At Sao Paulo's Comic Con WB/DC revealed an updated slate of DC branded movies including Aquaman, Wonder Woman 2, Shazam, The Batman, Suicide Squad 2, Flashpoint, Batgirl, Green Lanter Corps. and Justice League Dark.
Now "Wait!" you may ask "there were more movies announced, where are they?". Wich is a good question and as it's hard to maintain a good overview of all announced movies I've took some time to write a list with all upcoming and announced DC movies, including key details surrounding them.
So sit back and enjoy the read.
DC's Teen Titans GO! to the Movies (July 27, 2018)
Directed by:
Aaron Horvath, Peter Rida Michail
Written by:
Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
Cast:
Scott Menville (voice) as Dick Grayson/Robin
Khary Payton (voice) as Victor Stone/Cyborg
Hynden Walch (voice) as Koriand'r/Starfire
Tara Strong (voice) as Raven
Greg Cipes (voice) as Garfield Logan/Beast Boy
Will Arnett (voice) as TBA
Kristen Bell (voice) as TBA
Other Details:
Due to the success of the Cartoon Network series Warner/DC announced on Monday, September 25, 2017 that the series would be spun-off into a theatrically released kids animated movie. No plot details are known so far other than the film happening within the series continuity.
Aquaman (December 21, 2018)
Directed by:
James Wan
Written by:
Will Beall, James Wan, Geoff Johns
Cast:
Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman
Amber Heard as Mera
Patrick Wilson as Orm/Ocean Master
Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as David Hyde/Black Manta
Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry
Michael Beach as Jesse Kane
Ludi Lin as Murk
Graham McTavish as TBA
with Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus
and Nicole Kidman as Queen Atlanna
Other Details:
Having wrapped shooting on October 21st of 2017 the movie currently sits in post-production. No notable story details have been released other that the central conflict will focus on the rivalry between Aquaman and his villainous brother who seeks to rule over Atlantis.
Wonder Woman 2 (Novermber 1, 2019)
Directed by:
Patty Jenkins
Written by:
Dava Callahan, Patty Jenkins, Geoff Johns
Cast:
Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman
Chris Pine as Steve Trevor (rumored)
Other Details:
Due to the critical and financial success of the first movie this serves as a no-brainer for DC and has been officially announced by producer Zack Snyder in May 2017. Rumors also point to the movie being set in present-day as opposed to the first movie. Another rumor also points to the return of Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, who died in the first movie.
Suicide Squad 2 (2019)
Directed by:
Gavin O'Connor
Written by:
Adam Cozad, Gavin O'Connor, Zack Penn, Anthony Tambakis
Cast:
Will Smith as Floyd Lawton/Deadshot (rumored)
Margot Robbie as Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn (rumored)
Jared Leto as The Joker (rumored)
Joel Kinnaman as Major Rick Flagg (rumored)
Jai Courtney as Digger Harkness/Captain Boomerang (rumored)
Karen Fukuhara as Tatsu Yamashiro/Katana (rumored)
with Dwayne Johnson as Teth Adam/Black Adam (rumored)
and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller (rumored)
Other Details:
A lot of rumors have been thrown around for this movie, despite it being fast-tracked by WB due to the originals massive success and director David Ayer being replaced with Gavin O'Connor no official news have been released. However a lot of rumors swirl around for this one. For example the most noteworthy of all is that the movie might help setting up Black Adam's character and focus heavily on him. The cast is a big question mark at this point however Joel Kinnaman says he fully expects to return as Rick Flagg while other outlets firmly believe that most of the (surviving) squad including Jared Leto as the Joker will return for the sequel. No official date has been given other than 2019 as the year it'll hit theatres.
Shazam! (April 5, 2019)
Directed by:
David F. Sandberg
Written by:
Henry Gayden, Darren Lemke
Cast:
Asher Angel as Billy Batson
Zachary Levi as Shazam
Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy
Grace Fulton as TBA (rumored)
David Jay MacNeil as Mr. Bryer (rumored)
with Mark Strong as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (rumored)
and Dwayne Johnson as Teth Adam/Black Adam (rumored)
Other Details:
An interesting movie that for being so close is pretty much shrouded in secrecy. Not much is known about wich tone the movie will have outside of it being assumed that it will heavily orientate itself on the precedent set by Netflix's "Stranger Things".
Among the confirmed cast of Thor's Zachary Levi and Asher Angel many outlets also consider it likely that Mark Strong and Dwayne Johnson may or may not appear as the main villains. At least with Dwayne Johnson being confirmed to play the titlar villain Black Adam in his solo movie the possibility of at least a cameo being shot is very much in the cards. This isn't the first time Dwayne Johnson will be rumored to appear in this list as it appears that DC might be gearing up to a full blown build up to the character of Black Adam that might very well begin in Shazam via a post-credit scene, to be continued in Suicide Squad 2 later that year and concluding with the villains solo movie (wich is still TBA). But as things stand this is all just rumored to happen, take everything with a truck load of salt.
