There are plenty of DC movies coming out after Joker, going all the way to 2022. With cinematic universes now all the rage, especially in the superhero genre, DC Films had attempted to bind everything together in a single cohesive universe, with a distinctive Zack-Snyder-inspired "House Style". That proved to be less than successful, and as a result the studio is pivoting away from that approach. Joker wasn't even part of the DC Extended Universe.
All signs are that the future of DC in films lies in a far more experimental strategy than their rivals at Marvel, with directors such as Cathy Yan, Patty Jenkins, and James Wan given a great deal of freedom to explore their own creative visions. This will be crucial to DC's success, and it seems that DC's unique and distinctive movies are gaining ground and winning over audiences across the world. Joker is unlike any other comic book adaptation to date, and it looks as though DC intend to follow it up with more unique, distinctive takes.
So just what does the future hold for DC Films? Both Marvel and DC now announce just a few years' worth of movies at a time, meaning right now viewers only know what DC films to expect up to 2022. But the slate is a promising one - and here's your guide to everything that's currently scheduled.
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) - February 7, 2020
Marketing has recently begun for Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey, due out in February 2020. This promises to be a fun, female-led adventure starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress, Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain, and Rosie Perez as GCPD Detective Renee Montoya. So far, the movie promises to be a marked departure from DC's previous style, with the first Birds of Prey trailer promising a wacky, ultra-violent but highly entertaining take. Like Joker, this will be a low-budget, R-rated superhero film.
Wonder Woman 1984 - June 5, 2020
Director Patty Jenkins and actress Gal Gadot are reuniting for Wonder Woman 1984, a sequel/Justice League prequel that's still largely being kept under wraps. The main villain is Kristen Wiig as Cheetah, who in the comics is an archaeologist exposed to an ancient curse and transformed into a monstrous beast. Wonder Woman will suit up in new Golden Eagle armor, and possibly discover an Amazon offshoot tribe. The first trailer is expected to drop in December.
The Batman - June 25, 2021
The DCEU may be continuing, but - as Joker proved - not every DC movie will be part of it. Matt Reeves' The Batman promises to be fresh and distinctive take on the Dark Knight, with Robert Pattinson stepping in as a younger Bruce Wayne. Reeves intends this film to showcase Batman's role as the Great Detective, and casting calls appear to suggest a large number of supervillains, ranging from Catwoman to Two-Face.
The Suicide Squad - August 6, 2021
The first Suicide Squad movie unsuccessfully attempted to mimic the Guardians of the Galaxy formula. For The Suicide Squad - a sequel/relaunch - DC Films has decided to make the comparison explicit by recruiting Guardians' director James Gunn himself. The Suicide Squad cast is a mix of new and returning actors, including the likes of John Cena, Jai Courtney, Mayling Ng, Flula Borg, Sean Gunn, Taika Waititi, Alice Braga, Daniela Melchior, Peter Capaldi, Julio Ruiz, Viola Davis, Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, and Michael Rooker.
DC Super Pets - May 20, 2022
Taking a step away from live-action, Jared Stern is working on a script for an animated DC Super Pets movie, expected to release in 2021. It's unclear whether the movie will be inspired by the Cartoon Network series or whether Stern will start from scratch with an all-new adaptation. Super Pets is sure to include some of the staple DC characters, such as Krypto the Super-Dog and Streaky the Super-Cat.
Aquaman 2 - December 16, 2022
Director James Wan and stars Jason Momoa and Amber Heard are returning for Aquaman 2 in December 2022. It's a smart call on Warner Bros.' part, given the first film grossed over $1 billion in the global box office. They've even kept the Christmas release date, and will be hoping the sequel will be just as much a success.
