Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: DCU Movies

  • DC Studios Latest Streaming Project Brings the Legion of Doom One Step Closer to the DCU

    DC Studios Latest Streaming Project Brings the Legion of Doom One Step Closer to the DCU

    As the all-new, all-different DCU continues to add projects to its upcoming lineup, fans continue to search for clues as to the nature of whatever large-scale crossover project its first chapter, Gods and Monsters, is building toward. Originally intended to be comprised of at least 10 projects, all of which DC Studios’ co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran had hoped to release by the end of 2027. While nothing is impossible, with many of those projects facing developmental delays, it’s likely the goal posts have moved. And so has the composition of the slate.

    With projects such as The Brave and the Bold, Paradise Lost and Waller coming together slowly, other projects have jumped them in the queue. Though the DCU’s Batman has yet to be cast, director James Watkins‘ Clayface looks to be tasked with introducing the DCU’s Gotham and, perhaps, its villains. And the latest project to be announced, the Superman spinoff DC Crime, will also serve as a way to introduce additional DC supervillains into the DCU.

    According to prior reports, DC Crime–which will feature Skyler Gisando‘s Jimmy Olsen–will be an anthology that would feature the character as he investigates supervillains for the Daily Planet. The first season of the fictional true crime series, written by Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, will reportedly feature Gorilla Grodd, a classic Flash baddie but also a key member of a group of villains that might just show up down the road.

    First introduced in ABC’s Challenge of the Superfriends in 1978, the Legion of Doom has since appeared across multiple mediums and become a staple of supervillainy for DC. Originally assembled by Lex Luthor, the Legion consisted of 13 baddies from the rogues galleries of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash and Green Lantern. Gorilla Grodd is indeed counted as one of the original 13 and is the third member of the Legion set to pop up in the DCU, joining Luthor and Green Lantern villain Sinestro, who will be played by Ulrich Thomsen in Lanterns.

    With Gunn’s next film in the Superman Saga, Man of Tomorrow, seemingly set to introduce Brainiac and theories that Superman‘s secondary villain, Ultraman, might return to the DCU as a Bizzaro-ized Supes dupe, the number of LoD members could climb quickly. Thinking out loud, additional members such as Toyman, Scarecrow, Riddler and Captain Cold could easily be introduced in future seasons of DC Crime, leaving just a few characters such as Black Manta, Giganta, Cheetah and Solomon Grundy for other projects (looking at you, Waller).

    Given what we know about Gunn‘s sensibilities, it seems reasonable to wonder if he was a fan of Challenge of the Superfriends; if so, it’s possible he’s planning to continue to find ways to work the characters into the DCU ahead of what could be an incredible big screen crossover featuring the Justice League and the Legion of Doom, complete with a Hall of Doom hidden in Slaughter Swamp. It wouldn’t be the weirdest choice…

  • DC Studios ‘Supergirl’Reportedly Making Radical Changes to Its Villain

    DC Studios ‘Supergirl’Reportedly Making Radical Changes to Its Villain

    In September 2024, Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts landed the villainous role of Krem of the Yellow Hills in DC Studios’ Supergirl. The central antagonist of the celebrated 2021 DC comic book miniseries, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, upon which the upcoming film’s script was based, Krem was a ruthless, intergalactic outlaw whose monstrous actions propelled the entire story. Though certainly barbaric, Krem was otherwise a regular-looking, run-of-the-mill ginger alien. It sounds as though the villain will be radically changed for his DCU debut, however.

    According to insider Daniel Richtman, who recently shared some positive feedback about the 2026 film, the DCU version of Krem “looks more like a monster”  and “[carries] dead alien rats with him to eat.”

    In our story, we have Superman who was sent to Earth and raised by incredibly loving parents. Kara was on Krypton. She was on a piece of Krypton that drifted away from the planet and she lived there for the first fourteen years of her life in a horrible situation where she watched everyone around her die. So, she’s a much harsher and more fucked up Supergirl than you’ve been used to thus far.

    -James Gunn

    While we’ll have to wait until seeing the film to discern whether or not the change to Krem makes much of a difference, making a villain a little more destestable is never a bad thing. Additionally, Krem isn’t exactly a household villain, which means the studio is unlikely to get too much pushback from lifelong Krem fans. DC Studios’ co-CEO James Gunn has described Supergirl as “a little more rock and roll” than Superman, which leaves some room for exploring the wilder side of the DCU, including Lobo, who will be played by Jason Momoa, who will be cosplaying as Jason Momoa.

