When it comes to comic book movies, the rumor mill is always churning, and Warner Bros.' burgeoning DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is no exception. Three movies have thus far released in the hotly contested yet high-grossing DCEU, and there are plenty more on the way. Not only are audiences getting their first live-action team-up of the Justice League but solo movies for Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, and more are also on the way. There's even a Batman movie that may or may not be titled The Batman. Well, we hope there is, anyway.
But in all these upcoming movies, who's playing who? Who will be the villain? Where and when does the movie take place? Who will be writing and directing? Is the studio adapting so-and-so comic? These are questions that fans aren't just asking themselves but also finding potential answers to in the numerous rumors circling the web. Some rumors are credible enough to believe, while the vast majority seem outright implausible. Still, we're fans just like you guys, and we hope at least some of them come true.
Here are 15 DC Extended Universe Rumors We Hope Are True.
15. The Flash villains will be the Rogues
With the original director, Seth Grahame-Smith, as well as his replacement, Rick Famuyiwa, having both departed from The Flash movie, it appears that the film is struggling to find a creative direction that the studio can get behind. And with production supposedly slated to begin sometime in the very near future, it's a wonder when Warner Bros. will hire a new director for the project. It would appear that, at least for now, the only thing concrete about the film is the main cast.
After announcing a new director, the next step would be to announce the villain(s) of the film, which rumors are suggesting will focus on the Flash's iconic Rogues' gallery. Consisting of villains such as Captain Cold, Heat Wave, Weather Wizard, Mirror Master, Pied Piper, The Top, and Captain Boomerang, the Rogues are Flash's most seasoned enemies. Since Jai Courtney is already playing Captain Boomerang in the DCEU, it would make sense for the studio to tack on a few more villains and complete the Rogues team. It would also help set the film apart from The CW's Flash series, which has made speedster villains like Zoom and the Reverse-Flash its central focus.
14. Will Smith is getting a Deadshot spinoff
There's no denying that David Ayer's Suicide Squad was one of the biggest movies of summer 2016, having earned a whopping $745.6 million worldwide (without releasing in China!). But there's also no denying that it was a hotly contested release among fans and critics alike. Blasted for its "muddled plot, thinly written characters, and choppy directing," Suicide Squad received more than its share of awful reviews. However, Will Smith's and Margot Robbie's portrayals of Deadshot and Harley Quinn, respectively, were almost universally praised.
In the movie, Smith's Deadshot was the closest thing Task Force X had to a leader, aside from the bland Colonel Rick Flag. And for many, Deadshot was one of the best characters in the movie (he definitely had some of the best scenes, anyway). So with the character's popularity and Will Smith's star power, a Deadshot spinoff movie doesn't sound that far-fetched, which is exactly what Warner Bros. is thinking. THR reported in December that the studio was in early development on a Deadshot spinoff. The report hasn't been confirmed, but it's certainly something we'd like to see happen at some point.
13. Gotham City Sirens casting rumors -- well, most of them
What was probably the biggest bit of news in that THR report -- the one that claimed that Warner Bros. was not only pursuing a Suicide Sequel sequel but also a Deadshot spinoff -- was the revelation that David Ayer was going to reteam with Margot Robbie for an all-female villains movie, Gotham City Sirens. Since the Gotham City Sirens usually follows a trio of supervillains, namely Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman, the decision to make the spinoff came as a major shock. Most folks had assumed that any female-centric DCEU adventures would center around the long-in-development Birds of Prey film.
Conversely, Birds of Prey typically follows a trio of female superheroes; Barbara Gordon (as either Batgirl or Oracle), Huntress, and Black Canary are the standard heroes on hand. Will Sirens take priority over Birds of Prey, or will the two films be combined? Is DC set to bring 5 of its most prominent female characters to the big screen?
