The DCEU has a new superhero movie in production: Hourman. On March 18, the same day Zack Synder’s Justice League released on HBO Max, Warner Bros. announced an upcoming Hourman movie, making it the latest feature film to be added to the growing list of DC Extended Universe movies in development, joining titles such as James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and Angel Manuel Soto’s Blue Beetle.
Much of DC’s movie lineup is slated for future releases; The Suicide Squad is the only upcoming film a 2021 release date. Fans shouldn’t be discouraged by the small number of 2021 releases, however: DC has seven feature films releasing over the next two years, including sequels to Shazam! and Aquaman, as well as many more films in various stages of development as the DCEU continues to grow.
Hourman will introduce the titular Golden Age hero to the big screen for the first time, joining other films like Blue Beetle that will introduce new characters and expand the DCEU. Here’s everything we know about DC’s Hourman including cast, story details, and release dates.
Warner Bros. Have Wanted Hourman For Some Time
The new announcement is not the first time Warner Bros. has tried to create a property around the character. In 2013, they developed a CW show for Hourman that would have seen him join the Arrowverse alongside the Flash, but the show never got off the ground. This did not stop Warner Bros. from getting the character into DC TV shows, however, as Hourman has been in both Stargirl and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. These were different versions of the character within the Arrowverse multiverse, but each still had a memorable role. This suggests that Warner Bros. is dedicated to getting Hourman onto screens — and that the character has a lot to offer the DCEU.
Hourman Story Details
Hourman was introduced in Adventure Comics #48 in the 1940s. Hourman is the superhero alias of Rex Tyler, a chemist who accidentally developed a drug called Miraclo that granted him superpowers for exactly one hour after consumption. Rex Tyler was a founding member of the Justice Society of America, and often struggled with balancing his responsibilities as a hero and as a father to his son, Rick Tyler, who would eventually take up the mantle of Hourman himself. There was also a robotic take on the character, the android Matthew Tyler from far in the future. The Hourman feature will likely focus on Rex Tyler, given his importance to the hero’s powers and the precedent set by his previous on-screen iterations being versions of Rex.
Hourman Cast & Crew Details
The only names currently attached to Hourman are the writing duo of Gavin James and Neil Widener. The pair’s past works have included the script for Now You See Me 3 and the film adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel Micro. This is not the first time the writing team has worked with Warner Bros. as they were previously hired to write the Hot Wheels screenplay.
Hourman Release Date Details
No official release date has been announced for Hourman yet. Given the release dates of future DC films, it’s unlikely the movie will come out in the next two years. The only DCEU film slated for a 2023 release is Shazam! Fury of the Gods, so it’s possible the film may come out in late 2023, but 2024 is a more likely option.
