The Future Of DC Superhero Movies: Superman, The Flash, Green Lantern…and J.J. Abrams?
In the wake of the box office disaster that wasJustice League, the future of movies from DC Comics has been unclear. Despite the success ofWonder WomanandAquamanat the box office, Warner Bros. Pictures has been trying to distance themselves from the interconnected universe of superheroes created by directorZack Snyder. The success ofJokerwill only bolster that initiative, and it appears the future of DC Comics on screen will include the return ofThe Flash, a new movie forGreen Lantern, potentially the involvement ofJ.J. Abrams, and development of projects at HBO Max. Here’s what we know.
What’s Officially on the Docket for DC Comics?
A number of new details about the future of DC comic book movies were revealed in a new report atVariety. But before we get to the uncertain future of DC Comics as detailed in that article, let’s talk about what we do know so far.
First up, there’s aSuicide Squadspin-off that will have Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) getting her own girl gang inBirds of Prey(And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), and that movie is intended to be R-rated. While test screenings were apparently shaky the first time, and Variety says recent reshoots have dramatically turned things around, so hopefully the movie will sit well with fans when it arrives on June 28, 2025
Then we haveWonder Woman 1984on the way, bringingGal Gadotback as theJustice Leagueheroine.Kristin Wiigis joining the mix as an adversary named Cheetah, andPedro Pascalis playing the villainous mastermindMax Lord. Plus, somehowChris Pineis back as well. Not much is known about the forthcoming sequel, but the first trailer will arrive in Decemberat Brazil’s Comic Con Experience. The movie will hit theaters onJune 5, 2020.
Since Ben Affleck is no longer playing Batman, Warner Bros. is rebooting The Dark Knight yet again, this time withWar for the Planet of the ApesdirectorMatt Reevesat the helm ofThe Batman. FormerTwilightstarRobert Pattinsonwill be taking on the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, and there’s an intriguing assembly of villains involved.Colin Farrellwill play Penguin,Paul Danois slated to be The Riddler,Zoe Kravitzhas the role of Catwoman, andJohn Turturrowas recently set as mobster Carmine Falcone. That’s a lot of villains, but rumblings of the movie being mostly set in Arkham Asylum are not true. Only “a handful of scenes” will take place at the mental institution where most of Batman’s most dangerous adversaries end up.The Batmanis slated to arrive onJune 25, 2021.
Speaking of Batman, since the origin story for his nemesisJokerwas so well-received that there have been talks of a sequel coming together. ButTodd Phillipsrecently debunked reports of deals being closed for him to return as director withJoaquin Phoenixreprising his role. That doesn’t mean a follow-up won’t happen, but it’s far less of an immediate of a concern than it was made out to be.
Finally, since the firstAquamanwas such a huge hit, there’s a sequel withJason Momoaon the way. That one is still in the early stages of development, but production is meant to start sometime early in 2021 in order to meet theDecember 16, 2022release date set by the studio. On top of that, director/producerJames Wanis also working on a more horror-centric spin-off calledThe Trench, focusing on the terrifying area of the ocean where deadly sea creatures reside.
That’s all for the projects which are firmly in the works for the next few years. But what about beyond that?
Ezra Miller Returning as The Flash
The Flashis one of the many movies that was in the works when Zack Snyder was still shepherding the DC Extended Universe. And while Warner Bros. Pictures has been distancing themselves from those movies, they still want to work withEzra Miller’s version of The Flash. Though there have been some troubles behind the scenes with creative differences between several filmmakers who have boarded and left the project, the studio still has hope of making this one work.
Most recently, Warner Bros. tasked theirITdirectorAndy Muschiettiwith tackling the property as director, and the script is coming from Bumblebee writerChristina Hodson(who is also supposed to be working on aBatgirlmovie that is still in the nascent stages of development). However, this movie has been in the works for years now, and with filmmakers coming and going just as quickly, not to mention Miller’s frequently full schedule thanks to theFantastic Beastsfranchise, we don’t see this one getting off the ground anytime soon.
