The DC Extended Universe is finally giving Marvel a run for its moneyâsomething thatâs bound to increase now that James Gunn is running the show. The DCEUâs myriad projects stretch far beyond superhero mainstays Batman, Superman, and the Justice League, promising to include new and interesting takes on DC Comicsâ enormous stable of characters.
What follows is an up-to-date list of everything DCEU-related thatâs on the way: DC movies heading to theaters, as well as DC streaming movies and shows coming to Max.
Last updated 8/23/2023.
Whatâs the next DC Movie?
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Release date: December 20 (in theaters)
Director James Wan returns for the next adventure following Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) as the newly crowned King of Atlantis. Now in his new role, Arthur will explore more of the world under the sea while also dealing with new threats from Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and others. Like Shazam 2, Aquaman 2 has endured its share of release-date changes, with its new Christmas 2023 date designed to give Wan and company ample time to complete all the necessary special effects.
Upcoming DC Movie Release Dates
Joker: Folie Ă Deux
Release date: October 4, 2024 (in theaters)
Todd Phillips never saw his Joker movie as anything but a singular film. But over a billion dollars at the box office and an Oscar for Best Actor (for star Joaquin Phoenix) obviously changed things. We have a few nuggets of info so far: the title is Joker: Folie Ă Deux(French for âshared madnessâ), Phoenix is returning and will co-star with Lady Gaga (whoâs playing Harley Quinn), Zazie Beetz is probably returning as Arthur Fleckâs neighbor, and… itâs likely going to be a musical? Filming wrapped in early April 2023.
The Batman 2
Release date: 2025 (in theaters)
Hot off the success of Matt Reevesâ long-awaitedThe Batman, everyone involved made it clear that wasnât a one-and-done. Robert Pattinsonâs Batman will be back. Will he face off with the Joker? Itâs possible but not definitive. Youâd imagine the Penguin and Catwoman could be back too. We donât know much yet about this one, but we do know it wonât be arriving until 2025.
Current DC Shows
Doom Patrol Season 4, Part 2
Release date: TBD 2023 (on Max)
The fourth and final season of Doom Patrolâstarring Brendan Fraser, Matt Bomer, Diane Guerrero, April Bowlby, Joivan Wade, Timothy Dalton, Skye Roberts, and Michelle Gomezâalready aired its first batch of episodes; the remaining six will return later this year.
Upcoming DC Movies and Shows Without Release Dates
The Penguin
Release date: Unknown (on Max)
You saw him in The Batman and now, Colin Farrellâs Penguin is getting his own Max series. As of April 2023, the show is in production, with a cast that also includes Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Deirdre OâConnell, with Clancy Brown and Michael Zegen recurring.
Peacemaker Season 2
Release date: Unknown (on Max)
From the instant that opening credits scene rolled for the first time, DC fans and non-fans alike fell in love with Peacemaker. Well, heâs coming back, still played by John Cena and still from the twisted mind of James Gunn. Thereâs no word on when itâll happen but weâre guessing 2024.
Superman: Legacy
Release date: July 11, 2025
James Gunn will write and direct this Superman movie, which is touted as not being an origin story. Casting announcements started with Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane, whoâll be played by David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan. We also know Isabela Merced will play Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi is Mister Terrific, and Nathan Fillion is a Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), as well as Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
More Upcoming DC Movies and Shows Announced for the Gunn/Safran Era
The shake-up at DC Studios got a huge zap of energy at the end of January, when James Gunn and Peter Safran announced their massive slate of planned projects. Little is known about most of these projects so far in terms of cast and crew and even release datesâbut we do have a few tidbits for each.
Creature Commandos (An animated Max show) – A seven-episode animated series written by James Gunn himself. It stars Indira Varma (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Game of Thrones) as the Bride, whoâs the lead character, and Marvel veteran Frank Grillo as Rick Flagg Sr.âfather of Rick Flagg, played by Joel Kinnaman in The Suicide Squad. The rest of the cast includes David Harbour (Stranger Things) as Eric Frankenstein, Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) as G.I. Robot, Zoe Chao (The Afterparty) as Nina Mazursky, Alan Tudyk (Star Wars: Rogue One) as Dr. Phosphorus, Maria Bakalova (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) as new character Princess Ilana Rostovic, and Peacemakerâs Steve Agee and Sean Gunn returning as John Economos and Weasel, respectively.
