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  • The Skinny on The DCU’s ‘Superman: Legacy’

    The Skinny on The DCU’s ‘Superman: Legacy’

    James Gunn and Peter Safran have revealed the first half of the first chapter of the new DCU. In total, 10 projects are expected to be rolled out by the end of 2027, with 5 films and 5 streaming series adding to the interconnected Gods and Monsters story of the DCU. With so much to take in, it can be a bit overwhelming. To make it easier, here’s the skinny on Superman: Legacy.

    Written and potentially directed by Gunn, Superman: Legacy will be the first theatrical release of DC Studios Gods and Monsters chapter and is expected to be in theaters on July 11, 2025. According to Safran, the film, which will be rated PG-13, “is really the launch of the DCU.” Given the audience’s familiarity with the character, Superman: Legacy won’t be an origin story. Safran explained that the new fill will focus “on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing.” The co-chair added, “Superman represents truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.”

    While Gunn didn’t give away the details of the script he’s working on, he reaffirmed Safran’s comments about the character saying “Superman is for everyone. That’s a four-quadrant film that should speak to everyone in the world.” And while Gunn’s Superman sounds like he’ll fit the bill of the Big Blue Boy Scout, don’t expect the villain to be outright evil but maybe a little more complex.

    With our stories, we want to take it away from good guy vs. bad guy. There are really good—almost saintly—people and Superman is among them. There are really terrible villains like Gorilla Grodd or the Joker. And then there’s everybody in between them, so there are all these shades of gray which allow us to tell complex stories.

    James Gunn

    With Gunn still working on a script and deciding whether or not he will direct it, Superman: Legacy likely won’t go into production until the mid-2024.

  • The Skinny on The DCU’s ‘Waller’

    The Skinny on The DCU’s ‘Waller’

    James Gunn and Peter Safran have revealed the first half of the first chapter of the new DCU. In total, 10 projects are expected to be rolled out by the end of 2027, with 5 films and 5 streaming series adding to the interconnected Gods and Monsters story of the DCU. With so much to take in, it can be a bit overwhelming. To make it easier, here’s the skinny on Waller.

    A streaming series that was green-lit well before Gunn and Safran took the big jobs,Waller will see the return on Viola Davis to the titular role that she first filled in 2016’s Suicide Squad. Waller was featured in 2022’s Peacemaker and, according to Safran, Waller will be set between Seasons 1 and 2 of that series and feature some of its cast.

    The series is already in the early stages with Christal Henry (Watchmen) and Jeremy Carver (Supernatural, Doom Patrol) putting together the story which Gunn said “is really fantastic and HBO loves it.” The series, which will stream on HBO Max, has no release date as of yet.

    Sources: DC and Collider

  • The Skinny on The DCU’s ‘Creature Commandos’

    The Skinny on The DCU’s ‘Creature Commandos’

    James Gunn and Peter Safran have revealed the first half of the first chapter of the new DCU. In total, 10 projects are expected to be rolled out by the end of 2027, with 5 films and 5 streaming series adding to the interconnected Gods and Monsters story of the DCU. With so much to take in, it can be a bit overwhelming. To make it easier, here’s the skinny on Creature Commandos.

    Creature Commandos is a seven-episode animated series slated to be released on HBO Max. The first project to be given the green light by co-chairs Safran and Gunn, Creature Commandos is already in production working off scripts by Gunn. Safran stated that he was “staggered at the caliber of the scripts” adding “we’ll see how everything else comes, but the screenplays are amazing.“

    The series is based on a comic book team that included a gorgon, a werewolf and Frankenstein’s monster going to battle in World War II. Gunn’s version, which he revealed during a press event in Los Angeles, will have a little different makeup than the team from the comics and will be brought together by Viola Davis‘ Amanda Waller.

    The Team

    The Bride of Frankenstein

    According to Gunn, the main character of Creature Commandos will be the Bride of Frankenstein. In the comics, The Bride worked for a top-secret U.S. Government institution known as S.H.A.D.E. who work to take on metahuman threats.

