Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: DC Movies

  • ‘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

  • ‘Constantine 2’: How Keanu Reeves Led the Charge for the Sequel

    ‘Constantine 2’: How Keanu Reeves Led the Charge for the Sequel

    Fans of 2005’s Constantine have eagerly awaited a sequel and now the resurgence of Keanu Reeves as John Constantine is finally underway, with Francis Lawrence back as director. Reeves expressed his love for the character and eagerness to collaborate with Lawrence again.

    I don’t know if it was unfinished business but it was definitely a role that I loved. And I thought that Francis Lawrence, the director, did such amazing work. I loved playing that character, and I really enjoyed the film. I was like, [adopts Oliver Twist voice] ‘Can I please have some more?

    Keanu Reeves

    In a recent interview with Total Film magazine, Reeves spoke of his excitement for the upcoming project, though he remains cautious and aware of the unpredictable nature of the industry. Despite initial criticism from hardcore comic fans, Constantine has earned a strong following, attaining a 72% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and was a financial success, generating a global box office total of $250 million on a $100 million budget.

    The announcement of Constantine 2 was one of the first by Warner Bros. Discovery in 2022. However, prior plans for a slate of HBO Max original projects featuring “dark” DC characters were canceled following the merger. Regardless, Reeves sees this as a new opportunity to bring the character back to life in a new and exciting manner.

    It’s exciting. It’s almost like an open playground that we can hopefully cook something up and play in, and I guess get out of the playground and prepare a meal… But I’m looking forward to it, and hopefully it can happen. You don’t know how these things go. But I’m definitely going to try my darndest to try and realize that dream.

    – Keanu Reeves

    Though Reeves himself isn’t sure if the film will be made, fans eagerly await the return of the beloved actor as John Constantine and to see what the future holds for this beloved character.

    Source: Total Film

  • James Gunn Opens Up on Potential Recasting ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Actors for DC

    James Gunn Opens Up on Potential Recasting ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Actors for DC

    James Gunn is now the new co-CEO of DC Studios. After the franchise was coming apart at the seams with various dramas happening behind the scenes, there was hope that this would finally push the project forward. The long-established actor has also built up a network of actors he tends to work with on various projects, which has led to some concern that he’ll primarily rely on familiar characters.

    Luckily, Gunn has been no stranger to openly reacting to statements on Twitter to offer some insight into how he is approaching this daunting task. When people shared their concern about simply recasting Guardians of the Galaxy actors, Gunn pointed out that his true focus is to ensure that “the actor fits the role and they’re easy to work with” when he’ll cast someone new or familiar in the DC Studios project.

    It’s not surprising that a director would also want to bring on actors he has a past with to join a franchise he’s supervising. He’s worked with a variety of actors throughout his career and very likely has an idea of who might be perfect for a specific role. Plus, it’s not like he hasn’t already brought in new actors like with John Cena taking on the role of Peacemaker.

    There’s also the aspect that once they find directors to tackle the various projects they are working on. Once more creatives join the franchise, they’ll have more opinions exploring how their take on a classic DC character may require a different type of talent. So, once things truly take shape, we’ll get a better picture of what the future has in store.

    Source: Twitter

  • Jason Momoa Teases Big News With DC Studios

    Jason Momoa Teases Big News With DC Studios

    DC Studios is currently preparing to reveal its big plans for the future, and it appears Aquaman star Jason Momoa might actually be part of them. In a recent post to social media, the lovable heartthrob documented himself leaving a meeting at Warner Bros., shouting in excitement and claiming he had just received “really good news”. The actor stated the reason behind his elation was still a DC Studios secret but hinted strongly that it was about his next few years with the company. Before closing out the video, Momoa went on to thank studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, as well as Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, for whatever they had just discussed.

    After debuting as the character in a 2016 Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice cameo appearance, Momoa went on to portray the King of Atlantis in both versions of Justice League, both Aquaman solo films, and the television series Peacemaker. When news broke that Gunn and Safran planned to scrap the current DC Extended Universe and restart with their own cinematic world, however, it seemed Momoa‘s tenure as Aquaman had come to an end. Some reports claimed Gunn wanted the one-time Conan the Barbarian lead to stick around as another character, the intergalactic mercenary Lobo, but no official word ever dropped regarding the actor’s future with DC. Now, it seems he’s in it for the long run. What role he will play, though, remains a mystery.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘The Batman’ Director Wants to Keep the Focus on Bruce Wayne in the Sequel

    ‘The Batman’ Director Wants to Keep the Focus on Bruce Wayne in the Sequel

    Now, the headline is likely to have some wondering how a sequel to the film The Batman wouldn’t focus on Bruce Wayne, but director Matt Reeves has a good reason for that. His approach to the sequel seems to avoid the fact that the franchise’s main character isn’t overshadowed by the villains or members of his rogue’s gallery.