Waller (A live-action Max show) – Viola Davis will reprise her Suicide Squad character; the story will bring back characters from the Peacemaker show and tell a story with events set between Peacemaker seasons one and two.
Lanterns (A live-action Max show) – Set on Earth, this mystery series will follow Hal Jordan and John Stewart doing their thing as DCâs âsuper cops.â
The Authority (Theatrical film) – The Wildstorm superhero characters will make their big-screen debut in a film co-written by Gunn.
Paradise Lost (A live-action Max show) – How did Wonder Womanâs world, Themyscira, come to be? Find out in this Game of Thrones-ish tale set before her birth.
The Brave and the Bold (Theatrical film) – Based on the acclaimed Grant Morrison comic run, this will explore the story of Batmanâs son, Damien Wayne, and will feature âother members of the extended Bat-family.â
Booster Gold (A live-action Max show) – The âloser from the futureâ superhero character gets his own series.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (Theatrical film) – Based on Tom Kingâs comics run, this movie will explore how Supergirl is different from Superman. Itâs not yet certain if Sasha Calle, who plays Supergirl in The Flash, will reprise the role here.
Swamp Thing (Theatrical film) – The characterâs âdark originsâ will be the focus of this one. DC does horror! Rumored but not yet confirmed to be directing, James Mangold (Indiana Jones 5) told Collider that heâs slated to write the script.
Upcoming DC Movies and Shows That Were Once in Development, But Whose Fate Is Unclear in the Gunn/Safran Era
Ta-Nehisi Coates and J.J. Abramsâ Superman movie
Release date: Unknown (in theaters)
The news of Superman: Legacy cast uncertainty on this project from writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and producer J.J. Abrams. There hadnât been an update on this one in a while, but in late April, James Gunn himself told io9 that the two films donât necessarily cancel each other out: âThatâs an exciting movie … if it comes in and itâs great … and if the timing is right, that could absolutely happen. Thatâs totally unrelated. It would be an Elseworlds tale like Joker.â
Michael B. Jordan Superman Series
Release date: Unknown (for Max)
Michael B. Jordan was once developing a Superman take for Max as a limited series that would feature Val-Zod as opposed to Clark Kent. Again, there hasnât been an update in a while.
Static Shock
Release date: Unknown
Part of the relaunch of the Milestone comic brand is this adaptation produced by, once again, Michael B. Jordan. A writer was hired back in 2021 to come up with a script and we havenât heard much since.
Justice League Dark
Release date: Unknown (for Max)
J.J. Abrams was among the people involved with bringing this evil super-team to life and while there hasnât been a ton of movement on the project of late, itâs been around long enough that weâd imagine it happens eventually.
Metal Men
Release date: Unknown
One of the more recent pre-Gunn/Safran DC films to go into development, this is this tale of six beings based on various powerful metals. Itâs from directors Ron Clements and John Musker (Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Moana), so if it happens, itâll have an incredible pedigree.
Zatanna
Release date: Unknown
Last year, Emerald Fennell won an Oscar for writing Promising Young Woman. She followed that up landing the job to write this DC superhero flick about the young magician. Like most of the films in this section, there hasnât been movement in a while.
Hourman
Release date: Unknown
Yes, the hero who takes a drug that makes him a hero for an hour was, back in 2021, rumored to be in development. Whether or not thatâs still the case is unknown but we figured it was worth noting.
Untitled Arkham Show
Release date: Unknown (on Max)
In addition to The Penguin, Matt Reeves has said he plans to expand the world of The Batman into Max shows. At one point, a series about Gotham PD was in the works, but now he says it might be more about the inner workings at Arkham Asylum. On October 25, The Staircaseâs Antonio Campos came aboard as a writerâthe third to hold that position on the potential series so farâand may direct and serve as showrunner if the show happens, according to a report in Variety.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, whatâs next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
