways for the first 14 years of his life”
Swamp Thing
It will narrate the dark origins of the Swamp Thing. Gunn explained that it will be more of a horror film, and added that they will have Swamp Thing interact with the other characters.
TELEVISION
Commando creatures
The animated series is already in production and is the first project authorized by Safran and Gunn , who wrote each episode. Animation, Gunn added , allows creative collaborators to
“Telling gigantic stories, but without spending 50 million dollars an episode”.
The actors chosen to voice the characters in the series will play the corresponding roles in the live action projects of the DCU.
The characters were created in 1980, in the original premise Frankenstein’s monster teamed up with a werewolf, a vampire and a gorgon to fight the Nazis in WWII.
Gunn’s version doesn’t seem to take the same approach: Weasel, seen in Suicide Squad , is one of the Commandos, alongside Rick Flag’s father, Rick Flag Senior.
Waller
Viola Davis reprises her role of Amanda Waller in the HBO series Max, previously played in The Suicide Squad and Suicide Squad . The series will continue the events of Peacemaker Season 1 , which concluded with Waller’s daughter Leota Adebayo ( Danielle Brooks ) discovering Task Force X (aka the Suicide Squad) and Waller’s role.
The executive producers are Christal Henry and Jeremy Carver , the creator of Doom Patrol .
Both Creature Commandos and Waller are expected to debut before Superman: Legacy . Safran called them the DCU appetizer.
Lanterns
Safran compared it to an HBO event series, much like True Detective . The series stars two of the best-known members of the Green Lantern corps: Hal Jordan (the test pilot played by Ryan Reynolds in 2011’s Green Lantern ) and John Stewart (an ex-Marine and one of DC’s first black superheroes).
The two investigate a mystery which, Safran reveals :
“It has a really big role in leading us to the main story that we’re telling in our movies and on television. So this is a very important show for us.”
Speaking about the Greg Berlanti -developed series for HBO Max , which has been cancelled, Safran said:
“Greg’s vision was more of a space opera. Our vision is much more like True Detective, an investigative story set on earth.”
Paradise Lost
A Game of Thrones-esque story set on the island of Themyscira before the birth of Diana (alias Wonder Woman).
Safran said :
“It’s about the political intrigues behind an all-female society.”
Gunn added:
“How did all this come about? What is the origin of an island of women only? What are the fascinating and terrible truths behind all this? And what are the intrigues between the various powerful of that society?”.
The title is reminiscent of Phil Jimenez and George Pérez ‘s “Paradise Island Lost” comic series , which followed a civil war on Themyscira, but Wonder Woman did appear in that series.
Booster Gold
A series that combines comedy and time travel. Safran defined Booster:
“A loser from the future who uses the most basic technology from the future to return to the present day and pretend to be a superhero.”
In the 25th century, Mike is a disgraced former football star who uses a time machine on display in the Metropolis Space Museum.
Gunn added:
“Basically, Booster Gold is imposter syndrome as a superhero.”
DC Elseworlds
The Batman Part II opens in U.S. theaters on October 3, 2025 . No other information has been provided at this time on the sequel to The Batman , which is once again directed by Matt Reeves. The filmmaker is also preparing to shoot Colin Farrell ‘s Penguin spin-off series.
The film will remain a separate property from The Brave and the Bold . Reeves ‘ two projects will be part of the new DC label Elseworlds , which includes films or television series that are not part of the main DC universe, as in the comics.
Joker: Folie à Deux by Todd Phillips , starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga is also under this label, as is the ongoing animated series Teen Titans Go! , and another Superman film that we already announced to you in 2021, developed by JJ Abrams and written by Ta-Nehisi Coates . Gunn and Safran are awaiting Coates ‘ new draft .
Transparency
Gunn and Safran plan to run DC Studios with transparency. He explained:
“If someone is doing something that’s not working, we’ll be honest. One of my main goals is to be honest with everyone. If someone brings me an idea that doesn’t work, I’m honest about it. We’re building the foundation of a studio that we want to last, and it can’t last if we haven’t built on something rigorously honest.”
When asked if he should continue to dismiss false rumors on Twitter, he replied:
“Will it have to? It’s my joy!”