Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: dc studios

  • DC Studios’ Co-Chair’s ‘Lanterns’ Tease Has Reignited a Very Exciting Rumor

    DC Studios’ Co-Chair’s ‘Lanterns’ Tease Has Reignited a Very Exciting Rumor

    James Gunn may still be very busy working on making sure Superman is ready for theaters in 2025 but as the man in charge of the entire creative vision of the DCU, he has to make time for other projects as well. He’s already done some work behind the camera on Season 2 of Peacemaker and helped get Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow up and running for a 2024 start of production but a new tease on social media may indicate he’s also making some headway on another project.

    At various times across multiple social media platforms, Gunn posted a relatively innocent piece of art featuring the Power Ring of a Green Lantern. However, what’s more interesting is who was paying attention to the post.

    While not much is known about Lanterns, one of the more intriguing rumors about the series was that it was set to be written by Tom King while Damon Lindelof would serve as an executive producer. While we’re certainly in no position to confirm anyone’s involvement, it is of note that Lindelof made a point to like the post.

    Described by DC Studios’ co-chair Peter Safran as a “terrestrial-based investigation story” in the vein of True Detective, Lanterns certainly sounds like a project right up King‘s alley. According to Gunn, the show will feature Lanterns who “find this ancient horror on Earth, and these guys are basically supercops on “Precinct Earth.” With a premise like that, Lanterns would certainly be within Lindelof’s range if not his sweet split as a creative.

    Whoever does end up making it, Lanterns will stream on Max when it’s ready to roll out.

  • Why Did You Say That Name? DC Studios Casts Its New Martha

    Why Did You Say That Name? DC Studios Casts Its New Martha

    As the James Gunn-produced Brightburn proved, a lot of shit can go wrong when a nigh-omnipotent alien crash lands on Earth and gets raised by some rubes. Fortunately for Kal-El–and everyone who lived on his fictional Earth–he was found and raised by a pair of rubes who believed in truth, justice and the American way. Jonathan and Martha Kent’s selfless and compassionate rearing of an alien baby gave Earth its greatest hero as their adopted son, Clark, grew into Superman. Given their importance in his story, Clark’s Earth parents have played a role in almost every adaptation of the hero’s story and it has now become apparent they will in the latest version of his story. Just a day after the revelation that Pruitt Taylor Vince was cast as Jonathan Kent, a trade report has disclosed the actress set to bring Martha “Ma” Kent to life in Superman.

    According to Umberto “El Mayimbe” Gonzalez, actress Neva Howell has been cast as Marth Kent in DC Studios’ Superman.

    The casting of Howell and Vince indicates that Gunn is embracing the idea of true salt-of-the-Earth, middle-America types for the adoptive Earth parents of David Corenswet’s Kal-El.

    DC Studios Superman is currently slated to fly into theaters on July 11, 2025.

    Source: The Wrap

  • James Gunn Confirms Production Has Begun on His Next DC Studios’ Project

    James Gunn Confirms Production Has Begun on His Next DC Studios’ Project

    Despite a dozen known projects being on it, DC Studios’ DCU slate is fairly undefined. Though Creature Commandos has been confirmed for a 2024 streaming debut, the only project with a known release date is Superman, which is currently in production ahead of its July 11, 2025 bow. It was originally believed that the streaming series Waller would hit Max in 2024; however, the 2023 WGA strike put a dent in those plans. With the scripts for Waller still being written by Jeremy Carver and Christal Henry, Season 2 of Peacemaker became next in line. Peacemaker star Jennifer Holland recently revealed cameras were set to roll on the John Cena-led series this summer but DC Studios co-chair James Gunn just surprised everyone with an update on the project.

    Production Is Underway on Season 2 of Peacemaker

    As is his way, Gunn–who confirmed he is directing some episodes of Peacemaker Season 2–took to social media to announce that production on the sophomore season of the streaming series had begun.

