The DC Films Universe: All The Movies Coming Soon & In Development

Almost exactly four years ago, Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara revealed an incredibly ambitious slate of films for the new DC Extended Universe. Ten films in total, the list of films began with 2016’s “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and charted a four-year path that would end in 2020 with a “Cyborg” solo film, starring Ray Fisher. With only “Man of Steel” released at the time, many people saw this slate and were concerned that WB/DC was being too ambitious. And quickly, it was revealed those people were right.

After the critical failures of ‘BvS’ and the following 2016 film, “Suicide Squad,” fans began to worry. Despite impressive box office numbers, general audiences weren’t responding to those two films like WB hoped they would. But, then came “Wonder Woman,” and suddenly, all was right in the world of DC films. Until it wasn’t. That brief flash of hope became overwhelming dread when “Justice League” began falling apart behind the scenes and hit audiences like a Harley Quinn baseball bat of awfulness.

After many false starts, trying to bring Marvel‘s “The Avengers” writer/director Joss Whedon into the DC fold, only to quietly and quickly pivot away from that idea, Warner Bros. decided to throw the whole slate in the trash, minus a few holdovers. While they haven’t fully rebooted or started over, they’ve essentially decided to move away from Batman and Superman movies (say bye to Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill), while they’ve simultaneously started another slate of films seemingly set in a darker, different universe (see “The Joker“).  Even with four films on the way and another one shooting in early 2019 (“Birds Of Prey“), the entire future of the DC cinematic universe looks pretty chaotic right now. Now, with leaks, speculation, hirings, firings, and everything else that has been going on behind the scenes at WB, it’s almost impossible to keep track of what films are in development and what projects will never see the light of day. And that’s where we come in.

Below, we do our best to provide a one-stop shop for all things WB/DC at least at is stands as of October 2018 (maybe in a few months, things will radically change). We will cover every film we think is in development over at the studio and see if we can provide some context to whether or not some of these mooted projects will ever see the light of day. If nothing else, this is an entertaining look at a studio in desperate need of a couple hits and the ways in which they’re throwing proverbial crap against a wall to see what sticks.

Coming Soon

“Aquaman”
Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Nicole Kidman, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Directed by: James Wan
The Latest: Film fans are two months away from seeing a very wet Jason Momoa hit the big screen and hopefully provide audiences with an Aquaman that isn’t the laughing stock of the Justice League. After a questionable debut in last year’s team-up flick, Momoa joins director James Wan in a new story focused on the hero taking back the throne of the underwater colony of Atlantis from his evil half-brother. Call it underwater “Thor” or reverse-“Black Panther.” Either way, the film is scheduled, production has been completed, and trailers have been released. For better or worse, “Aquaman” is coming to theaters this holiday season.
Release Date: December 21. Like it or not, “Aqua-bro” is coming.

“Shazam!”
Starring: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Djimon Hounsou
Directed by: David F. Sandberg
The Latest: When the original WB/DC slate was announced in 2014, the “Shazam!” film was maybe the biggest question mark. Unlike the other films on the schedule, the character known as Shazam had never been introduced in the DCEU, and unlike “Green Lantern Corps,” there was no previous film to point to. But here we are, six months away from “Shazam!” hitting theaters and by all accounts, this is the film that many fans are looking forward to the most. Horror director Sandberg joins star Levi to tell the story of the young Billy Batson and his magical powers that allow him to turn into the adult superhero of his dreams, Shazam. Combining “Superman” with “Big,” “Shazam!” looks to be a fun romp with a decidedly different tone than previous WB/DC films.
Release Date: April 5, 2019.

“Joker”
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz, Robert De Niro, Bill Camp, Marc Maron, Frances Conroy, and Brett Cullen
Directed by: Todd Phillips
The Latest: When rumors hit that Todd Phillips was teaming with producer Martin Scorsese to bring a dark origin story about Batman’s greatest villain, the Joker, fans were confused. Actor Jared Leto had just starred in “Suicide Squad,” and this “Joker” film didn’t fit with any sort of established continuity. But as actors began being announced and the film came into focus, “Joker” highlights WB/DC’s latest trend of just making interesting movies and not worrying about some overarching continuity, a la the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And judging by the set photos and officially released materials, what Phillips is cooking up with star Joaquin Phoenix definitely feels unique. While the idea of a “Joker” film was a pipe dream in 2014, in one year’s time, audiences will see Phoenix wear the clown makeup on the big screen.
Release Date: October 4, 2019 and filming is shooting as we speak.

“Birds of Prey”
Starring: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, and Rosie Perez
Directed by: Cathy Yan
The Latest: Spinning off of “Suicide Squad,” the best character coming out of that film, Harley Quinn, is getting her very own story. Margot Robbie is back as Harley and joining her in what is being described as an R-rated “girl gang” film are actresses Winstead, Smollett-Bell, and Perez. It’s hard to track the behind-the-scenes trajectory of “Birds of Prey,” but from what can be gathered, the film is one of many Harley Quinn-focused films that WB/DC sent into development after her breakout success in ‘Squad.’ What makes this perhaps the most interesting of all those projects is the fact Robbie is spearheading this project herself and has put together a great group of female talent to help guide this project. Filming is said to begin in January and casting is underway now.
Release Date: February 7, 2020. Though there’s still plenty that could go wrong with this production. Consider this a lock once cameras start to roll in 2019.

https://twitter.com/ThePlaylist/status/1045025488001847297

“Wonder Woman 1984”
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and Robin Wright
Directed by: Patty Jenkins
The Latest: The bright, shining crown jewel of the WB/DC film series is “Wonder Woman.” More than any previous DCEU film, the 2017 female-led superhero film was a hit with critics and fans, bringing in $821 million worldwide and launching star Gal Gadot into the stratosphere of A-list acting talent. It’s no surprise that Warner Bros. quickly signed Patty Jenkins and the primary actors to another film and rushed it into production. Now, with a 2019 release date and filming underway, WB can at least guarantee one hit film over the next year.
Release Date:  November 1, 2019. Update: June 5, 2020