It's an exciting time to be a fan of DC. Not only does it look like Warner Bros. has finally sorted out its live-action film future, but the launch of the DC Universe streaming app opens up a whole new world of possibilities. No longer will DC be at the mercy of TV networks, as it holds the destiny of its shows in its own hands. Who knows, maybe DC will release its own live-action movies on this streaming platform as well?
In addition, DC's characters are thriving in the video game world. The Arkham franchise is renowned as one of the best superhero series of the past decade, while Injustice challenges Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter on a regular basis. Oh, and Lego DC Super-Villains appears to be another home run.
Too often these achievements get lost in all the negative noise, so it's important to take stock of where DC is going right now. The future looks promising, with a plethora of intriguing prospects already confirmed and more to come.
We're living in an age where comic book properties are in high demand, and it feels like there's a new announcement about some or other project every single day. This is why it's important to differentiate what's fact and rumor. We're here to help you with this exercise as we dissect the chatter and find out what's actually happening and what we hope comes true.
So, with that said, let's look at the 14 DC Projects Currently In Development (And 6 Rumored).
Confirmed: Joker
Not a day goes by where we don't see a set photo or video from Todd Phillips' Joker movie. While it's like candy for fans, you can understand why the filmmaker is getting frustrated about it. Most of these things can be taken out of context and the online comic book community isn't exactly renowned for being rational.
Even so, Joaquin Phoenix is already blowing minds as Arthur Fleck/Joker and there's a sense that something special is being made here.
No one saw the point of this movie initially, but everything we've seen so far has convinced us to give it a chance. After all, has Phoenix ever delivered a bad performance? The answer is no.
Confirmed: Birds Of Prey
From a rumor to production in no time, Birds of Prey is living proof that Warner Bros. can get things done when it sets its mind to it. Even though other films were announced before this one, the cast is mostly filled out as Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn, while Mary Elizabeth Winstead has been confirmed as Helena Bertinelli/Huntress and Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Dinah Lance/Black Canary.
In addition, Cathy Yan is the choice to sit behind the camera for this film. Birds of Prey is undoubtedly an ambitious project, especially since it's leapfrogged others on Warner Bros.' superhero slate, but it has all the potential to be a runaway smash-hit. Let's see what happens in 2020.
Possibility: Supergirl
The reports about a possible Supergirl film are bittersweet – mostly because it probably signals the end of Superman on screen for some time. Henry Cavill has joined Ben Affleck in the will-he-won't-he camp and there's a belief that we've seen the last of Cavill in the blue suit and red cape.
According to Deadline, Warner Bros. and DC are developing a feature film based about Superman's cousin, Kara Zor-El, with Oren Uziel hired to write the script.
If it really does mean the end of the Man of Steel on screen, this better be worth it. We already have a terrific Supergirl TV series, so the pressure is on this production to deliver the goods.
Confirmed: The Flash
It's rather ironic how the Flash is the fastest man alive, yet his solo film is taking such a long time to enter production. In fact, it should've been released earlier this year, but it's been dealt blow after blow as directors have entered and exited the project more times than Fox's Gambit has changed release dates.
There was an expectation that The Flash would finally be released in 2020, but Warner Bros. has reportedly pushed the film to 2021. The reason for this is because the studio wanted to rework the script and to allow Ezra Miller to fulfil his commitments with the Fantastic Beasts franchise. At this stage, we'd imagine The Batman will be released before this movie.
Confirmed: Wonder Woman 1984
After all the records that Wonder Woman broke, there was never any doubt about a sequel. Titled Wonder Woman 1984, the likes of Gal Gadot, Robin Wright, and Chris Pine are all expected to return for this much-anticipated 2019 film set in the '80s.
Speaking at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, Gadot insisted that the movie is its own beast and not just another part two.
"It's not a sequel. It's its own story, it's a different chapter, it's a whole new movie," she said. Naturally, there's a lot of debate about how Pine's character, Steve Trevor, returns – especially after the events of Wonder Woman – but the cast and crew are keeping mum about it.
Possibility: Justice League Video Game
It's been three years since the release of the acclaimed Arkham Knight. It marked the end of the successful Arkham video game series and fans have been wondering what's next for Rocksteady Studios. First, there were rumors of a Batman title featuring Damian Wayne, then a Suicide Squad game, and eventually a Superman release.