The Flash: Flashpoint (2020)
Directed by:
TBA (previously rumored directors: Seth Graeme-Smith, Rick Fumiyama & even Back to the Future's Rober Zemeckis)
Written by:
Gardner Fox, Joby Harold
Cast:
Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash
Billy Crudup as Henry Allen
Kiersey Clemons as Iris West
Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (rumored)
Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg (rumored)
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Thomas Wayne/Batman (rumored)
Lauren Cohan as Martha Wayne/The Joker (rumored)
with Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman (rumored)
and Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman (rumored)
Other Details:
This is a special one, the first Flash solo outing has had a boatload of directors attatched who all left due to creative differences and to this point remains without a director at the helm. Added to that confusion it has been announced that the movie will deal with Flashpoint, a potentially universe changing event. After the premiere (and financial failure) of "Justice League" in novermber rumors have arisen that Wonder Woman as well as other Justice League members are all set to appear within the film and an even wilder rumor points to the movie being retooled from a Flash solo movie into the Justice League sequel. All rumors at this point but given the even this movie is dealing with not exactly unbelievable. It's also noteworthy that Jeffrey Dean Morgan has hinted at returning to the universe as Bruce Wayne's father and Flashpoints Batman: Thomas Wayne. Wich, as some fans have concluded, would also indicate the return of Lauren Cohan as Martha Wayne. The only name not mentioned is Jason Momoa, although him being in there would make sense if all these rumors end up being true given the war his fellow Atlanteans are in during the comic-book arc.
Also we should swallow that "2020" release tag with gallons of salt given the movie still lacking a director, a fact that (and I can't stress this enough) is incredibly odd.
Green Lantern Corps. (July 24, 2020)
Directed by:
TBA
Written by:
David S. Goyer, Geoff Johns, Justin Rhodes
Cast:
TBA
Other Details:
Had it not been for WB revealing recently that the movie was still happening I would have put on a "probably dead" sign onto this movie. However it seems it is happening, so far without a director or any cast attatched. Hence no story details have leaked out.
Cyborg (2020)
Directed by:
TBA
Written by:
TBA
Cast:
Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg
Joe Morton as Silas Stone (rumored)
Other Details:
The epitome of an announcement-only film, no writers or directors attatched so far. Hence the plot for this movie might not even be broken yet. Added to that Cyborg was not exactly the break-out character Warner hoped he would be. Given the lack of popularity I don't see this movie happening anytime soon, at least not in 2020.
Justice League 2 (TBA)
Directed by:
Zack Snyder (originally attatched, involvement unlikely)
Written by:
Chris Terrio, Zack Snyder
Cast:
Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman (rumored)
Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman (rumored)
Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (rumored)
Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash (rumored)
Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman (rumored)
Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg (rumored)
with Joe Manganiello as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke (rumored)
and Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor (rumored)
Other Details:
Phew, hot topic, eh? Now to be fully fair this movie has been announced way back along with the original Justice League movie when the entirety was still considered to be a two-parter. However plans shifted and Justice League became a stand-alone, however producers insisted the sequel was still happening...only now as a stand-alone movie, essentially announcing a sequel to a movie that hadn't premiered yet. Well, the movie has premiered and hit the iceberg harder than the Titanic did. As things stand Zack Snyder has dropped out of the DCEU wich stands to reason this movie is director-less. And as I stated at the Flashpoint section of this article that movie is rumored to be retooled into the actual Justice League sequel. As it is I have no doubt in a Justice League sequel happening at some point in the future but not in this iteration. But as fans have pointed out: the first one indicates that Lex Luthor and Deathstroke are supposedly intended to be the villains for whatever the sequel will end up being.
Batgirl (TBA)
Directed by:
Joss Whedon
Written by:
Joss Whedon
Cast:
TBA as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl
J.K. Simmons as James Gordon (rumored)
with Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth (rumored)
and Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman (rumored)
Other Details:
Now, we know why this movie was concieved. Joss Whedon loves writing for female heroines and frankly, it's what he does best. Just ask Buffy Summers, Faith Lehene or River Tam. So no question this movie is right up his wheelhouse. As multiple people have noted his involvement in directing the reshoots of Justice League was probably a mandate for him to recieve the greenlight for Batgirl. And turns out WB actually listed Batgirl among it's slate of upcoming DC movies, wich makes it a solid contender for actually happening.
