Heroic Hollywood’s Guide To The Future Of The DC Extended Universe

The saga of newly-monikered DC Films and Marvel Studios is really “the tale of two Kevins.” There is perhaps no better point of reference for the different approaches between the two than October 2014, when each company’s head honcho announced an epic slate of superhero movies, in signature fashion.

Marvel had Kevin Feige play as Steve Jobs for a piece of theater that revealed the Phase 3 films and ended with the double unveiling of Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther and Captain America: Civil War. DC, on the other hand, had Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara announce a bunch of titles at a corporate shareholders meeting*.

Hollywood is ruled by fear of course, but that fear is especially evident in the DC films, each recoiling from the last as it remains unsure of its own identity or, indeed, its own audience (while also doubling-down on the process that made the errors). Superman Returns’ criticism begat Man of Steel, the criticism of which begat Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the criticism of which is shaping Justice League etc. It is not a positive feedback loop and this public perception, or “narrative,” is now threatening to define the DCEU.

People use narratives to make sense of things; it’s why we love films in the first place. And in 2016, DC has reinforced the narrative that they don’t know what they’re doing. Both Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad, despite the pre-release hype from both fans and critics, fell victim to that same narrative, reinforced by the bro-ish auteur styles of Snyder and Ayer, plus the studio’s slaughterhouse of an editing suite.

The irony is that these boys need a girl to clean up the mess.

Enter Wonder Woman – which almost fell into the same narrative last week after an anonymous open letter by an alleged former Warner Bros. employee was published that called the film “a mess.” Director Patty Jenkins delivered forceful pushback and while it’s worth noting Ayer did the same when responding to the (truthful) reports of WB adding more humor to Suicide Squad, this situation is fundamentally different.

It’s particularly egregious because my reporting for this article gave me the hope and optimism Geoff Johns wants to bring to the universe, as I realized how close the DCEU is to getting out of its narrative rut. Between films already announced and the unoccupied release dates of October 5, 2018 and November 1, 2019, DC Films seems to be aiming for three films a year (achieved in half-the-time – and half-the-quality – compared to Marvel). There are 14 projects in the pipeline, ranging from post-production to the dollar signs in the WB execs’ eyes. Let’s take a look at each, with the most up-to-date info possible, to get a sense for where the DCEU is and where it is going next.

2017

  • Wonder Woman (dir. Patty Jenkins)
  • June 2, 2017
  • Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Ewen Bremner, Said Taghmoui, Lucy Davis, Elena Anaya

With all this “narrative” stuff swirling, where does that leave Wonder Woman? Should we be optimistic? Well, anytime we have comic book or DC movie questions, we turn to our Heroic Hollywood founder El Mayimbe for his knowledge and expertise. According to him, the difference between the first three DCEU films and this one is down to one man – Geoff Johns.

“The Geoff Johns era begins with Wonder Woman,” he told The Daily Beast’s Jen Yamato. “They’ve got their Feige. According to my sources, Patty Jenkins asked him to come aboard and help write the screenplay. He’s got his fingerprints all over Wonder Woman, all over Justice League. He’s going to be the savior; the golden boy.”

The anonymous “open letter” nonsense isn’t coming from any reputable sources; in fact, the opposite is being reported by those in-the-know. I expect Wonder Woman to be a soft “reset”for the ongoing narrative we’ve talked about (Oh, they can make competent movies!), paving the way for the next film, the first to really do the DCEU justice . . .

  • Justice League (dir. Zack Snyder)
  • November 17, 2017
  • Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, J.K. Simmons, Willem Dafoe, Amber Heard

The big kahuna. The live-action debut of the flagship DC superteam would be grand no matter what, but given the stumbles of the DCEU, a lot of pressure and responsibility are on Zack Snyder and his collaborators to get it right. As Umberto has said, hope, optimism and especially redemption are a big deal for the film inside and out, as Batman seeks to atone for his amorality in Batman v Superman and the filmmakers seek the same for the negative narrative around their fledgling “shared” universe.