    The announcement comes as a bit of a shock as principal photography on Superman is ongoing; however, there’s no arguing with the man with the plan.

    Could Superman Appear in Peacemaker Season 2?

    One interesting possibility that arises from Peacemaker and Superman filming in the same spot at the same time under the watchful eye of the man directing both and in charge of the shared universe is a potential crossover. At some point, Peacemaker’s presence in the new DCU will have to be explained since the events of Season 1 predate the existence of the all-new, all-different universe. Given Gunn is the boss, having all the principal actors available together provides the perfect opportunity for the director to cross major task off his to-do list.

  • DC Studios Targeting Craig Gillespie to Direct Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’

    DC Studios Targeting Craig Gillespie to Direct Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’

    For some time now, it’s been believed that Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow would be the next DC Studios’ film to go before cameras. With a completed script and star Milly Alcock cast as Kara Zor-El, almost all the pieces have been in place to get production underway but one. And now, according to a trade report, that final piece has been found.

    Deadline is reporting that DC Studios has  Cruella director Craig Gillespie in its sights to helm the film. Should Gillespie sign on, the studio will look to begin principal photography before the end of 2024.

    Updating…

    Source: Deadline

  • New Rumor Reveals Lex Luthor’s Plan of Attack in DC Studios’ ‘Superman’

    New Rumor Reveals Lex Luthor’s Plan of Attack in DC Studios’ ‘Superman’

    Production on DC Studios’ Superman began just over a month ago and though little aside from the film’s design for the crest of the House of El has been officially revealed, rumored details about the plot have begun to trickle out. One of the more tantalizing tidbits to make the rounds is that star David Corenswet will be playing multiple versions of the character as Nicholas Hoult‘s Lex Luthor will team up with a dangerous doppelgänger in order to take on the Man of Steel. While that sounds dangerously close to the plot of the critically nuked 1987 film Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, director and DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn has stayed out of the online discourse, leading folks to believe it might just be true. Now, a new rumor has emerged online that gives a bit more information about Luthor’s plan in the film. If the rumor proves true, the details could be fairly spoilery so proceed at your own risk.

    According to online scoopster Can We Get Some Toast, Luthor’s plan to battle Kal-El in Superman revolves around the bald baddie using Kal’s DNA to create a corrupt clone of the hero! The idea, of course, is pulled straight from the comics where the concept has been explored multiple times, usually with Luthor’s clone being one take or another on Bizarro. However, Gunn’s take is rumored to give the clone a different identity, blending it with an evil, multiversal alternate Kal known as Ultraman.

    In the comics, Ultraman goes by Kal-II and is Earth 3’s version of the Last Son of Krypton. Ultraman is the complete antithesis of Superman: a being of pure evil who certainly does not value truth, justice and the American way. Gunn’s Superman has been described as “kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned,” so pitting him against an alternate version of himself that values none of that could provide for both an interesting commentary on modern society and a dangerous foe.

    Should this indeed be part of Luthor’s plot to defeat Superman, it would not be surprising to see him in league with Maria Gabrielle de Faria’s Angelica Spica, aka The Engineer, who Gunn has said will be a villain in Superman.

    Superman is currently slated to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.

  • 5 Alternate Versions of Kal-El Who Could Appear in ‘Superman’

    5 Alternate Versions of Kal-El Who Could Appear in ‘Superman’

    Buzz has grown that DC Studios’ Superman will feature some sort of evil doppelgänger of the Man of Steel that David Corenswet‘s Kal-El will have to take on. Is it true? Who knows? Also, who cares? This type of buzz around CBMs is part of the process and it’s always fun to play with the possibilities and so we present…

    5 Alternate Versions of Superman Who Could Appear in Superman!

    To be fair, not everyone on this list is truly an alternate universe Superman. Perhaps it’s more accurate to label some as copies or imitations of the real deal. Regardless of the description, the idea remains the same: a Supes vs. Supes type battle will ensue.