    Weasel

    A familiar face on the team will be Weasel, voiced by Sean Gunn. Weasel appeared in The Suicide Squad and his return here reinforces James Gunn’s comment that actors from films will voice their animated counterparts.

    Rick Flag, Sr.

    The father of Suicide Squad now deceased leader Rick Flag, Rick Flag Sr. was a WWII veteran who led the Suicide Squad of his time. According to Gunn, he’ll show up in other projects as well.

    Nina Mazursky

    A doctor who turned herself into an amphibious human-fish hybrid, Nina Mazursky was responsible for creating the first members of the Creature Commandos.

    Doctor Phosphorous

    A supervillain more well-known for working with the Secret Society of Supervillains, Doctor Phosphorous may be a good bet to betray the team as he did in the post-Flashpoint comics.

    Eric Frankenstein

    DC’s take on Frankenstein’s monster, Eric is a one-man army with ties to S.H.A.D.E. and, as you might imagine, the Bride.

    G.I. Robot

    G.I. Robot is just what it sounds like. Developed during WWII, a series of robots, some going by the designation J.A.K.E. (Jungle Automatic Killer – Experimental and then a number).

    Gunn and Safran indicated that casting is ongoing for the project. Though it has no release date, it is expected to be the first release of the Gods and Monsters slate.

    Source: DC

  • ‘Bad Boys 4’ Officially Announced

    ‘Bad Boys 4’ Officially Announced

    Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have announced their official return to the Bad Boys franchise for another feature film. The untitled sequel, which is in the early stages of pre-production at Sony Pictures, will see the return of the directing duo of Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. Chris Bremmer has written the script for the new movie. The announcement was made via an Instagram video post from Will Smith featuring himself and Lawrence.

    This new film will come after Bad Boys For Life, which was one of the final pre-pandemic theatrical releases in 2020. The film earned $426.5 million at the global box office, which prompted Sony to confirm that a fourth project would enter development. Nothing is currently known about what this new endeavor will entail for detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett.

    The new Bad Boys film will be notable for being one of the first major film releases starring Will Smith following his incident at the 2022 Academy Awards. The star actor was considered to be placed on a proverbial “blacklist” through the cancellation of various projects Smith was signed on for. Though with numerous names in Hollywood working despite more serious transgressions, it makes sense that Will Smith will be gradually folded back into the upper echelon of Hollywood blockbuster movies.

    Source: Variety

  • Peter Safran and James Gunn Detail Their New Slate’s Timeline

    Peter Safran and James Gunn Detail Their New Slate’s Timeline

    Peter Safran and James Gunn revealed the first half of the first chapter of the new DCU, titled DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, at a press event in Los Angeles. The new slate is comprised of five movies and five streaming series but as of release, only one project from the new slate, Superman: Legacy, was given a release date. Safran and Gunn took the time to explain just why that is.

    According to Variety, the DC Studios co-chairs are “adamant that films and series will not go into production until scripts are finished.” With Gunn working on the script for Superman: Legacy, he must feel comfortable enough with the progress he’s made to believe the film can go into production in the Summer of 2024.

    As for the rest of the projects revealed, Gunn and Safran hope to eventually roll out two films and two streaming series per year. The animated series Creature Commandoes and the live-action series Waller will stream before the theatrical release of Superman: Legacy and the plan, according to the co-chairs, is to have all 10 projects announced at the event to be released by the end of 2027. Where the DCU goes from there and what the interconnected storyline of it will remain to be seen.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Batman’ Writer Tom King Is Part of DC Studio’s Creative Team

    ‘Batman’ Writer Tom King Is Part of DC Studio’s Creative Team

    As successful as comic book movies are, there has always been a divide between the writers that create comics and the movies that are based on their comics. Royalties, attribution, and just overall recognition for comic creators have been a sore topic as of late. It makes the reveal that writer Tom King is included in the DC Studios writer’s room somewhat surprising.

    The news comes with the announcement of a live-action film Supergirl: Girl of Tomorrow, based on the acclaimed comic by King and artist Bilquis Everly, among many others. When asked to elaborate on the project, DC Studios co-president James Gunn had this to say:

    “We’re pretty far away from ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, other than knowing that Tom King’s books are the basis of the story.” King is part of the writers room that Gunn and Safran have assembled.