Gotham City Sirens (TBA)
Directed by:
David Ayer
Written by:
Geneva Robertson-Dworet
Cast:
Margot Robbie as Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn
TBA as Catwoman
TBA as Poison Ivy
and Jared Leto as The Joker (rumored)
Other Details:
Announced straight after the "success" of Suicide Squad this movie is actually still in developement (as of October, 2017) despite all signs pointing to the contrary (those signs being multiple vehicles for Harley Quinn being announced and Margot Robbie not having the ability to clone herself...yet). The movie was not part of the recently announced batch of DC movies so who knows where this will go. I'm not going to flat out say that this movie won't happen purely because it has the possibility of being valubale in DC's world building and Harley having become a pop culture icon (and due to the fear of that popularity fading a Suicide Squad Sequel is being fast tracked).
Man of Steel 2 (TBA)
Directed by:
TBA (Matthew Vaughn was rumored to direct for a while)
Written by:
TBA
Cast:
Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman
Amy Adams as Lois Lane (rumored)
Diane Lane as Martha Kent (rumored)
Laurence Fishburne as Perry White (rumored)
Other Details:
The last bit of news on that movie came out in late 2016. There has been no developement so far and I'm afraid to say that the movie that has started the DCEU might not happen at all in the near future.
The Batman (TBA)
Directed by:
Matt Reeves (previous director: Ben Affleck)
Written by:
Mark Bomback, Matt Reeves & Ben Affleck (discarded screenplay)
Cast:
Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman (involvement questionable)
Jake Gyllenhaal as Bruce Wayne/Batman (rumored)
Joe Manganiello as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke (involvement questionable)
J.K. Simmons as James Gordon (involvement questionable)
Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth (involvement questionable)
Other Details:
Ah yes, the movie, the myth, the legend. Originally announced to be be directed, written and led by Ben Affleck the actor has continously downsized on his involvement. Resigning as director first, then resigning as a writer and now is only attatched as the lead. DC then hired director Matt Reeves who is said to have discarded Afflecks original script and has made some rather odd statements. First claiming that the movie was not set within the DCEU continuity, then peddling back and now hinting at it again. Ben Affleck's involvement has been thrown in doubt (for good reason) too and some rumors point to Jake Gyllenhaal (of all people) replacing him. The movie is among the announced slate of DC movies and is so far in pre-production that it has to happen sooner than later but in wich iteration is questionable. Will DC pump the breaks and reel in it's director or have they given Reeves full authority to break DCEU canon? Find out in our next installment, same Bat-Time, same Bat-Site.
Justice League Dark (TBA)
Directed by:
TBA (originally attached directors: Doug Liman & Guillermo Del Toro)
Written by:
Gerard Johnstone, Jon Spaiths
Cast:
TBA as John Constantine
TBA as Swamp Thing
TBA as Boston Brand/Deadman
TBA as Zatanna Zatarra
TBA as Etrigan
Other Details:
In developement longer than good for itself this movie is among the recently announced DC slate. That's all the positive I can say about it since there's no director attatched and the plot said to be heavily influenced by the two previously attatched directors, something whoever will take the mantle will have issues with (y'know...too many cooks and all). I'd also advise them to use Andrew Bennett instead of Swamp Thing as pulling off that character requires a really good director.
I'm sure that it's happening, DC did the same test run they did for Suicide Squad via releasing a themed animated movie. But how it will turn out is anyones question.
Nightwing (TBA)
Directed by:
Chris McKay
Written by:
Bill Dubuqe
Cast:
TBA as Dick Grayson/Nightwing
Other Details:
Not on the list of recently announced movies this one still poses as a more evolved project as it (unlike a few other DC films) has a director attatched. Recent news state that an open casting call was held for the lead, something that I'd call bad signs. Open casting calls are usually held when a character becomes so hard to cast the director runs out of casting options.
This movie happening will hinge on Batgirl's success, before releasing another Batman-prodigy spin-off Warner will wait and see, or at least that's what they should do.
Deathstroke (TBA)
Directed by:
Gareth Evans (rumored)
Written by:
TBA
Cast:
Joe Manganiello as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke
Other Details:
One of the most recently announced movies "Deathstroke" came straight of the heels of the news breaking that the character might end up being scrapped from "The Batman". But since Manganiello is under contract it only seems natural that WB would give him his solo movie rather than not utilizing him at all (one might argue that the character would be a better fit for Suicide Squad 2...but who am I to know better than them?).
Rumors point to The Raid's Gareth Evans directing, something that might end up being good for the films action-flow and budget (Evans is known for directing high octane action films on a relatively low budget). And the budget angle makes this movie very much valuable for DC. Especially given Deadpools success (for the uninitiaded: Deadpool originated as a parody of Deathstroke) Warner might go into a solid direction there. As for this movie actually happening..it's not among the recent batch of announced movies so who knows? Although I'd advocate for a Deathstroke test-run in Suicide Squad 2 (especially since his inclusion would give burnt fans an incentive to actually watch the sequel).
