James Gunn Announces New DC Universe Roster: Superman Legacy, Lanterns, The Batman Sequel, and More

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has announced the first chapter of their long-term plans for the revamped DC Universe (DCU), via a roadmap. Dubbed “Gods and Monsters,” the plan for the next 8-10 years was crafted by Gunn with co-CEO Peter Safran, and will connect storylines across film, TV, games and animation. “Let the characters be cohesive, played by the same actors, and it works in one story,” Gunn said in the presentation, after reiterating how disconnected and messy the old DC Extended Universe (DCEU) was. The announcement welcomed several well-known IPs, in addition to introducing new arcs, such as those for Creature Commandos and Booster Gold.

Batman: Part Two

Matt Reeves’ The Batman and its associated universe have been marked as safe by parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, which previously considered it a “quality product”. Now, it looks like the reported meeting between the director and Gunn went well, with the latter confirming that they’re incorporating DC Comics’ Elseworlds strategy to single out stories that don’t tie into the main DCU canon. The same goes for Todd Phillips Joker and Teen Titans GO! Even the Colin Farrell-directed Penguin spin-off series will be treated as such since it’s part of the BatVerse. Robert Pattinson will return in the sequel, which is now officially titled “The Batman: Part II,” and is slated for release on October 3, 2025.

Superman: Legacy

Billed as the “true beginning of the DCU”, Superman: Legacy is the next live-action take on the Kryptonian superhero, written by Gunn himself. As previously stated, the script will focus on a younger version of the Man of Steel, although “It’s not an origin story. Gunn also touched on Henry Cavill’s role in the situation, whose the return as Superman was canceled, in favor of their updated plans for the DCU “It’s also important to say that Henry Cavill was not fired,” Gunn said during the conference. press (via IGN) “Henry just wasn’t hired to be Superman in the Superman movie. There was never a deal for another movie.”

Cavill’s announcement on Instagram and reports mentioning a Man of Steel sequel had many thinking he was back to don the cape once more. However, Gunn’s latest comments suggest things were never official. “I love Henry, I think he’s a great guy,” Gunn said during the presentation (via The Hollywood Reporter). “I think he’s being fooled by a lot of people, including the old regime of this company. But this Superman isn’t Henry, for a number of reasons. Superman: Legacy is slated for a July 11, 2025 release. .

the flash, Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

This bit is probably the most confusing part of the whole roadmap. Gunn claimed that the group led by Ezra Miller the flash The film will serve as a reset point for the DC Universe, drawing inspiration from the Flashpoint storyline, which finds the Scarlet Speedster bringing unexpected results to its timeline. However, he suggested that Shazam! Fury of the Gods – which received a new trailer last week – connects “directly” to the flash. It’s unclear if this would be the last we see of Shazam!, given that the filmmaker-executive also scrapped a Black Adam sequel. Shazam! 2 theatrical releases on March 17, followed by the flash June 16. With the latter serving as a reset moment, it will be interesting to see how this story unfolds.

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Then in August, blue beetle breaks new ground in the DC Universe, featuring the franchise’s first film featuring a Hispanic actor. It will then be followed by Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom on Christmas Day, which also stars Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne – both of which were part of the old Snyderverse Regime. It looks like even if the movie comes out on schedule, it will come back at the timeline reset event in the flash. This could lead to even more confusion since star Jason Momoa confirmed last month that he will always be Aquaman and that no one will replace him. Does Gunn plan to use it in the new DCU continuity? Only time will tell.

That said, Gunn seemed quite certain when addressing the status of two main cast members of the DCEU – Affleck and Cavill – noting that they “are not part of this universe.” The former, however, is in talks with the studio to do a DC project.

Commandos Creatures

The fairly unheard-of Creature Commandos are among the first projects fans can expect to see from the revamped DC Universe. Written by Gunn himself, the animated series will tie directly into the live-action universe, with characters moving in and out of mediums – “usually having the same actor playing their voice as the one playing them in live-action” . This is similar to what the Marvel Cinematic Universe is doing with What If…?. Gunn also revealed the seven main characters to expect from the original comic book series – Rick Flag Sr., Nina Mazursky, Dr. Phosphorus, Eric Frankenstein, GI Robot and Weasel. The anthropomorphic weasel was previously seen in The Suicide Squad movie and was voiced by Sean Gunn. At this point, it is unclear if he will reprise the role.

Waller

Less than a week after the Doom Patrol series was canceled, creator Jeremy Carver has found a new gig in Waller. As its name suggests, the series will trace the story of the ruthless director of Task Force X, Amanda Waller, with Viola Davis returning to play the role, which has now established itself as a recurring canon role in the projects. from DC. “Viola Davis will be teaming up with members of Team Peacemaker,” Gunn said, adding that Carver will be teaming up with Christal Henry (watchmen) to design the series.

Lanterns

As previously reported, HBO Max’s long-gestating Green Lantern series will focus on the two most beloved John Stewart and Hal Jordan versions of the character. Lanterns was greenlit as part of a creative overhaul, which saw writer Seth Grahame-Smith step down from the project, after writing a full eight-episode season featuring openly gay Green member Guy Gardner. Lantern. This new project has a whole new story, which Gunn compares to True Detective, “with a few Green Lanterns who are space cops who watch the Earth compound.” He added, “in it, they uncover a terrifying mystery that ties into our larger DCU story.”

Authority

A “passion project” of Gunn, The Authority is based on characters from the Wildstorm imprint and will interact with main DCU characters. They’re basically made up of a team of superheroes who are obsessed with saving the planet, as long as they’re willing to cross moral lines, with ideologies often mirroring that of a villain. “I think it’s a very different take on superheroes,” Gunn added.

lost paradise

Set in Themyscira, the island nation where the Amazonians live, Paradise Lost is a planned television series that will serve as the origin story for the location. Inhabited and ruled only by women, the show will focus on “drama and political intrigue, exploring the established rules and lore behind the banishment of all men from the land.” “It’s almost like Game of Thrones with Westeros, but with everyone on Paradise Island,” Gunn said during the presentation.

The brave and the daring

Based on writer Grant Morrison’s incredible comic book series, The Brave and the Bold will feature DCU’s Batman. There’s no word yet on casting details, but it will feature the Dark Knight’s biological son, Damien Wayne, as Robin. Born as a highly skilled assassin under the supervision of nemesis Ra’s al Ghul, it is now up to Bruce Wayne to channel his inner parent and bring the unstable child into line. This will also serve as the beginning of the Bat-Family in the DC Universe.

gold booster

Cult favorite superhero Booster Gold is getting a TV series adaptation on HBO Max. For the uninitiated, it follows a fame-seeking showboat loser from the future, who time-travels and uses cutting-edge technology to stage high-profile stunts and become a superhero. Having foreknowledge of historical events, he manages to plan his course of action and win the hearts of many, though his reputation is quickly tarnished. In the comics, he’s seen quite often with Blue Beetle, so maybe we’ll see him interact with the Xolo Maridueña character from the aforementioned film.

Supergirl: the woman of tomorrow

Based on Tom King’s version of the character, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is described as an epic sci-fi film that will explore a unique and jaded version of Kara Zor-El. Everyone knows his cousin Kal-El, who was raised by loving parents as Clark Kent, eventually becoming a beacon of hope for Metropolis. Kara, however, grew up on a floating piece of Krypton hurtling down the galaxy somewhere, having seen people around her die horribly.

Swamp Thing

DC is heading down the horror trajectory with its next film Swamp Thing, which, while tonally different, will still “fuel” the remaining DCU. Very little is known about this movie, but it will focus on the beloved character’s origin story.