As it turns out, everyone might be wrong. According a supposed leak on 4Chan – yes, take it with a pinch of salt – Rocksteady Studios is developing a game tentatively titled Justice League: Crisis. Players will have the choice of controlling Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Cyborg, and Aquaman as they explore a variety of settings. Honestly, this is a speculation that we pray is true.
Confirmed: Batman: Hush
While there are many people who swear by Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns as the definitive Batman story, there's another segment of the fanbase that believes the honor belongs to Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's Batman: Hush.
It's a rich Caped Crusader tale bursting with numerous plot threads and pretty much all the rogues in all their glory.
Fortune favored this part of the fandom as DC announced it's developing a Batman: Hush animated film for a 2019 release. As expected, Batman will run the gauntlet of villains, and it's expected that the Bat Family and Catwoman will play a major part in the proceedings as well. Does anyone want to place a bet with us that this will become one of the best Batman animated films of all time?
Confirmed: Swamp Thing
We've heard murmurs that Swamp Thing would be a part of the Justice League Dark film; however, that production seems doomed by all accounts. So, when news broke that DC Universe would feature a live-action Swamp Thing TV series, it piqued our curiosity in all the right ways.
Swamp Thing showrunner Mark Verheiden chatted to Discussing Film about the series: "We're all incredibly excited to be working on this, on this platform which is a new streaming platform that enables us to do shows that have a more adult edge, that can embrace the horror that Swamp Thing has as well as the emotionality." Let's hope this allowance for more mature storytelling ultimately benefits the show.
Possibility: Nightwing
Can you believe that it's been 20 years since we last saw Dick Grayson in a live-action film? Unfortunately, it was Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin, which obviously did the character no favors. Still, if Batman can be given a second chance, so too can the former Boy Wonder, right?
A while ago, Warner Bros. revealed that a Nightwing movie was part of its ever-growing superhero slate.
The Lego Movie's Chris McKay was even attached as the director. However, news on the film has gone quiet and McKay has quietly boarded other productions. Unfortunately, it looks like we might have to wait some time for that Nightwing film. At least we can get our Grayson fix on Titans for now.
Confirmed: Batwoman
Many expected Batman to appear in The CW's Arrowverse. Instead, Greg Berlanti and friends surprised us by introducing Batwoman into this universe. Fans were even more shocked when it was announced that Ruby Rose would be playing the heroine.
While appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Rose discussed what the role means to her. "It's a game-changer. I found out an hour before I did the premiere for The Meg and I was so nervous doing the red carpet so I basically skipped everybody because I kept spontaneously crying," she said. "I feel like the reason I got so emotional is that growing up, watching TV, I never saw someone on TV that I could identify with, let alone a superhero, you know?"
Confirmed: Harley Quinn
The launch of the DC Universe streaming app has brought a host of new opportunities for DC. One of the first productions announced was the Harley Quinn animated series, which is due to air in 2019. At first, there were murmurs that Margot Robbie would reprise her iconic role for the show, but Kaley Cuoco was unveiled as the actress taking the title role instead.
Described as an adult action-comedy series, the show will follow Harley as she tries to break things off with the Joker and branch out on her own as a criminal in Gotham City.
The voice cast will include the likes of Alan Tudyk, Lake Bell, Giancarlo Esposito, Jason Alexander, and Wanda Sykes.
Possibility: Lobo
There's definitely a version of Lobo coming to our screens soon, as Emmett J. Scanlan has been confirmed to star as the Main Man in the second season of Krypton. Whether a live-action film will actually happen is still up in the air, though there have been some interesting developments as of late.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. is ready to pull the trigger on Lobo, setting aside a hefty $200 million for the film. And who's the director earmarked for this project? Michael Bay, of course. The report does state that no official negotiations have begun, and it's all just talk at the moment. Undoubtedly, the pairing of Bay with this project will set the internet into a frenzy.
Confirmed: Suicide Squad 2
After the financial success of 2016's Suicide Squad, it was a no-brainer that we'd be getting a sequel. The studio first announced that David Ayer would be back in the director's chair, but he ended up departing the project. Then Gavin O'Connor was announced as writer and director in September 2017; however, he also left the production.
Earlier this month, a report broke that Guardians of the Galaxy director, James Gunn, had signed up to write and direct Suicide Squad 2.