    It’s not uncommon for some of the villains to steal the show in the Batman franchise, especially with the Joker in The Dark Knight. As such, he is trying to keep Bruce Wayne at the “emotional center of the story.” In a way, the villains should be there to strengthen the character’s story rather than completely overtake it, as their backstory and central themes become the narrative focus point.

    To me, the thing that I really feel is that I also believe that Rob [Pattinson] is so special in the role. My goal has always been to do these point-of-view stories that allow the character to always be the emotional center of the story. Because a lot of times what happens is, after you do the first one, then suddenly other Rogues Gallery characters come in, and they kind of take over, and then Batman takes a backseat sort of character-wise, or emotionally

    Matt Reeves

    It’s a great approach to thoroughly explore Bruce Wayne and Batman’s duality in the story. The villains are there to enforce the central message but the emotional journey is always on Wayne. Christopher Nolan‘s take on the franchise tried to keep Bruce’s conflict in choosing which kind of life he wants to live. We’ll have to wait a bit longer until we find out how exactly he plans to anchor the story around Pattinson‘s take on the character.

    Source: Collider

  • RUMOR: ‘The Flash’ Reshoots Scheduled for This Month

    RUMOR: ‘The Flash’ Reshoots Scheduled for This Month

    The Flash has had one of the most out-there productions we may have witnessed for any comic book property or even film. Not only was the film in development hell for many years, it got passed on from one director to the next. At one point, it seemed inevitable that they’d skip the project altogether but surprisingly It director Andrés Muschietti ended up taking the helm.

    Finally, with a director in place and filming underway, its main star, Ezra Miller, started to gather one troubling headline after another. His actions had many wondering if they could even release the project considering his actions, but even after its merger, Warner Bros. Discovery was keen on getting the project out.

    In a new tweet from Big Screen Leaks, it seems like the film may be planning some reshoots later this month. They do point out that this isn’t to change the ending, something some expected might be done to recast Miller with another actor to avoid further drama. It seems like these are some minor pickup shots, which we’ve also seen Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania do recently.

    The long-awaited film is set to release on June 16th this year and it does seem like we shouldn’t expect another sudden delay in the production; at least as long as no sudden new headlines make the rounds. Here’s hoping we’ll finally get to sit down and see what DC’s approach to the multiverse is going to look like when it finally releases.

    Source: Twitter

  • Matt Reeves Provides Update on ‘The Batman’ Sequel Script

    Matt Reeves Provides Update on ‘The Batman’ Sequel Script

    The landscape of Warner’s DC films has been in major upheaval since James Gunn and Peter Safran were hired as co-CEOs to oversee the newly formed DC Studios. Various projects, including Wonder Woman 3 and a sequel to Black Adam, have been scrapped in favor of a fresh start for the new executive creative team. One project that has remained on the slate following these changes, however, is the upcoming sequel to The Batman. It’s confirmed that the Matt Reeves-directed 2022 film will be the first in a new saga overseen by the filmmaker which will exist in a universe that will apparently be separate from whatever creative direction Gunn and Safran lead at DC Studios.

    One notable question from audiences is when they should expect this new film. In a recent interview, Reeves provided an update on the status of his new script for The Batman’s sequel.

    I mean, I can’t give an update on that in terms of specifics, except to tell you that we are hard at work on the script. My partner (Mattson Tomlin) and I are deep in it and I’m excited about what we’re going to do.

    Matt Reeves

    Ultimately, there isn’t too much to glean from this specific quote about Matt Reeves’ new film. The notion that the film is deep in the scripting phase indicates that audiences shouldn’t expect to see Robert Pattinson return as the Caped Crusader in the immediate future.

    Fans of the well-received 2022 superhero film will be able to return to Gotham City before then, however; The Penguin is set to begin filming throughout 2023, which means a 2024 release for the Colin Farrell-led is likely. Meanwhile, shows based around the Gotham City Police Department and Arkham Asylum are in development at HBO Max.

    Source: Comicbook.com