Thankfully, there’s a lot to be hopeful and optimistic about as Snyder & co. pursue redemption. The May set visit, the promotions of Affleck and Johns and news of a simplified story concerning the Mother Boxes, the ancient war between Man, Atlanteans and Amazonians vs. Darkseid and Batman’s JL recruitment drive. The biggest weakness the film has from afar is its villain Steppenwolf, who remains stubbornly uncast even with shooting almost finished. The situation recalls Guardians of the Galaxy where Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper were not cast as the voices of CGI characters of Groot and Rocket Raccoon until post-production. Most films but especially comic book and superhero fare are reliant on the villain for its plot and stakes so I sincerely hope Justice League gets one worthy of their first live-action assembly.

2018

  • The Flash (dir. Rick Famuyiwa)
  • TBA 2018
  • Ezra Miller, Kiersey Clemons

While Aquaman may actually benefit from the low expectations for the character, The Flash might suffer from the opposite issue: living up to The CW’s popular “The Flash” series. But, like Aquaman, there’s a talented director and a gifted star at the foundation, which is as good a reason as any to be optimistic about the speedster’s solo flick.

It’s March 16, 2018, release date was hijacked by the Alicia Vikander-led The Tomb Raider, so it is currently unscheduled. With a treatment from Phil Lord & Chris Miller and a script by Seth Grahame-Smith, casting is underway (Kiersey Clemons will play Iris West) and production is set to kick off as soon as this fall/winter. That means a spring 2018 release is still likely though, like Aquaman’s date, it remains fluid. As for the story, cast breakdowns reported by Umberto made it seem as if the film would adapt the broad strokes of the first season of “The Flash” with Reverse-Flash et all. But others have said there may be a team of villains and Cyborg may join.

  • Aquaman (dir. James Wan)
  • July 27, 2018
  • Jason Momoa, Amber Heard

My most anticipated DC film is Aquaman, thanks to the badass combination of Jason Momoa and James Wan. Firstly, I’m one of those guys who finds the ocean more interesting than space. Secondly, Wan has been a vocal spokesman for the project despite the narrative and rumors of his apprehension. And thirdly, not only is he one of the most promising genre directors of the moment, the lineup of an Asian director, a black director (Famuyiwa) and a female director (Jenkins) tackling big superhero solo films alongside distinguished directors like Affleck is a big reason I think the DCEU narrative has a powerful chance of changing (if WB stops shooting itself in the foot).

Last year, it was said the villain would be the Ocean Master, Aquaman’s half-brother with whom he warred over the Atlantean throne. However, no doubt realizing it was a carbon copy of Thor and Loki from the MCU, that changed with a post-BvS page-one rewrite by Will Beall. Umberto reported at TheWrap last week that the villain is now Black Manta. It’s also possible the Ocean Master character could be set up for a villainous descent in a sequel, much like how Doctor Strange seems to be setting up Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Baron Mordo.

2019

  • Shazam! (dir. TBA)
  • April 5, 2019
  • Dwayne Johnson

As one of the few men alive who looks and acts like a superhero, Dwayne Johnson has been promising such a role for years. He’s been linked to a Lobo film and as a possible Green Lantern but the role he’s been associated with for almost a decade is Black Adam, the archnemesis of Shazam (formerly Captain Marvel). Johnson liked the character’s ability to take on Superman. Recent years have seen Black Adam become more of a dark antihero than a straight-up villain, perfect for the likable and charismatic Johnson. He committed to the 2019 film in 2014.

Since it was set up at WB’s subsidiary New Line Cinema, it was never clear if Shazam! would indeed be a DCEU movie, (which now come out under DC Films), especially after the Vertigo titles were shuffled New Line. But quotes from Johnson’s producing partner/manager Dany Garcia from Newsweek last week say otherwise.

