DC Studios announces it's upcoming plans for Superman, Batman and more!

Today, Co-CEOs of DC Studios, James Gunn and Peter Safran, announced what their plans are for the new DCU. The upcoming chapter, labeled as Gods and Monsters, will host a series of films and shows with characters we’ve already been introduced to in the DCU and some new ones we have only met in the comics. You can rest assured he mentioned Superman, Batman, and Shazam, but shared some of the new characters they’ll place within the DCU. 

“We’re honored to be stewards of these DCU characters we’ve loved since we were children,” Gunn said in a statement. “We look forward to collaborating with the most talented writers, directors, and actors in the world to create an integrated, multilayered universe that still allows for individual expression of the artists involved.” 

As Gunn made this joint announcement between him and Safran, the direction sounded a lot like what the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) has done with their heroes - DC movies and series all set within the same shared universe. Gunn shared that The Flash will connect to Shazam, and the new HBO series The Lanterns, will tie into the larger DCU story they’ll be creating through 8-10 new series and films. 

Some of these films/series and series include: 

• The Blue Beetle

• Aquaman 2

• Creature Commandos - an animated series written by Gunn

• Waller - this will star Viola Davis who will team up with the Peacemaker 

• Superman Legacy - Gunn is currently working on this and it will be released on July 22, 2025

• The Lanterns - an HBO series that will be like a true detective show 

• The Authority - a passion project Gunn has been working on, as a group of characters try and fix things that are broken in the world

• Paradise Lost - a TV series described as Game of Thrones meets Westerose 

• Batman: The brave and the bold - this will feature Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s son who is an assassin who Batman tries to help 

• Booster Gold - sounds a lot like Syndrome from The Incredibles but he comes from the future and uses that tech to be cool 

• Supergirl: Woman of tomorrow

• Swamp Thing - though not directly related to the DCU will be a horror film that will feed into the DCU

Gunn added that the DCU is going to be better than the MCU saying, “A lot of people think (the DCU) is going to be Marvel 2.0… (but) we are telling a big huge central story that is like Marvel Studios, except for I think that we’re a lot more planned out than Marvel was from the beginning.”  

I believe DCU will have to face one present challenge: superhero movie burnout. Fans will continue to see Marvel and DCU movies just to be in the loop of what’s happening in the larger story, but even as a superhero fan myself, there is so much to swallow. Will Marvel fans jump into the DCU and try to gather up those storylines, or are DC Studios relying on their DC fans who aren’t into Marvel to build their fanbase? 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods will be released on March 17th, and give us a taste of what Gunn and Safran have in store!