Io9 reached out to Warner Bros. and it confirmed that Gunn is in discussions to write and possibly direct as well. Reportedly, the film will be a soft reboot with a host of new villains.
Confirmed: Doom Patrol
Who would've thought that we'd be getting a Doom Patrol TV series? Heck, even the news that this popular team would appear on Titans was good enough for many fans, but a whole show? This is like a dream come true!
The best part is that the cast is made up of some major heavyweights, such as Matt Bomer, Timothy Dalton, and Brendan Fraser. Speaking to CBR, Geoff Johns said, "I never thought I'd be lucky enough to be part of the casting process. [Doom Patrol is] different, it's quirky. It's sweet, it's got a heart to it. It's really similar to Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol." Similar to Morrison's run? Okay, take our money!
Possibility: Gotham City Sirens
A few years ago, no one would've thought we'd get a Birds of Prey movie before Gotham City Sirens. After all the teases on Twitter, it appeared as if David Ayer would helm this villainous team-up project, with Geneva Dworet-Robertson penning the script.
The shake-up at Warner Bros. seems to have pushed this movie down the priority list in favor of others, though.
Rumor has it that the main plot for Ayer's Gotham City Sirens was repurposed for Birds of Prey, including the main villain Black Mask. Whether we ever see Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn in a movie together remains a wait-and-see scenario. Look, not all is lost, but it's a little unclear right now.
Confirmed: Justice League Vs. The Fatal Five
While the live-action universe is experiencing a tumultuous period of transition, DC's animated film division continues to flourish and pump out the quality. At the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that a DC Universe Original Movie titled Justice League vs. The Fatal Five would be released in 2019. It's an interesting match-up since the Fatal Five are seen largely as antagonists for the Legion of Super-Heroes, and not necessarily the Justice League.
Considering the Legion hasn't been introduced in this film universe, perhaps this could be a way of fast-tracking the team's arrival and setting up a future project. There's only one way of finding out, though: You'll just have to watch the movie next year.
Confirmed: Blackhawk
Blackhawk might not have the same panache as the likes of Superman and Batman, but the character was a household name in the '40s. The comic books used to outsell other superheroes – bar the Man of Steel – and were immensely popular. Even so, it was quite the shock when a Blackhawk film was announced, with Steven Spielberg's name attached as the director for the project.
Warner Bros. Pictures Group Chairman Toby Emmerich said of the film: "We are so proud to be the studio behind Steven Spielberg's latest hit [Ready Player One], and are thrilled to be working with him again on this new action adventure. We can't wait to see what new ground he will break in introducing Blackhawk to movie audiences worldwide."
Possibility: Secret Six
We must admit that the news of a Secret Six TV series caught us by surprise. Especially since the team is largely known for its villainous iteration and shares many similarities with the Suicide Squad. Additionally, it's been optioned by CBS and not the DC Universe streaming app? Rather strange, if you ask us.
According to Variety, Rick Muirragui is set to write and executive produce the program, while Jeff Ingold and Bill Lawrence executive produce via Doozer Productions.
Warner Bros. Television will also produce. The question is, does anyone want a Secret Six TV show on CBS? Chances are it'll go down the same route as Supergirl and find a home on another network after some time.
Confirmed: The Batman
Phew! The Batman is probably the most hotly debated film on this list. Ever since Ben Affleck left the director's chair and Matt Reeves climbed onboard, it's become a never-ending guessing game of what's going on with this movie. Will it be set in the same universe as Affleck's Batman or will Affleck even be involved at this point?
Despite the lack of news on any developments, Reeves still maintains that he's working on it. This is a wise move on his and Warner Bros.' part since any mention of this movie sends the internet into a meltdown. It's already a high-profile film as it is, so it doesn't need any further noise to destabilize the creative process.
Confirmed: Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps has been in the pipeline for some time now. After the infamous Justice League fallout, though, many wondered if this film would ever see the light of day. Even more so because 2011's Green Lantern didn't do too much to convince Warner Bros. that this is an IP worth pursuing.
In June 2018 it was confirmed that Geoff Johns will penning a new script for the film. Chatting to Collider, Johns said, "Right now, I'm just writing a script and hopefully this script gets into a place where Warner Bros. and Walter [Hamada] and everybody is really excited about it, and when we get that right then we'll move ahead on the project. But we gotta get it right."
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Which other DC projects are you excited for? Sound off in the comments section!