Joker & Harley (TBA)
Directed by:
Glenn Ficara & John Requa
Written by:
Glenn Ficara & John Requa
Cast:
Margot Robbie as Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn
Jared Leto as The Joker
Other Details:
Known for directing "Crazy. Stupid. Love" Glenn Ficara & John Requa are the right choice for the apparent vision Warner has for this: a lovestory set in the DCEU. Added to the movie having directors/writers attatched this movie also featuring two of the most popular current DC characters I actually see this happening over "Gotham City Sirens" and the Harley Solo movie.
The Joker (TBA)
Directed by:
Todd Phillips
Written by:
Scott Silver & Todd Phillips
Cast:
Leonardo DiCaprio as The Joker (rumored)
Other Details:
I had to chuckle when doing research over this movie. Not because it's so absurd but because it makes perfect sense. For starters this movie won't be set within the DCEU universe but serve as the first of a DC solo brand not within the cinematic bounds. Added to that the script is expected to be completed and filming could start as soon as 2018. This is impressive actually, not in a good way though. Most of all this being outside of the DCEU signals a negative sign to fans and creates less incentive to watch upcoming DCEU movies, in a way I'd argue that announcing this film hurt WB more than it helped them. Not to mention that what longtime fans of the character love is him not having an origin and hence room for interpretation. Oh and various sites as well as fans are throwing around Leonardo DiCaprio's name as the titular villain.
This entire project is odd but apparently really far along in production, so for what it's worth this could end up being the surprise hit Warner is looking for.
Deadshot (TBA)
Directed by:
TBA
Written by:
TBA
Cast:
Will Smith as Floyd Lawton/Deadshot
Other Details:
Announced in the same announcement wave as "Gotham City Sirens" this movie has neither writers or directors on board. Don't quote me on this but I'm 99.99% sure this movie isn't happening. Why spin-off a character that works well as the main character of the Suicide Squad movies? Not every character needs a spin-off and with Deadshot WB might have realized that they jumped the gun there a bit.
Black Adam (TBA)
Directed by:
TBA
Written by:
Adam Sztykiel
Cast:
Dwayne Johnson as Teth Adam/Black Adam
Other Details:
Here we are, the big solo movie Dwayne Johnson keeps hyping up with all the power he has in his veiny muscles. Rumors state that he might cameo in "Shazam" and could serve as the antagonist/McGuffin of "Suicide Squad 2" and frankly I can buy that. If this character is as major as Johnson is selling it (and he IS one of the most marketable stars out there) it would come as no surprise that WB would want to show off their new tentpole character as much as they can before his solo outing.
At this stage no director is attatched but a writer is. Given the lack of a direction I'd caution that this movie might end up not happening but something about this "Sazam" - "Suicide Squad 2" - "Black Adam" movie arc as me intrigued as a writer, filmmaker and fan.
We'll see what happens but my gut tells me that this is a movie Warner is betting huge ammounts of money on.
Booster Gold (TBA)
Directed by:
Greg Berlanti
Written by:
Zack Stentz
Cast:
TBA as Michael Carter/Booster Gold
Other Details:
Greg Berlanti's passion project seems to have flown under the radar since it's announcement in 2016 and is the only movie on this list I had to actually get in contact with some people in the know only to end up finding out nothing. As things stand it's Berlanti's dream project and given him having his own production company and being the most integral wheel in WBs DCTV franchise gives me the impression that this movie might actually happen, afterall WB wouldn't to sour one of their most important producers.
Who knows, this could end up being the "Guardians of the Galaxy" for DC.
Harley Quinn (TBA)
Directed by:
TBA
Written by:
TBA
Cast:
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn
Other Details:
If you have counted this is the fourth Harley Quinn centric movie announced off the heels of "Suicide Squad"s success. It was only announced but never elaborated on and doesn't even have it's own IMDB page, safe to say that WB have merged this project with the Joker & Harley movie. I absolutely understand their desire to build on Harley Quinn's popularity but solo movies might not be too optimal.
And here we are, the end of the list.
Personal note from the writer:
As you can see there are a LOT of announced movies supposedly coming from WB/DC. However I only see a small portion of those movies happening. So I'm issuing an appeal to Warner:
Wait with announcing projects, keep mum on them while in the pitch phase and only announce those movies when the cast and crew stand. Announcing movies that end up not happening at all doesn't just dissapoint fans, it makes them lose faith in the entire franchise.
On another note I'd advise to combine several projects into one movie. Cut Deadshot, Deathstroke, Harley Quinn, Joker & Harley and fusion them off into a Suicide Squad sequel that actively sees the team go after Harley and Joker while those two have their own love arc.
Just a suggestion, also I know no WB executive will read this but as a huge fan of the DC brand I hope that some of these throughts resonate with you.