    Bizarro

    Certainly the most well-known alt Supes, El-Kal is probably not the odds-on- favorite to actually appear should these rumblings prove accurate. The idea of Nicholas Hoult‘s Lex Luthor already having been hard at work cloning Superman doesn’t seem to fit with what little is known about the film but a Bizarro World Bizarro does seem a bit more reasonable.

    Cyborg Superman

    The Snyderverse tackled xenophobia pretty well so the Hank Henshaw version of the character may not make his way into the DCU but as is almost always the case with DC’s stable of characters, there’s another option. Would Kal-El’s uncle, Zor-El, the father of Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, be an option? Kara is rumored to be showing up in Superman, so perhaps her believed-to-be-dead daddy could show up…but that wouldn’t require Corenswet to double up, as is the rumor. So maybe a full-on cyborg built by one of Kal’s enemies could do the trick.

    The Eradicator

    The buzz around a potential “second Superman” appearing in DC Studios’ Superman has grown steadily over the past few weeks. Nothing has been officially shared about James Gunn‘s 2025 film but with production underway, it’s possible that bits and pieces of the plot could have trickled out and the one heard the most is that David Corenswet will be playing two versions of Kal-El.

    A character who has been reinvented over the years, the most recent version of the Eradicator went head-to-head with Kal-El over his choice to father a human/Kryptonian hybrid, Jonathan Kent. They won’t work in Gunn’s Superman since Corenswet’s Kal is still in the early days of his heroic journey; however, the original idea of the Eradicator–as devised by Roger Stern and Curt Swan–as a creation intent on preserving Kryptonian culture by ERADICATING all non-Kryptonian cultures could work.

    Red Son

    In 2003, Mark Millar‘s Superman: Red Son brilliantly explored a “what if” scenario that revolves around baby Kal-El being found and raised by Russians rather than in Smallville. In Red Son, Lex Luthor uses some of Soviet Superman’s DNA to create “Superman Two”, an abomination of a clone who becomes weaponized by the U.S. government. Gunn could pull a switcheroo in Superman, having the Russians creating Супермен 2 to take on the original version. Gunn would certainly take some heat for coming so close to the plot of Superman IV but it would likely only come from people who never saw that movie anyway.

    Ultraman

    Outside of the Nazi version of Overman, Ultraman is the most despicable version of Kal-El in the Multiverse. The Kal-El of Earth-Three, Ultraman is truly the embodiment of everything Superman should never be. Selfish rather than selfless; heartless rather than compassionate; simply evil rather than purely good. Ultraman leads the Crime Syndicate, an evil version of the Justice League and is actually strengthened by exposure to kryptonite. Given what Gunn has said about his ideas for Superman in the film, Ultraman could be the best choice on this list for the film’s antagonist.

  • James Gunn Debunks Major DC Casting Rumor

    James Gunn Debunks Major DC Casting Rumor

    DC Studios co-chair James Gunn’s social media takedowns of would be scoopers has become the stuff of legend. Many online buzzmeisters, including yours truly, have had their hopes of breaking industry news dashed by Gunn. Now, Gunn has done it again in regards to a recent rumor about a major role in 2026’s The Batman Part II.

    Shortly before the news broke that the recently delayed sequel was set to begin production in April 2025, Medium shared “news” that Boyd Holbrook had been cast in the film as Harvey Dent. According to Gunn, there is no truth to that rumored casting, calling it “fake.”

    While Holbrook’s potential as Dent would have been intriguing, it’ll fall to someone else to bring the demented DA to life in Matt Reeves‘ Gotham-verse.

  • We May Now Know When ‘The Batman Part II’ Will Finally Begin Production

    We May Now Know When ‘The Batman Part II’ Will Finally Begin Production

    It’s been two years since Matt Reeves‘ brooding and brutal take on Batman hit big screens across the globe. However, even before The Batman opened in theaters, Reeves confirmed plans for a sequel were already coming together. Though it was made clear by producer Dylan Clark that the studio intended to take their time developing the sequel and that Reeves was going to be busy overseeing other projects set in the Gotham he brought to life, the eagerness of fans to see Robert Pattinson back in action as The World’s Greatest Detective has been tough to satiate.