Will Smith has expressed interest in appearing in Gotham City Sirens, but as it stands, no one besides Robbie has been cast in the movie. However, there are rumors that Megan Fox will play Poison Ivy. Although many people don't find themselves on board with Fox as the supervillainess, the actress does have a dedicated fanbase that would support her in the role.
12. A new director will helm Justice League 2
Zack Snyder has a unique style of filming that he adheres to throughout all of his movies, and not everybody is on board with that. Sure, each director has his or her own fans and detractors, but there's no denying that every one of Snyder's movies (especially the comic book ones) have torn their respective fan bases into two very passionate camps.
Watchmen received mixed reviews upon release, but was later considered by many to be an accurate adaptation of the graphic novel. And then both Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice received negative reviews, with the latter getting an extended edition that has been praised as a significant improvement by most people. We're starting to sense a pattern here...
No matter what your opinion is of Snyder and his movies, we can all agree that the DCEU would benefit from a fresh set of eyes. His involvement in the DCEU correlates to the same fatigue many fans feel with the quality of the Transformers universe, with Michael Bay having directed each installment since the beginning. That's why we hope the rumor about Snyder not directing Justice League 2 is true; a new perspective is necessary if the series is going to reach the heights it's capable of reaching. It would be awesome if someone like George Miller hopped on board for the Justice League sequel.
11. J.J. Abrams and George Miller directing DC movies
As it stands, there are 15 DC Comics movies in development, of which only six have directors attached: Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, The Batman, Dark Universe, and Gotham City Sirens. The other nine are ripe for the taking by any top director in Hollywood. Everyone has their own candidates in mind for movies like The Flash, Green Lantern Corps, and more, but there are already a few directors rumored to be in the running.
Having recently completed Star Wars: The Force Awakens, J.J. Abrams' slate is wide open, which means he's a prime candidate for Man of Steel 2 -- at least that's what some rumors are suggesting. Then there's the possibility of George Miller directing a New Gods movie (possibly connected to the Justice League villain Steppenwolf and his badass nephew, who we'll dive into in a moment). Since Miller was once set to helm Justice League: Mortal and was supposedly being considered for Man of Steel 2, there's no better choice than him for a DC Comics film.
10. Darkseid will be the villain in Justice League 2
Until recently, fans presumed Darkseid would be the villain in the upcoming Justice League film. But when press visited the set of DC's biggest film to date in early 2016, they discovered that the villain would, in fact, be Steppenwolf, who was teased in a deleted scene towards the end of Snyder's Batman v Superman (one that resurfaced in the film's Ultimate Edition).
While the focus of the film will be on Steppenwolf, who will appear more alien and demonic versus his traditional human-like look, it could be considered a missed opportunity if Snyder and co. didn't use Justice League as a means to set up Darkseid for the movie's sequel. Of course, that would only be necessary if Darkseid is, in fact, the villain in Justice League 2, which he is rumored to be.
Still, people haven't entirely dropped the notion that Darkseid will still appear in Snyder's Justice League come November 2017. As Kevin Smith puts it, Steppenwolf is just a pawn, and Smith thinks we won't know we're getting Darkseid in the film until much closer to its release, similar to how Doomsday's role in Batman v Superman wasn't revealed until a few months before that movie's release. Either way, as long as the ruler of Apokolips pops up in the sequel or in Justice League 3, we're good.
9. All the Armie Hammer casting rumors
For a long time now, Armie Hammer has been rumored to be playing virtually everyone in the DCEU, but the biggest casting rumor is the most recent one: that he'll be playing Green Lantern. Whether that's happening or not is yet to be determined, though it's certainly something fans would love to see.
However, since he's been meeting with Joe Manganiello (who's been cast as Deathstroke in the DCEU), there are rumors circling that Hammer may, in fact, be playing a villain in Ben Affleck's solo Batman movie instead. But who? There are rumors that the villain Black Mask will appear in the movie alongside Jared Leto's Joker; perhaps Hammer could be playing him?