Green Lantern Revival
After the box office failure ofGreen Lanternin 2011, which arrived before Zack Snyder started playing with DC Comics characters in 2013’sMan of Steel, this cosmic superhero has been left out in the wind. However, Warner Bros. still has hopes to bring the character back into the fray with a reboot of the property.Geoff Johnsis working on a script forGreen Lantern Corps. that is supposed to be finished by the end of the year. The arrival of this project is far more uncertain until the script arrives, but the studio knows they want to do something with the character.
Don’t forget, there’s anHBO Max seriesfocusing onGreen Lanternthat Arrowverse producerGreg Berlantiwill be working on, and that might even result in him being involved with an eventual movie too. But since we have no idea what either project will be like, all we can do is wonder what’s in store for the superhero.
The Future of Superman
Even more uncertain is the future of Superman. WhileHenry Cavillrecently saidthat he’s not done playing the Man of Steel, it seems like the studio may not be quite as keen to bring him back. There has been no movement on a new Superman movie with Henry Cavill since the failure ofJustice League, and the studio was testing the waters for a possible revival withCreedstarMichael B. Jordanputting on the cape with a pitch of his own for the character. There hasn’t been any development on that front either.
Honestly, it might be time to let Superman have a rest while some other superheroes step up to the plate instead. Filmmakers seems to have a hard time figuring out how to handle the character on the big screen, and since there’s plenty of Superman on television right now thanks toSupergirl, the upcoming spin-offSuperman & Lois, and the forthcomingCrisis on Infinite Earthscrossover among the Arrowverse shows (which brings back big screen Superman actor Brandon Routh in an alternate future version of the hero), that might be all fans need right now to keep their appetites satiated.
Bad Robot Playing with DC Comics?
One thing that might help Warner Bros. Pictures figures out how to play with some of their superheroes is the arrival of J.J. Abrams. The studio just set up a huge first-look deal with his production banner Bad Robot, and there’s speculation that they might let him take a look atGreen Lanternonce the script is done. However, Abrams might be more keen on playing with Superman since he once was nearly lined up for a movie calledSuperman: Flybyin the early 2000s, though it never came to fruition. Warner Bros. has reportedly already had discussions with J.J. Abrams about Superman, so it’s certainly in the cards.
HBO Max Will Host Superheroes Too
While Warner Bros. Pictures certainly wants to keep DC Comics movies on the big screen going strong, they will also look to streaming for certain superhero properties as well. HBO Max is set to launch in the spring, and along with the aforementioned Green Lantern series,the studio intends to have some lower budget DC Comics properties debut there. These projects won’t have huge A-list stars in them and will be made for somewhere under $65 million. As for what those projects might be, there aren’t any details, but DC Comics has many characters who have yet to make their screen debut.
The Snyder Cut of Justice League is a Pipe Dream
Finally, for anyone hoping that Warner Bros. Pictures' foray into the future includes a dip into the past with the release of Zack Snyder’s cut ofJustice League, you’re not going to get the Christmas present you really want this year.
Despite the active social media campaigns by fans and the support of the cast members themselves, Warner Bros. Pictures still has no plans to released the alternate cut of the movie in theaters or on HBO Max. One insider flat out told Variety, “That’s a pipe dream. There’s no way it’s ever happening.”
Clearly, the studio has their eyes on the future and don’t want to dig back into Zack Snyder’s vision of DC Comics superheroes. There’s no upside to releasing the Snyder Cut ofJustice Leagueother than goodwill with a small, vocal sect of the fanbase. It’s not as if any interest in it will have them changing their plans for the superheroes involved in the DC Comics team. Plus, Zack Snyder’sJustice Leaguewas intended to lead into a sequel, and after the poor box office performance of the initial assembly of DC Comics superheroes, they’re certainly not going to follow through on those original plans, so it will just end up disappointing fans all over again anyway.
All-in-all, it seems like former New Line executiveWalter Hamada, the new president of DC Films, and Warner Bros. film chiefToby Emmerichhave given a little more focus to DC Comics properties at the studio. It may not be a focus on an interconnected universe of films like Marvel Studios, but perhaps the studio has realized that their success is the exception rather than the rule. They appear to be letting filmmakers guide where these characters go instead of trying to fit them into a universe they’re hastily trying to build. There doesn’t appear to be any rush to “catch up” with Marvel anymore, and after the success of Joker, we just might see them be a little more bold in the kind of superhero movies they try to make.