    The wait for the Elseworlds’ sequel got a little longer recently when it was revealed that the writers’ strike had slowed development of the script. In order to give Reeves and co-writer Matt Tomlin time to put the finishing touches on the it, Warner Bros. moved the release date from October 3, 2025 to October 2, 2026. Now a new report from a trusted insider has revealed the a new timeline for the film’s production.

    According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, cameras are set to roll on The Batman Part II in April 2025.

    Sneider also reported that casting for the project isn’t expected to get underway until this Fall, casting additional doubt on the recent rumor that Boyd Holbrook had signed on to play Harvey Dent. At least fans can look forward to enjoying Colin Farrell‘s return as Oswald Cobblepot in the Max streaming series The Penguin which is set to debut this Fall.

    Source: The InSneider

  • RUMOR: ‘The Batman Part II’ Finds Its Two-Face

    RUMOR: ‘The Batman Part II’ Finds Its Two-Face

    It’s hard to imagine a live-action Batman film franchise without Harvey Dent. Indeed, iterations of the character have already inhabited the Burton-verse and Nolan-verse, helping the charismatic wild card join the Joker, the Riddler, the Penguin and Catwoman as household names among Batman’s rogues gallery. Rumors have persisted that Matt Reeves‘ The Batman Part II might feature the character and given the Gotham created by Reeves in 2022’s The Batman it’s easy to imagine Dent could play an integral role in the sequel. Now a rumor from an unfamiliar and unproven source suggests that DC Studios has found their man to fill the Elseworld’s role.

    A quick check of IMDB shows that a stunt double and a personal assistant for Boyd Holbrook are listed for The Batman Part II. According to Medium’s “source”, Holbrook has joined the cast as Harvey Dent, though they mention that DC has declined to comment. Of course, taken by itself, IMDB can be misleading if not entirely unreliable, and time will bear out the reliability of Medium as a source for breaking news.

    Previously, Josh Hartnett and Joel Edgerton had been rumored to be up for the role of Harvey Dent. With the release date having recently been moved forward a year to October 2, 2026, it’s possible that both of those of actors became unavailable, forcing DC to go looking for someone else to fill the role. According to Medium, that same release date shift allowed Holbrook’s schedule to be cleared up for the role.

    Source: Medium

  • DC Studios Shifts Its Streaming Slate

    DC Studios Shifts Its Streaming Slate

    Later this year, DC Studios will release the animated streaming series Creature Commandos, the first project of the all-new, all-different DCU. It’s been expected for some time that the next in-universe streamer would be Waller, which was originally on track to debut in 2024; however, according to an update from DC Studios co-chair James Gunn, that’s no longer the case.

    Following an interview in which Peacemaker co-star Jennifer Holland revealed that casting on the second season of the Max streaming series was set to kick off this Summer, Gunn took to Threads to clarify how production on the series would fit into his busy schedule. As was the case with the first season of Peacemaker, Gunn wrote the scripts for the second season which he confirmed have been completed. And though he’ll still be working on finishing up Superman, Gunn will still direct some episodes of Peacemaker Season 2, though likely not as many as he did in the first season where he helmed 5 episodes. The bigger news, however, was that due to the 2023 strikes, Waller is still being written by Jeremy Carver and Christal Henry and will now be released–and be set–after Peacemaker Season 2.

    Originally described as Peacemaker Season 1.5, Waller now finds itself in a new spot. With both Peacemaker Season 2 and Waller set within the same continuity as Creature Commandos and Superman, fans had been theorizing that Waller would serve to explain how characters such as John Cena‘s Peacemaker, John Economos and Waller herself made the jump into the new DCU. While it remains to be seen how that will be addressed if at all, it looks like that ball may now be in Peacemaker’s court.