    Supergirl hits theaters on June 26, 2026.

  • James Gunn Confirms Another ‘Superman’ Star Will Return in ‘Man of Tomorrow’

    James Gunn Confirms Another ‘Superman’ Star Will Return in ‘Man of Tomorrow’

    James Gunn has made it clear that Superman‘s strong performance took a significant amount of heat off of him and the DCU, allowing both to breathe and Gunn to look ahead. And it didn’t take Gunn long to reveal his next project: Man of Tomorrow, the next installment in his Superman Saga, which will hit theaters on July 9, 2027.

    Announced via social media on September 3, Man of Tomorrow will see Superman stars David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult reprise their respective roles and, it seems, team up against an as-yet-unrevealed threat. Though additional cast has not been officially revealed, Gunn teased that the film would feature characters from “within the group of characters we’ve already met,” leading to speculation that the Justice Gang might appear. Indeed, Isabel Merced teased that possibility shortly after Gunn‘s announcement, but Gunn has been tight-lipped about what other characters will appear in the film…until now.

    In response to a question on Threads, Gunn confirmed that Rachel Brosnahan will return as Lois Lane for Man of Tomorrow in an “important role.”

    Given the importance of her role in Superman and in the character’s long history in DC Comics, it’s unsurprising that Brosnahan will return for Man of Tomorrow; in fact, it’s likely she’ll be a key player in the entire Superman Saga and, perhaps, play a role in the larger, overall narrative of the DCU.

  • ‘Superman’ Co-Star Teases ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Role

    ‘Superman’ Co-Star Teases ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Role

    James Gunn announced that the next film in his Superman Saga, Man of Tomorrow, is slated for a July 9, 2027 theatrical debut, showing off artwork teasing the potential team up of David Corenswet‘s Superman and Nicholas Hoult‘s Lex Luthor. Gunn previously teased that Superman would share the screen with characters from “within the group of characters we’ve already met,” in the DCU. Now it seems as though we know who at least one more of those will be.

    Superman star Isabela Merced, who debuted as the DCU’s Hawkgirl shared Gunn’s social media post in an Instagram story she captioned “See You Soon.”

    I’m totally done with the treatment. My treatments are incredibly intense. They’re not regular treatments. They’re 60-page treatments with dialogue and everything,” Gunn devulged. “And so, now I’m just turning that into a script. We’re planning out when we’re going to shoot that. It’s going to be much sooner rather than later.

    -James Gunn

    Should Merced, who also briefly reprised her role in Season 2 of Peacemaker, indeed be returning for the film, it is very likely she’ll be accompanied by Edi Gathegi‘s Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion‘s Guy Gardner and Anthony Carrigan‘s Metamorpho, all members of the Maxwell Lord-sponsored Justice Gang.

    Updating…

  • ‘Clayface’ Props Reveal Key Locations in the DCU’s Gotham

    ‘Clayface’ Props Reveal Key Locations in the DCU’s Gotham

    In 2020, Liverpool, England was transformed into Gotham as director Matt Reeves filmed scenes for The Batman. Five years later, as production on DC Studios’ Clayface gets underway, Liverpool is once again serving as Gotham City, set this time, however, in the all-new DCU.

    As was the case with the DCU’s Superman, which saw Cleveland become Metropolis, DC Studios is taking great care to make sure its Gotham is FULL of Easter eggs, nods and comic accurate inclusions. Most interestingly, a map of Gotham City has been spotted on set and it is complete with key locations such as Wayne Manor, Ace Chemical, The Monarch Theater, Crime Alley, Arkham and the Kane Memorial Bridge.

    While this map is unlikely to serve as anything more than something to see in the background, the references to the Joker, the Penguin, Batman and the Kane family stand out as fans get their first look at a Gotham in which the Dark Knight has likely been active for a significant amount of time.

    Fans of the comics may note the map is all but identical to the one created in the 1999 Batfamily crossover event, Batman: No Man’s Land. While it’s unlikely that story will be adapted into Clayface, it’s a notable choice as it’s a different map than the one used in The Batman and with fans still searching for reasons to believe Clayface will be set in the Reeves-verse, this may be a strike against that.

  • James Gunn Explains How ‘Peacemaker’ Forced ‘Superman’ to Digital So Soon

    James Gunn Explains How ‘Peacemaker’ Forced ‘Superman’ to Digital So Soon

    After an incredibly short 35-day theatrical window, DC Studios Superman is now available to rent or purchase on digital platforms. Though the film hasn’t been pulled from theaters, fans were caught off guard earlier this week when the August 15th digital debut was announced; however, it turns out there’s a pretty logical reason behind the first film in the Superman Saga heading to small screens so soon.

