Warner Bros. has been making headlines left, right, and center, and not for the most positive reasons, as the studio has been canceling so many exciting-sounding projects, and it most recently canceled DC FanDome. These cancelations come following David Zaslav taking over as the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, and he has not been liberally ending several projects.
Some of the canceled projects were even already completed, which isn't a great look, and it has led to fans wondering what actually is and isn't canceled. On top of that, the cancelations are overshadowing many great upcoming DC projects that aren't canceled, and there are still tons of DC movies and other films based on huge IPs to look forward to.
The Batman 2
The Batman is one of the highest-grossing superhero movies of the 2020s, and while that might be expected given that Batman is one of the most popular superheroes ever, a lot was actually holding the film back from being a success. The movie is much darker than audiences are used to and it's certainly not suitable for younger children. It's almost three hours long, which means fewer showings per day, and that leads to fewer ticket sales. And while Robert Pattinson made a great Bruce Wayne, not everyone was on board with the "guy from Twilight" playing the Caped Crusader.
Despite the odds stacked against it, the film was a huge hit, making $770 million worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo), and it'd be ludicrous to cancel a sequel. However, The Batman 2 hasn't officially been greenlit by Warner Bros. yet, which has worried some fans. But fans can relax, as writer-director Matt Reeves gave a positive update, noting that the sequel is in development and he is currently writing its screenplay.
Blue Beetle
Though fans might think there's nothing to worry about when it comes to completed Warner Bros. movies that are waiting to be released, even movies that have wrapped principal photography aren't safe from Zaslav. The CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery canned Batgirl after the movie was almost 100% complete, as it was currently in post-production when the decision was made.
However, Warner Bros. must have way more faith in Blue Beetle, a movie that was in the same boat as Batgirl. Blue Beetle is important to the DCEU's future and was originally planned to be an HBO Max exclusive movie, just like the canceled film, but it was given a theatrical release. It was confirmed that Blue Beetle is safe following the Batgirl cancelation and it's still on track for its 2023 release date.
Shazam! Fury Of The Gods
Shazam! had relatively modest success at the box office, making $366 million worldwide (Box Office Mojo), but that isn't much compared to Justice League and Batman v. Superman's numbers. But as it's one of the most accomplished DCEU movies, word has spread about the film, and interest in the character has only grown since its release.
The upcoming sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods is definitely safe and has a release date locked in. However, though it hasn't been axed, it has been delayed by four months. Fury of the Gods was originally planned to be released at the same time as Avatar: The Way of Water, but it was moved out of fear that the fantasy sci-fi movie will dominate for months to come.
Evil Dead Rise
Though Warner Bros. is putting most of its effort into DC movies, it still has many other properties with projects in development and production. Evil Dead Rise is one of those projects, which is in the final stages of pre-production. Warner Bros. has always been great at delivering big-budget horror flicks that are equally cinematic and terrifying, such as It and It Chapter 2, so the studio will have likely taken the same approach to the new Evil Dead movie.
Where projects are seemingly being canceled for their low quality and direct-to-streaming feel to them, Evil Dead Rise is part of a beloved franchise and promises to be a return to the series' roots. And like Blue Beetle, though it was originally intended to be an HBO Max exclusive, Evil Dead Rise is now getting a theatrical release and it has gotten glowing receptions from test screenings. The talk about the upcoming horror film is nothing but overwhelmingly positive.
The Flash
While Batgirl cost $90 million to make (according to Vanity Fair), which is relatively low when it comes to superhero movies, and wasn't going to make any money at the box office due to being an HBO Max exclusive, making it a tax write-off made sense. The Flash, on the other hand, was a huge production that cost $200 million (according to Deadline) and has the potential to be a billion-dollar movie, especially as it marks the return of several Batmen. However, there's an asterisk next to that earning potential.
As it stands, The Flash isn't canceled, but Warner Bros. execs surely can't wait for the superhero movie to be behind them, as so much drama has surrounded it due to lead actor Ezra Miller's controversial behavior. What has been reported about the actor in recent months has no doubt tarnished how much the movie could make, as some fans refuse to support it.
Wonka
Many wish Warner Bros. canceled 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a tax write-off, as audiences thought it tarnished the legacy of the 1971 original. However, it seems like the iconic chocolatier is becoming like the Joker where each portrayal of the character is completely different from the last, as Timothée Chalamet will be playing Willy Wonka in 2023's origin movie, Wonka.
With Chalamet in the lead role, there's no way Warner Bros. would ever think of canceling the movie, as the actor is one of the most bankable stars working in Hollywood right now. Between the cast, the well-known IP, and the fact that it's a four-quadrant movie that appeals to families, there's no way Wonka can fail unless it gets the worst reception possible. And even then, that didn't keep the 2005 movie from becoming a hit.
Dune: Part 2
Studios often try to build strong relationships with bankable actors so they continue to work together, and that's no clearer than Warner Bros.'s relationship with Chalamet. The actor will be the lead actor in the studio's two biggest non-DC 2023 movies. Along with Wonka, Chalamet will star in Dune: Part 2.
Not only is Dune: Part 2 not getting canceled, but it was clearly planned to be made before the first film was even released, as the first movie's opening states "Part One." Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the first Dune feels like old-school Warner Bros. as it has a star-studded cast and a clear auteur's vision, and the studio often worked with visionary filmmakers in the 20th century. And it's that kind of sensibility that Zaslav is seemingly trying to gravitate the studio back to.
The Penguin Series
As Peacemaker got his own HBO Max series after The Suicide Squad, that has seemingly become Warner Bros.' modus operandi. The Batman's Penguin (Colin Farrell) will get his own HBO show too. The Penguin stole the show whenever he was on screen in the new movie, and Farrell was unrecognizable as the owner of The Iceberg Lounge.
There was clearly so much backstory to the character, and a gritty Sopranos-like series set in Reeves' grimy Gotham is the most exciting and most HBO-sounding series ever. Thankfully, the studio is still going forward with the untitled series. Not only that, but another HBO spin-off of The Batman, an Arkham series, was in development too, which also hasn't been canceled according to Reeves.
Furiosa
Furiosa was the MVP of Mad Max: Fury Road, and writer-director George Miller is planning on delving deeper into the character's history with a spin-off movie starring Anya Taylor-Joy. The movie hasn't been canceled and is scheduled for release in 2024, but a lot of fans questioned whether or not it would ever see the light of day.
The upcoming movie has been in development for such a long time, as the screenplay was even written before Fury Road had been shot. And a Mad Max prequel is in the works with the studio too, but that's a lot further away than Furiosa. Given how it has already been seven years since Fury Road, it'll probably be a while until there's more news on the film.
Joker: Folie À Deux
Though Joker was very much a standalone movie and was made with the intention of it being a one-and-done film, its phenomenal success changed the course of movie history. The 2019 release made over a billion dollars worldwide, which is even more impressive considering it had a budget of less than Batgirl's.
That success all but guaranteed a sequel, and it's now well into development with a completed script and two huge actors attached to star. Joaquin Phoenix will return and Lady Gaga has joined the cast too, as she'll be playing Harley Quinn. Oddly enough, it'll be a musical too.