Shazam! is to live in the same world (as the other films), but we have incredible autonomy over this brand and franchise. We are working with a different team, different producers, directors…it’s a different set-up. We don’t feel fettered by, or constrained by, the successes or failures and challenges of the other projects. That was a key component to our participation—that we be able to control the tone and the voice, and do it the way we want to.”

“It needs to be of the world. You’ve got Justice LeagueWonder Woman with a different director, so you’re going to see different points of view. I think by the time we land with (Shazam!) we’ll fit nicely within the world that’s been created, but not such a shorthand relationship. (It’ll be) enough that people say, ‘Oh, this is within the family,’ but the culture will be a little different.”

Right, script drafts are being written/turned in with an exacting eye toward Black Adam, a morally ambiguous character they’re gladly taking their time with to get him just right. With so much attention paid to that character, you’d forget Johnson would ostensibly be the villain of the piece, leaving the hero, young Billy Batson aka Shazam, a question mark. Another question: do they use the same actor but CGI his face on a new body a la Captain America: The First Avenger? Or do they cast a teenager as Billy and an adult as Shazam? The former seems more plausible. There’s something cool about a puny kid leveling up to fight the Rock.

  • Justice League 2 (dir. Zack Snyder)
  • June 14, 2019
  • Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher

Formerly a Part 2, this sequel learned the same lesson the Avengers: Infinity War duology did and wisely got rid of the impression Justice League would be one film split in two. Audiences have accurately assessed two-parters as a moneymaking ploy that compromises good storytelling and want films that tell standalone stories with a beginning, middle and end (the fact that this has to be promised is proof of how far Hollywood filmmaking has sunk).

“No . . . We’re only ever planning and we are only doing Justice League, just Justice League. One movie,” Deb Snyder said during the Justice League set visit in May and afterward Geoff Johns confirmed the title of the film would forego any Part 1 or subtitle. Zack Snyder is still set to direct this sequel (supposedly) but you can bet that will change if Justice League gets anything close to the reception BvS did.

Justice League 2 will complete the Darkseid trilogy begun in Dawn of Justice. Snyder has previously teased that, like in the comics, the ruler of Apokolips is after the Anti-Life Equation. There’s a delicious irony that Darkseid, arguably the ultimate evil of the DC universe, will be beat to the screen by his Marvel knockoff Thanos. I have no doubts of how epic this film will be but I wonder if it and/or its villain isn’t hamstrung from the start by its uncanny similarity to its rival i.e. a square-faced alien aims to become all-powerful god via MacGuffin. At that point, it will really come down to the basics: are we invested in these characters on screen? Or are we invested in the comics the characters sprang from? It’s all the difference in the world.

2020

  • Cyborg (or Teen Titans?) (dir. TBA)
  • April 3, 2020
  • Ray Fisher

Of all the films initially announced as part of the DCEU, Cyborg was the most unlikely simply because how clear it was that it was a placeholder. Ray Fisher, for example, wasn’t even aware he’d get his own movie when he was cast for his (very) brief Batman v Superman cameo way back in April 2014.

Cyborg may be nothing more than a glimmer in a studio exec’s eye but while it remains abstract, the possibilities for it are limitless. One possibility I’ve thought of is it morphing into a Teen Titans film, riding the wave of super-team films and grabbing the YA audience. In a nice surprise, I found Umberto himself said as much on Collider Heroes last October (you don’t realize the scope of Mayimbe’s scooping skills until you write an article like this and discover almost every scoop can be traced back to him in some way) and JoBlo reported the same in November. I loved the animated show growing up and personally would be way more excited for a Titans adaptation than a Cyborg standalone.

  • Green Lantern Corps (dir. TBA)
  • July 24, 2020
  • TBA

To the chagrin of this Green Lantern fan, the DC space cop remains absent from Justice League (what was that “Unite the Seven” tease about? The seven seas? Lame). While there’s long been speculation he could pop up at the end, his likely debut would be in Justice League 2 to set up this reboot. To differentiate it from the much-derided 2011 film, it’s supposedly a buddy-cop film with multiple Green Lanterns. I grew up on the Justice League cartoon so all I want is John Stewart in my life, stat.