    King has garnered both praise and controversy for his work on Batman and Mister Miracle. His involvement with the DCU bodes well for the cinematic universe’s future as he is one of the best comic writers working today.

    Source: The Wrap

  • James Gunn Speaks Out on the Next 4 DC Projects and the Big DC Reset

    James Gunn Speaks Out on the Next 4 DC Projects and the Big DC Reset

    Peter Safran and James Gunn‘s vision for the new DCU will kick off with the animated series Creature Commandoes, continue in the streaming series Waller and begin in earnest in 2025’s Superman: Legacy. However, there are four projects left over from the old regime that are set to debut before DC Studios projects begin rolling out. At a press event in Los Angeles, Gunn explained how those projects were viewed and what potential futures they might have.

    “We will say that we’ve gotten very lucky with the next four projects,” said Gunn. “Shazam 2’ is coming out. ‘Shazam’ is kind of off to itself. But then ‘Shazam’ leads into ‘Flash’ and ‘The Flash’ resets everything. I will say here that ‘The Flash’ is probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made,” he added. “It’s an amazing film and then it goes into ‘Blue Beetle,’ which is awesome. That has its own world and that fits directly into our DCU which goes into ‘Aquaman’ which will then lead into ‘Superman’ and the other projects that we’ll talk about in a moment.“

    Co-chair Peter Safran then chimed in with some interesting thoughts.

    These four movies are terrific. There’s no reason why any of the characters and the actors playing those characters are not part of the DCU. There’s nothing that prohibits that from happening. There is no reason why all the people you mentioned couldn’t be part of the DC. We just haven’t decided what the story that we want to tell that incorporates Shazam or Aquaman.

    Peter Safran

    So while the new vision for the DCU takes shape, there’s still room for some of the old guard, including Aquaman star Jason Momoa. Now whether or not those potential stories would be part of the main continuity or fall under the newly revealed DC Elseworlds designation remains to be seen, but the opportunity exists for more stories which is something that recently seemed unlikely.

    Source: The Wrap

  • Matt Reeves ‘The Batman: Part II’ Gets Release Date, New Designation

    Matt Reeves ‘The Batman: Part II’ Gets Release Date, New Designation

    As part of DC Studios’ big slate rollout, the sequel to 2022’s The Batman was given an official release date and an interesting new designation. The film, The Batman: Part II, will release in theaters on October 3, 2025 under the banner of DC Elseworlds.

    The new DCU will be a functional multiverse but projects which are not in the same continuity as projects like Superman: Legacy and The Brave and The Bold will be designated as DC Elseworlds stories, a designation taken straight from the comics. DC co-chair Peter Safran explained the concept during a press event in Los Angeles.

    The DCU, as we can see it, is a multiverse. But we’re going to be focusing on one universe within that multiverse. We’ll incorporate, as I said, some of the actors and characters from the past but mostly we’re going to cast new. Now if something is not DCU – if it’s blatantly adult like Todd Phillips’ ‘Joker’ or Matt Reeves’ ‘Batman’ or ‘Teen Titans Go,’ those properties we’re going to label clearly as DC Elseworlds just like the comics do. We’re going to be very clear. The bar is going to be very high for projects that are going to be outside the DCU, the Elseworlds projects, but every now and again, there’ll be something that lives up to that. And we’ll make that film or television series.

    Peter Safran

    While its likely that most projects approved by Gunn and Safran will fall in the main continuity of the DCU, the Elseworlds designation will provide an interesting path forward for creator driven projects such as Joker and The Batman in the future.

    Source: The Wrap

  • DC Studios Pulls Back the Curtain on Its New Slate

    DC Studios Pulls Back the Curtain on Its New Slate

    The future of the DC Universe is starting to take shape. At January 30th press event in Los Angeles, DC Studios co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran shared the first details of the new slate of projects which includes 5 films and 5 streaming series. Among the projects introduced was Superman: Legacy, written by Gunn, The Brave and The Bold, which will feature the live-action debut of Damian Wayne, and a streaming series featuring Amanda Waller. The projects make up the first half of DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters and will release over the next several years. Here’s a full breakdown of what fans have to look forward to.

