Joker: Folie à Deux (Film)
Release date: October 4, 2024
Todd Phillips returns to direct the sequel to his critically acclaimed and massively successful 2019 film, Joker. Despite the seemingly conclusive nature of that movie's ending, things aren't always as they seem when it comes to the Clown Prince of Crime. Joaquin Phoenix returns as Arthur Fleck/The Joker. The title, Folie à Deux, refers to a delusion or mental illness shared between two people, and the second party in Joker's delusion will be Harley Quinn, played by pop star Lady Gaga. The film will reportedly have a musical element. Also returning is Zazie Beetz, who played Arthur's neighbor in the first film. Steve Coogan, Brendan Gleeson, and Catherine Keener also appear in the movie. As with the first Joker film, this film is not part of the core DC Universe chronology and is not narratively connected to any other movies or television shows in development.
Release date: July 11, 2025
Originally named Superman: Legacy, Superman is the crown jewel of Gunn and co-producer Peter Safran's upcoming DC universe. James Gunn is writing and will direct Superman, which begins filming in March 2024. We only know a little about the plot of the film, but we do have some crucial casting information. David Corenswet (Pearl) and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Ms. Maisel) will play Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane. Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road) will play the part of arch-nemesis Lex Luthor. Also reportedly appearing in the film is Nathan Fillion (Firefly) as the Guy Gardner incarnation of the Green Lantern, and Anthony Carrigan (Barry) as Metamorpho.
Release date: October 2, 2026
This sequel to 2022's The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, is currently in the works and was recently delayed to late 2026 from its previous 2025 release date. Matt Reeves will once again direct, and Pattinson will return as Bruce Wayne/Batman. We also expect Jeffrey Wright and Andy Serkis to return as James Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth. The first film featured a post-credits scene with Barry Keogan (Saltburn) as the Joker, so we're expecting him to show up in some respect as well. Up in the air are Zoe Kravitz' Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Paul Dano's the Riddler, as they figured prominently in the first film. Batman's rogues and allies tend to keep popping up in his life, though, so we wouldn't be surprised to see them return.
The Brave and the Bold (Film)
(Currently In Development)
Batman fans will be disappointed to hear that this film is likely a long way off. Gunn's focus is on Superman first, with Bats to follow later. At the time of this writing, Andy Muschietti (The Flash, IT) is attached to direct. This film will not only introduce the DCU's Batman, who is separate from the incarnation played by Robert Pattinson, but also will reportedly introduce us to Batman's son, Damian Wayne (no relation to Daymon Wayans), with the story being based on Grant Morrison's 2006-2013 run in the Batman comics. There is currently no release date, writer, or any actors attached to the film.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (Film)
(Currently In Development)
The first standalone Supergirl film since the 1984 flop will be Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. This film will use the comic book miniseries of the same name as a starting point. Supergirl is moving along, too; Ana Nogueira will write the film, with Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon) starring as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl. Filming for Supergirl will reportedly start later this year.
(Currently In Development)
We know almost nothing about The Authority as a film adaptation. Gunn has previously described The Authority as a team of superheroes who think "the world is completely broken. And the only way to fix it is to take things into their own hands, whether that means killing people, destroying heads of state, changing governments, you know, whatever they want to do to make the world better." No actors, writers, directors, or release dates are available for this movie currently.
(Currently In Development)
People who like Swamp Thing tend to really like Swamp Thing. That's definitely the case for James Mangold, the writer behind movies like Logan and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. After Gunn revealed that Swamp Thing was on the docket for his new DC Universe, Mangold responded by posting a picture of DC's saddest plant on social media. Gunn has described Swamp Thing as a passion project for Mangold, who is currently writing the film. The movie will reportedly be a gothic horror film and take inspiration from Alan Moore's critically acclaimed Saga of the Swamp Thing run from 1984 and 1985. Aside from Mangold as the writer, though, no other information about the movie has been confirmed.
Constantine 2 (Film)
(Currently In Development)
Deadline reported in September 2022 that Warner Bros. is currently developing a sequel to the 2005 Constantine film. Keanu Reeves is set to return in the titular role, with Francis Lawrence returning to direct as well. Akiva Goldsman is writing the screenplay and producing. This film will be an Elseworlds picture, like The Batman and Joker, and unconnected to the rest of the DC Universe. There is no release date just yet, and the movie has yet to enter production.
Dead Boy Detectives (Television series)
Release date: April 2024
After a brief cameo in Doom Patrol, the Dead Boy detectives are now getting their own series. After being initially greenlit for Max, the series will now appear on Netflix--meaning it's not connected to anything else in the DC Universe at this time. Edwin Paine and Jayden Revri will star as the titular dead boys, George Rexstrew and Charles Rowland. This series is coming up, and is reportedly set to hit Netflix next month.
The Penguin (Television series)
Release date: Late 2024
Before we get to revisit Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves' Batman, we're going to dive into Gotham's criminal underworld. One of the standout characters in the 2022 movie was Colin Ferrell's Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin. Ferrell underwent a stunning transformation through makeup to become the character and brought him to life as a believable low-level criminal who sees a chance to rise in Gotham's criminal world. Cristin Milioti will star as Sofia Falcone, daughter of Carmine (The Batman's John Turturro), who will fight Cobblepot for control of Gotham's criminal element. Like The Batman and The Batman II, The Penguin is not considered to be part of the same timeline as many of the other projects on this list, and is considered an "Elseworlds" story.