Despite the cosmic-implying title, Steven “Frosty” Weintraub said on Collider Heroes in March that the film would counterintuitively be set on Earth (it’s at 58:25 in the video here). Why, after the massive success of Guardians of the Galaxy, DC would sit on their own comic book space opera is baffling, though this report was prior to Johns’ leadership so hopefully it will change.

Just like Man of Steel 2 (more on that next) George Miller has been the only director bandied about thus far, basically saying that WB offered him his pick of upcoming DC Films. Miller is great enough to pull off pretty much anything, but between a Mad Max: Fury Road sequel and the “smaller” film he’s repeatedly said he wants to make before, I’m skeptical the 70 year-old can allocate the 2-3 years necessary to make this kind of blockbuster.

UNSCHEDULED:

  • The Batman (dir. Ben Affleck)
  • TBA 2018/2019
  • Ben Affleck, Jeremy Irons, J.K. Simmons, (rumor) Jared Leto

We all knew it but it had to get at least three confirmations: Ben Affleck will not only star in, but direct a solo Batman film, with the rumored, excellent title of The Batman. A script exists, though Affleck said he said he’s “not happy enough with it yet” to begin production, and made it clear that the film would determine the release date, not the other way around. It will presumably be Affleck’s focus once he wraps on Justice League and in between press for The Accountant and Live by Night, which means production could kick off sometime next year for a potential release as early as 2018.

Affleck and Geoff Johns also have “complete creative control” of the film. Rumors peg the film as the “ultimate Batman story,” set (at least partially) at Arkham Asylum which would allow the inclusion of “many, if not most” of Batman’s legendary rogues gallery (if Leto isn’t in it, I’ll eat my shoe). They are embracing the “in media res” approach to the DCEU (with both Superman, the character, and Man of Steel, the film, acting as entry points in-and-out of the universe).

  • Man of Steel 2 (dir. TBA)
  • TBA 2019/2020
  • Henry Cavill, (rumor) Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne

Speaking of the big guy, Umberto reported in TheWrap this week that a Man of Steel sequel was put back into active development, meaning they’re looking for creatives to actually produce Supes’ next solo flick. Batman v Superman usurped plans for a Superman trilogy, which was in the cards before Man of Steel relatively lackluster performance. Since then, we knew Warner Bros. said they were still making Man of Steel 2, but there was nothing other than rumors (like George Miller in the cards to direct, as he supposedly was for Green Lantern Corps) as the DCEU focused on expanding elsewhere.

But WB really wants to get Superman right after his divisive portrayal thus far. Many fans (including us) are clamoring for Brainiac as the villain (I hope they bring Eisenberg back too, because I’m a sucker for his overacting). There was even an old rumor Brainiac was going to be the villain of Justice League, a role eventually given to Steppenwolf. Perhaps he’s being saved for this flick? Umberto also confirmed the earliest we should expect another standalone Superman flick is 2019 or 2020 (personally, I think we’ll get Suicide Squad 2 in October 2018, The Batman in the November 2019 slot and Man of Steel 2 in summer 2020 but we’ll see).

  • Suicide Squad 2 (dir. David Ayer?)

Ah, Suicide Squad 2. Will it even get made? Until WB announces, all we can do is speculate. Back in March, before the news of reshoots, alternate cuts/deleted scenes and terrible reviews, Variety reported the desire for director David Ayer and star Will Smith to potentially film the sequel next year after they wrap the Max Landis-scripted fantasy/cop drama Bright for Netflix, saying “the hope is to get production rolling [on Bright] this year in order to get both Ayer and Smith ready for a “Suicide Squad” sequel shoot by 2017.”

