While Warner Bros. has some explaining to do regarding “Suicide Squad,” they can take some small reassurance that at the end of the day, the characters in that film are hardly the cream of the DC Films crop. While notions of a Harley Quinn focused sequel have been floated, and probably would’ve been green-lit had the picture been a smash success both commercially and critically, at the end of the day, it’s Batman and Superman who are keeping the lights on. And many would argue that both heroes need some serious rehabilitation at the moment.
READ MORE: ‘The Best & Worst Of ‘Suicide Squad’
Zack Snyder‘s “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice” put some dour vibes on both of them; while that’s perhaps not so bad for Bruce Wayne who has always been something of a playboy loner, Superman’s transition from beloved hero to fearsome alien (which is a decent concept on paper) was executed rather poorly. And with Ben Affleck co-writing, starring and directing the solo Batman movie for WB, The Dark Knight can be turned around. And it would seem the studio is eager to get Superman back where he belongs in fanboy hearts.
The Wrap reports that active development has now started a sequel to “Man Of Steel.” Well, technically, it would be a sequel to “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice,” as that movie picked up immediately where ‘Steel’ left off, but the bottom line is that it’s going to be a solo outing for the character (who was last seen “dead” at the end of ‘Justice,’ but we all know that’s not going to last for long).
There’s no word yet on a screenwriter or director, but it is worth noting that DC Films currently has two unclaimed release dates staked out on Oct. 5, 2018 and Nov. 1, 2019. A fall date would seem an odd fit for a Superman movie, but then again, franchises like “The Hunger Games” have done tremendously well outside of summer, and Marvel has been playing in that space too. So we’ll see how this shakes out, but this is apparently a “top priority” for the studio.