Superman & Lois: Season 4 (Television series)
Release date: Late 2024
The final outing of the CW's decade-long journey into the world of DC superheroes comes to a formal end this fall. Superman & Lois is the last remaining show from the network's golden era of superhero shows. The core cast, including Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch as the titular characters, returns, though much of the show's other regular cast were downgraded to guest appearances for the upcoming fourth season. The CW confirmed that this season is to be the last.
Creature Commandos (Animated series)
Release date: Late 2024
If there's one thing James Gunn loves, it's a ragtag band of ne'er do wells. Before he took over the DC universe, he directed Guardians of the Galaxy in three films and a holiday special, as well as The Suicide Squad. Now he's bringing his eye for comic book outcasts to the world of animation with Creature Commandos. Imagine characters like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, and a humanoid weasel (named Weasel) coming together to form a military squad, and you get the idea. Creature Commandos stars Alan Tudyk as the permanently-radioactive Dr. Phosphorous, David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein (no relation to this gallery's author), and Frank Grillo as Rick Flag, Sr.
Returning from previous DC projects will be Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Steve Agee as John Economos, and Sean Gunn as Weasel (and also G.I. Robot, a military android built for the express purpose of killing Nazis). Gunn wrote the seven-episode series himself, and has said that much of the work on it is done already. Even so, Gunn has been cagey about the release date--when asked if it was coming out in "early 2024 or late 2024" on social media, he replied simply, "Later." Note Gunn's intentional vagueness--he could mean that the series has slipped into 2025, but it's impossible to say.
Release date: Late 2024
Max's Harley Quinn series has been one of the breakout shows for the streaming service, succeeding with fans and critics alike. The series has a fifth season on the way, announced last November. A 2024 release is possible, but the service also has a Harley spin-off series, Kite Man: Hell Yeah!, in the works. Kite Man: Hell Yeah! Is currently set to release later this year, so we expect to see that one first.
Sandman Season 2 (Television series)
Following the success of the batch of Sandman episodes, which writer Neil Gaiman doesn't seem to refer to as a season, Netflix quickly greenlit additional episodes, and they're currently in active production, with many actors returning for additional episodes--including Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death, most notably. Netflix hasn't set a release date for these episodes, but we can safely consider them "on the way."
Waller & Peacemaker Season 2 (Television series)
(Currently In Development)
While Peacemaker Season 2 was greenlit back in February 2022, before the announcement of the DC Universe, we're going to be waiting a bit. James Gunn plans to return to write and direct the sophomore outing of DC's chrome-domed antihero, and that means it'll be on hold until Superman lands. Alongside Peacemaker Season 2, though, Gunn is planning a spin-off series, titled Waller. It will, as the name suggests, focus on Amanda Waller. It was initially meant to act as a bridge between the two seasons of Peacemaker and release just ahead of Superman, but delays have pushed Waller back behind Peacemaker. Christal Henry and Jeremy Carver are reportedly set to write the series; Henry previously worked on the excellent 2019 HBO Watchmen series, while Carver produced the uniquely strange Doom Patrol TV series for the DC Universe (now defunct) and Max streaming services.
Lanterns (Television series)
(Currently In Development)
The Lanterns have been an oft-neglected part of the DC universe when it comes to live action. That's no thanks, of course, to the 2011 Green Lantern film, which flopped hard and landed face-first in a pile of no money. A Green Lanterns series centered on Golden Age Green Lantern Alan Scott was planned for a while, but while Gunn has denied that the series has been scrapped, we also haven't heard anything about it for a couple of years. Meanwhile, Gunn and Safran announced the Lanterns series, which will follow Hal Jordan and John Stewart--two fan-favorite Lanterns in a long-running lineup of ringbearers--in a detective story that leads into the DCU's main storyline. So it's anyone's guess what's actually going on with the Lanterns right now.
Booster Gold (Television series)
(Currently In Development)
We know almost nothing about this show, other than that Gunn is planning for it to be an "outright comedy." Booster Gold, real name Mike Carter, is a disgraced former football player from the 25th century who travels back in time to our modern day, using everyday technology from his time to play the part of a superhero in ours.
Paradise Lost (Television series)
(Currently In Development)
While a third Wonder Woman movie from Patty Jenkins is no longer in the cards, that doesn't mean that the DCU is forgetting about the amazons of Themyscira. Paradise Lost is set before the birth of Wonder Woman/Diana Prince, and is a political series set on the all-female island from which she hails. Gunn compared it to Game of Thrones in terms of its political focus. The title is also notably similar to the "Paradise Island Lost" comic book story arc, which followed a civil war on Themyscira.
Untitled Arkham show (Television series)
(Currently In Development)
The currently untitled Arkham TV show has been through a bunch of changes--despite not having anyone formally attached to it. It began life as a show following Gotham PD in Matt Reeves' version of Gotham. It then shifted to focusing on the Arkham Hospital and many of its characters. Antonio Campos is reportedly set to serve as head writer and showrunner, and the show is now set in Gunn's DC Universe.