    Superman: Legacy

    Gunn’s Superman film is set to hit theaters on July 11, 2025. In late 2022, Gunn called the character a “huge priority” for the new DC Universe. Gunn has always been a fan of the character and his film, which will focus on a younger version of the character, will establish Superman as a major player in the plans for the DCU in what Gunn calls the true beginning of the DCU.

    “This is really the start of the DCU. It’s currently being written by James and I sincerely hope that he can be persuaded, perhaps, to direct it as well,” Safran said.

    Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

    Kara Zor-El will be featured in a film based on Tom King’s series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. It’s unknown if Sasha Calle will reprise the role from The Flash.

    The Brave and The Bold

    Not to be confused with Matt Reeves’ Batman projects which now fall under the Elseworlds category, The Brave and The Bold will introduce a new Batman who will share the screen with his son, Damian Wayne. The film will be based on Grant Morrison’s Batman run. Gunn calls this the beginning of the Bat Family in the DCU.

    Paradise Lost

    A streaming series set on Themiscyra before the birth of Wonder Woman, Paradise Lost will be “about the political intrigue behind a society of all women.” Gunn calls it Game of Thrones but on Paradise Island!

    Booster Gold

    Shortly after taking the job as co-chair, Gunn revealed that Booster Gold was the character most commonly requested by fans interacting with him on Mastodon. Those fans should be thrilled as a Booster Gold series is in the works at DC Studios and will stream on HBO Max.

    Creature Commandos

    An animated series based on a group of character who made their first appearance in Weird War Tales #93, Creature Commandos is already in production and will be the first projectfrom the new slate to debut. The seven episode series was written by Gunn.

    Waller

    Amanda Waller has played a part in Gunn’s two previous DC entires, The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, and now “The Wall” will be featured in her own streaming series. Viola Davis will be back in the role and the series will serve as a bridge between the Seasons 1 and 2 of Peacemaker.

    Lanterns

    Iconic Lanterns Hal Jordan and Jonathan Stewart will be the focus of a streaming series. The series takes the place of the “space opera” Green Lantern series that was originally in development. Gunn describes the HBO series as a terrestrial based TV show in the vein of True Detective. The two Lanterns will discover a terrifying mystery that ties into the DCU’s overarching narrative.

    Swamp Thing

    The DCU will introduce The Green in a Swamp Thing origin film.

    The Authority

    Based on Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch‘s Wildstorm imprint series which was picked up by some of comics’ most well-regarded creators over the years, The Authority will introduce audiences to a no-nonense group of heroes including Superman and Batman analogs Apollo and Midnighter.

    Source: THR

  • Dave Bautista Fancasts Himself in the New DCU

    Dave Bautista Fancasts Himself in the New DCU

    Dave Bautista may not be playing Bane in the new DC Universe, but there’s one character on his list that may make for an intriguing fit. In an interview with Comic Book, the former wrestler revealed that he’s up to portray one of DC’s most iconic villains.

    Comic Book’s Chris Killian recently pointed out a bit of a resemblance between Bautista and DC mega villain Lex Luthor.

    Bautista responded to Killian’s post by saying, “I never thoughy about that! And now I’m not going be able to stop thinking about it.” When asked about his response to the post, Bautista expanded on his original thought.

    I just never thought about playing that character. As soon as I saw that picture of myself next to Lex Luthor I was like, ‘Man, that’s really interesting.’ It’s interesting to me. I’d be totally up for that, James Gunn.

    Dave Bautista

    Though there’s been no official confirmation that Luthor will be part of DC’s new slate of projects, it’s hard to believe Gunn won’t work the character into the DCU somehow. As for the possibility of Bautista playing the character, Gunn has said that he hopes to work with Bautista and his fellow Guardians of the Galaxy stars on some DC projects meaning there’s some potential for it to happen.

    Source: Comic Book