Since Squad‘s release last weekend, there’s been no shortage of questions for the cast and filmmakers about the film and where it could go next. Right now, I think everyone including WB execs are either a) carefully crafting a sequel, having learned from the experience of the first or b) crapping their pants about making this whole circus again. The real test was long-said to be the film’s second weekend, where its legs would show. Or not, as it turned out, with a 67 percent drop. Now, Suicide Squad may have gone from franchise-starter to lone launching pad, and Squad 2 from certain to decidedly not.

  • Dark Universe aka Justice League Dark (dir. TBA)

Team-ups are all the rage. Lately, however, there’s been little word on this off-kilter film about DC’s magical (and occasionally monstrous) antiheroes. Originating in the nascent days of the DCEU, it was one of Guillermo del Toro’s many passion projects. He worked on the film throughout 2013 and 2014 but left in mid-2015 after the DC Vertigo titles (such as it and Sandman) were shuffled to New Line Cinema.

Despite del Toro’s departure, producer Scott Rudin and WB were supposedly looking to “move quickly” on the property for production this year. The report, via The Tracking Board, likened it to a magical Suicide Squad, who operate separate from the main superteam of the Justice League (akin to the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Avengers). They also said the script “involves a series of ancient tomes stolen by a madman hellbent on the destruction of humanity. When he learns of this, occult detective John Constantine seeks out a group of heroes that specialize in the mystic and arcane in order to save the world.”

A Latino Review follow up a month later included the studio’s wishlist casting: Colin Farrell as Constantine, Ewan McGregor as Jason Blood / Etrigan, Ron Perlman as Swamp Thing, Ben Mendelsohn as Anton Arcane, Monica Bellucci as Madame Xanadu, with a black or Latina actress and a comedian desired for Zatanna and Deadman, respectively. Given that none of these rumors have panned out isn’t a good sign for champions of the film, though a glimmer of hope exists in the form an animated Dark Universe announced last June.

  • Booster Gold (& Blue Beetle?) (dir. TBA)

Last September came word that Greg Berlanti, the mastermind behind The CW’s DC TV-verse, would helm a Booster Gold & Blue Beetle movie, described as a superhero buddy cop comedy. Some names were thrown around to write the script until Zack Stentz (of X-Men: First Class, Thor and ‘The Flash‘ fame) said in May he’d been hired to write it, though he referred to it as Booster Gold only. It was refreshing news in a gloomy post-BvS world and I said as much in a tweet about Stentz’s hire – a tweet he himself liked.

Like Shazam, this lighter, more comedic DC feature is operating under the radar, especially in terms of how (or even if) it will fit into the DCEU.

  • Harley Quinn/Birds of Prey spinoff (dir. TBA)

Of the many things wrong with Suicide Squad, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn was not one of them. It’s a nice reflection of both the actress’s enthusiasm and the warm response to her portrayal that the studio wants to put her front-and-center of their gestating Birds of Prey film, signing her to star and produce. The film aims to unite a variety of DC heroines, antiheroines and villainesses. An unknown female writer is currently at work on a script.

The adaptation was in the works prior, with Umberto reporting an all-female DC film on Collider Heroes last October and then rumors sparking last November that Black Canary would appear in Justice League to prime audiences on the character. Abbey Lee and Alona Tal were rumored for the role by LR but with Lee joining The Dark Tower, I think Tal is likely for the part, if it appears.

When Geoff Johns came aboard DC Films, I imagine he gave a speech much like Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight, “The night is darkest just before the dawn . . . and I promise you, the dawn is coming.”

Let’s hope Johns’ story ends better than Harvey’s. The good news? We have a lot of reasons to believe it will.

(*an earlier version of this post referred to this as a conference call. It has been corrected for accuracy)

Sam Flynn

Sam Flynn

Sam is a writer and journalist whose passion for pop culture burns with the fire of a thousand suns and at least three LED lamps.