The fact of the matter is that Hammer may not even appear in a DC Comics movie. But considering his longstanding history with DC Comics, stemming back to when he was cast as Batman in George Miller's doomed Justice League: Mortal film, Hammer is a ideal candidate to join the DCEU, in any type of role.
8. Green Lantern will appear in Justice League
Ever since Zack Snyder and Warner Bros. unveiled Aquaman's poster for Batman v Superman with the phrase "Unite the Seven" plastered across it, people have assumed that the tagline referred to seven members of the Justice League teaming up. After all, isn't that what Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was leading up to? The phrase itself could have two meanings, of course: one, unite seven Justice League members, or two, unite the proverbial Seven Seas under the rule of Atlantis.
With six of the seven core Justice League members having been confirmed for Snyder's Justice League film, the only character we're missing is Green Lantern, a charter member of the superhero team. (Sorry, Martian Manhunter.) Since the Green Lantern Corps movie doesn't release until 2020, perhaps we won't get to see Green Lantern until Justice League 2 in 2019. Still, that hasn't stopped rumors from spreading that he'll appear in this year's movie. He is in the official teaser poster, right? RIGHT?!
7. Supergirl appearing in Man of Steel 2
Early in 2016, rumors began to swirl that Warner Bros. was entering development on Man of Steel 2, something Amy Adams confirmed while doing press for Arrival. But what will the film be about and who will be in it? After introducing Doomsday in Batman v Superman, it would make sense for the studio to continue to expand Superman's mythos.
One way to do that is to introduce Superman's cousin, Supergirl, who is rumored to appear in the sequel. Now that The CW's Supergirl has been integrated into the Arrowverse (well, Arrow's multiverse), it wouldn't be all that crazy for Warner Bros. to continue capitalizing on the character's popularity. If the series can get their own version of Superman, why can't the DC Extended Universe get their own version of Supergirl?
The thing is, depending on your theory, Supergirl may already be part of the DCEU. In Man of Steel, Clark Kent (Kal-El) visited an ancient Kryptonian scout ship that contained four cryogenic pods. While three of them were sealed (and contained skeletons), one of them was opened. Some believe that pod belonged to Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, and that's something screenwriter David S. Goyer won't refute.
6. Brainiac will be the villain in Man of Steel 2
It would certainly be great to get another Kryptonian superhero in Man of Steel 2, but the fact is, every superhero movie needs a supervillain. And with Henry Cavill's Superman having already taken on General Zod, Doomsday, and Steppenwolf by the time his next solo adventure comes to fruition, the stakes need to be upped for the Man of Steel sequel. The logical choice would then be to introduce Brainiac.
With a name like Brainiac, it only makes sense that he would have twelfth level intelligence (the highest level in the DC Universe). What's more, he can not only emit energy blasts but also mimic the abilities of Kryptonians. He's more than a worthy adversary for Superman. Zack Snyder has said that both Brainiac and Metallo are villains that will appear sometime down the line. It would be interesting to see Superman take on a villain in the DCEU that requires more than brute strength to defeat.
5. The Batman will adapt Under the Hood and be set in Arkham
Shortly after the release of Batman v Superman, Warner Bros. confirmed that the Robin suit in the Batcave does, in fact, belong to a deceased Jason Todd. We know by the writing on the suit, as well as the fact that Harley Quinn was an accomplice to Todd's death, which the Joker was responsible for. If they adapted A Death in the Family, then they can also adapt Under the Red Hood, which saw a resurrected Jason Todd return to Gotham as the Red Hood.
For a long time, rumors suggested that Ben Affleck's Batman movie would adapt the famed story arc. But more recent whispers have indicated that the film would be set in Arkham Asylum (which we've yet to see on screen), and possibly be similar to that of the Arkham series, in which all of Batman's enemies come together for a final stand against the Dark Knight. Now, with the inclusion of Deathstroke, who knows what they're planning. But in any case, we hope both the Red Hood and Arkham Asylum are involved. And if Jason Todd is coming, there's a good chance that even more members of the Bat Family could be on their way...
