The DCEU has been on a winning streak since last year with its successes with Zack Snyder's Justice League, The Suicide Squad, and most recently, Peacemaker. As Warner Bros. expands the DCEU this year and next year, a ton of new characters are set to join.
Warner originally introduced the top characters from DC Comics but now they've become more confident in adapting lesser-known properties. The future of DC in film is very bright and there's a lot to get excited for.
Unknown Goddess (Rachel Zegler)
Appearing as the youngest of the goddess sisters in Shazam: Fury of the Gods is Rachel Zegler. Much of her role is being kept under wraps but after her breakout performance in last year's West Side Story, there's a lot of excitement for her.
Based on set photos and footage revealed so far, it seems Zegler's character will be close to Jack Dylan Grazer's Freddy Freeman. Zegler also recently revealed, via CBR, that she had filmed with Gal Gadot previously to Disney's upcoming Snow White remake, fuelling rumors of a possible appearance from Wonder Woman in the film.
Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan)
Many have drawn comparisons to Marvel's Doctor Strange with this character but the truth is, Doctor Fate came first. Introduced in 1940 during the Golden Age of Comics, Doctor Fate was one of the founding members of the Justice Society of America, the superhero organization that preceded the more well-known Justice League.
A master in sorcery, Doctor Fate was gifted with powers after being trained by the ancient Mesopotamian being, Nabu. Doctor Fate is set to be introduced in the DCEU in this year's Black Adam, portrayed by the great Pierce Brosnan, who will undoubtedly deliver a great performance.
Alysia Yeoh (Ivory Aquino)
Alysia Yeoh made headlines at the time of her first appearance in 2011, for being the first major transgender character to appear in comics. She initially appears as Barbara Gordon's first roommate and the two get on very well. After Barbara reveals her Batgirl identity, Alysia also reveals that she is transgender, which Barbara accepts with love and compassion.
Alysia Yeoh will make her debut in the DCEU later this year in Batgirl, portrayed by transgender actress Ivory Aquino. It's absolutely fantastic to see this kind of representation in superhero films, further proving that people of any race, creed, or sexuality can appear in big films.
Firefly (Brendan Fraser)
After appearing in the DC show Doom Patrol, Brendan Fraser is set to take on yet another role from the DC Universe. This time being Firefly in Batgirl. Usually portrayed as an insane pyromaniac, Firefly was originally introduced in 1952 as a special-effects artist who used illusions to commit robberies. Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths event which rebooted the mainline DC Universe, Firefly was changed to become a sadistic fire-loving arsonist, due to previous similarities with Marvel's Mysterio.
A great actor in his own right, it's very refreshing to see Brendan Fraser back in a major role in a tentpole film. He's had a knack for playing zany characters in the past. His performance in Monkeybone undeniably showed his wilder side, which will work really well with Firefly.
Hawkman (Aldis Hodge)
Hawkman is easily one of the most iconic characters from the DC world. The character of Hawkman has had quite an interesting origin over the years. The most well-known one is Carter Hall, a modern-day archaeologist who was the reincarnation of the Egyptian prince Khufu. However, there was also the Silver Age Hawkman known as Katar Hol, an alien part of the "Hawk-Police" but nobody really talks about him.
Aided by his magical Nth metal, Hall has the ability to fly and also gains enhanced eyesight and strength. Aldis Hodge will be playing Hawkman in Black Adam this fall. Hodge is a very talented actor and he will bring a lot of fun to the film, so there's hope Hawkman can stick around in the DCEU and join the Justice League in the future.
Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell)
Introduced in 2006, Cyclone is a relatively recent character from the comics. Created by Geoff Johns, Maxine Hunkel is extremely smart and studies at Harvard. Her overly extroverted and know-it-all personality have often made others stay away from her which made her develop some social anxiety, something many can relate to.
Cyclone is set to appear alongside Doctor Fate and the Justice Society in the much anticipated Black Adam where Quintessa Swindell will portray her. One can only hope her social dilemma will be adapted as it can make the character very vulnerable and a relatable one for younger audiences.
Batgirl (Leslie Grace)
An absolutely iconic character, Batgirl is someone DC fans have been demanding a film for, for some time. Leslie Grace is set to star in the film, following her standout role in In the Heights. Barbara Gordon has always been an interesting character tied to Batman but she works just as well on her own.
Grace is also joined by J.K. Simmons who will reprise his role as Commissioner Gordon. The dynamic between the two Gordons is something to look forward to as he deals with the repercussions of her crimefighting. Batgirl is such an important character in DC so it's really thrilling to finally see the Bat-family come to fruition in the DCEU.
Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson)
The Rock's casting as Shazam's arch-nemesis predates the entire MCU, as it was first announced in 2007, per SlashFilm. Things behind the scenes changed and Black Adam's appearance in Shazam! shifted to him first appearing in his own solo film. Fast-forward several years later and now fans will finally see Johnson play the role.
Seeing The Rock play a villain/anti-hero is an exciting prospect as he has only really played "good characters" throughout the duration of his career. Johnson has also expressed a ton of interest in potentially fighting Henry Cavill's Superman in a future film.
Nightwing (Dylan O'Brien)
Easily one of the most popular DCEU Robin fan-castings, Dylan O'Brien is set to play the coveted role of Dick Grayson/Nightwing in the DCEU. Reliable scooper and writer for The GWW, KC Walsh revealed that Dylan O'Brien had indeed been cast in Batgirl, also backing up industry insider MyTimeToShineHello.
The inclusion of Nightwing in the DCEU raises a lot of eyebrows as Dick Grayson was confirmed to be the dead Robin from Batman v Superman. A safe guess is that he was the Robin of Michael Keaton's Batman which can be evidenced by set photos of a mural featuring Michael Keaton and a young Robin. Regardless, having O'Brien as Nightwing is a dream come true for many.
Batman (Michael Keaton)
Originally set to appear in The Flash this year, delays and reshoots changed those plans and now The Flash is set for a Spring 2023 release. Luckily, Batgirl has maintained its 2022 release so fans will be overjoyed knowing they will see Keaton return later this year.
The Burton Batman series is so great and to have Keaton don the batsuit once again is just magical. He is set to have a mentor-like presence in the DCEU going forward with Batgirl being his first appearance. Whatever multiverse shenanigans happened to have him enter this universe will probably be saved for The Flash but fans won't have to wait long to see Batman team up with Batgirl against Firefly.