4. Batgirl and Nightwing appearing in The Batman
Aside from the Batman serials, the only time we've seen Dick Grayson on screen was in the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher Batman films starring Chris O'Donnell as the Dark Knight's iconic sidekick, Robin. Sure, Joseph Gordon-Levitt technically appeared as "Robin John Blake" in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises -- but should that count? On top of that, we've never seen Barbara Gordon on the big screen (Alicia Silverstone's Barbara Wilson 100% does not count).
Well, if the rumors are to be believed, we may not only see Dick Grayson (Robin) and Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) in the DC Extended Universe but in the same film -- Ben Affleck's The Batman. The first rumors sprung up in October 2015, with JoBlo claiming Nightwing will appear in the film in a small role (which would be based on Under the Red Hood). That shouldn't be all that surprising, though, considering all the rumors of Jena Malone playing Batgirl in Batman v Superman.
3. Three Green Lanterns in Green Lantern Corps
Whether or not Snyder's Justice League movie will feature a Green Lantern is yet to be determined (depending on who you ask), but there's also the contention over who will be the Green Lantern in the 2020 Green Lantern Corps film. Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Kyle Rayner? No one knows. However, one rumor suggests there won't be just one Green Lantern (like Martin Campbell's Green Lantern movie) but rather three human Green Lanterns.
According to the rumor, the Green Lantern Corps movie will feature a veteran Hal Jordan, in his mid-40s, as well as both John Stewart and Kyle Rayner, the third and fourth Green Lanterns, respectively. Interestingly, other than the newest Green Lanterns like Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz, the one person missing is Guy Gardner, Jordan's successor. But since he is the least liked among casual readers and, therefore, will probably be the least liked among casual moviegoers, it would make sense for Warner Bros. to distance the film from him. Still, seeing more than one Lantern on screen will be enjoyable for all DC fans.
2. Teen Titans movie in the works, with Cyborg
In 2014, Warner Bros. released a tentative schedule for their DC Extended Universe films, which included a solo film for Cyborg. Although the character first appeared in a cameo in Batman v Superman and will make a full appearance in Snyder's Justice League, he won't be receiving his own movie until 2020. That's if we follow the studio's outdated schedule. If we go based on rumors, the Cyborg movie may convert into a Teen Titans movie featuring the man formerly known as Victor Stone in the lead.
Retooling the Cyborg movie into a Teen Titans movie could explain why TNT passed on a Titans TV series. Since Cyborg's place as a founding member of the Justice League is a pretty new thing still -- he took Martian Manhunter's place in DC Comics' New 52 reboot -- he's easily the least recognizable member of the group. A solo film may be a risky bet for the studio at this juncture, especially since fans haven't seen much of the character on the big screen thus far. A Teen Titans movie, on the other hand, featuring Cyborg, Nightwing/Robin, Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy, could be a more worthy risk.
1. HBO developing DC Comics shows
With their partnership with Marvel TV, Netflix has proven that they can not only produce quality comic book shows, but some of the best series on television, period. Perhaps their success is due to their lack of restrictions that broadcast networks face, or perhaps it's due to having shortened, 13-episode seasons instead of 22. Or it could just be because Netflix is a top-quality content producer. Whatever the reason, there is something to be said about streaming services and superhero shows.
The thing is, streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu are only mimicking what premium services like HBO, Starz, and Showtime have been doing for years. So with HBO, Warner Bros., and DC Entertainment existing under the same corporate umbrella, why shouldn't the premium service make their own DC Comics shows like Netflix and Marvel have been doing? It's something they've actually been considering, and hopefully, something that will happen soon. DC has thus far resisted the urge to utilize the small screen in order to flesh out their shared universe, but we're hoping they'll see the light in the very near future.
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Which of these DCEU rumors are you hoping will become a reality? Which DC heroes do you think are deserving of their own movie or TV series? Let us know in the comments.