    “Well, it’s very complicated, but the truth is it is because of Peacemaker,” Gunn explained in an interview with Screen Rant. The DC Studios co-chair previously stated that “Peacemaker season 2 is very connected to Superman,” though now it sounds as though watching the Man of Steel’s DCU debut may be required reading for the new season of John Cena‘s streaming series.

    -Photo courtesy of WB Media Pass

    I originally thought Peacemaker was going to be coming out next month [September]. There was a lot of things that are beyond our control, so that Peacemaker is coming out now, and, at the end of the day, I wanted everyone to be able to see Superman that wanted to, even those people who couldn’t get to a theater before Peacemaker. And that’s really the reason for it.

    -James Gunn

    Reading between the lines of Gunn’s comments, it sounds as though Warner Bros. Discovery made the decision to release Season 2 of Peacemaker in August, scuttling the original plans for Superman‘s digital release. In all reality, the quick turnaround is unlikely to cause much harm to the box office total of the film and will more than likely spur another round of social media hype as fans who hadn’t seen it in theaters check in.

    Peacemaker Season 2 debuts on HBO Max.

    Source: Screen Rant

  • ‘Superman’ Featurette May Have Revealed the Villain of James Gunn’s ‘Super-Family’ Film

    ‘Superman’ Featurette May Have Revealed the Villain of James Gunn’s ‘Super-Family’ Film

    During a recent earnings call with Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders, WB CEO David Zaslav celebrated the successful release of DC Studios first feature film, Superman, and teased “an ambitious, 10-year plan of interconnected sequels and spinoffs,” for the all-new, all-different DCU.

    “The DC vision is clear, the momentum is real. I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead,” said Zaslav, before teasing one of those “interconnected spinoffs,” that he called the “next movie in the Super-Family,” which he confirmed would be written and directed by DC Studios co-chair James Gunn.

    Gunn has teased the project on social media for some time, revealing it would star David Corenswet while never referring to it as a “true” sequel. Zaslav’s comments sparked a wave of theories about what the film might ultimately be but now a behind-the-scenes featurette, Adventures in the  Making of Superman, may have given away the film’s co-star and villain.

    https://youtu.be/a5dOvnWVYB4?t=137&si=8xidGExEI933lH1C

    At the 2:17 mark of the featurette, a storyboard for an unused scene comes into view for a couple of seconds as Gunn describes his love for “the Superman family comics.” The storyboard features Superman, Supergirl and Krypto flying but a closer look at the bottom corner reveals the head of one of the House of El’s greatest enemies: Brainiac.

    That scene clearly never made it into Superman nor did Brainiac; however, it’s entirely possible that the idea from what was likely an earlier draft of the film was removed and has been developed by Gunn for the “Super(man)-Family” film Zaslav mentioned. Gunn had previously revealed that the villain “was considered” for Superman and with Supergirl hitting theaters in 2026, it wouldn’t take much to give some background to Brainiac’s fascination with Kryptonions and reveal that he visited Krypton before it was destroyed and shrunk and stole the capital city of Kandor.

    Of course, there’s some chance it could have been a random inclusion but by letting it linger on screen while discussing the House of El, it certainly seems like an intentional tease.

  • James Gunn Addresses the Status of DC Studios ‘Swamp Thing’

    James Gunn Addresses the Status of DC Studios ‘Swamp Thing’

    When James Gunn and Peter Safran pulled back the curtain to reveal their initial plans for DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters in January 2023, there were plenty of surprises. While the DC Studios’ co-chairs intended to–and in fact did–launch the new connected universe with one of comic’s greatest characters, Superman (originally titled Superman: Legacy), the slate also included projects featuring some DC Comics characters that aren’t necessarily household names.

    One such project announced to be in development was a Swamp Thing feature film with James Mangold attached to direct. Described by Safran as a horror film intended to “investigate the dark origins” of the character, the film was said to be “tonally different” than other DCU fare while still being “interconnected” to the rest of the slate.

    That slate has changed considerably, however, since being announced, leaving fans to wonder if many projects, Swamp Thing among them, are still being developed. In an interview with Josh. Horowitz, Gunn was asked to update the status of Swamp Thing and revealed that for the time being, the project is still being worked on.

    “We talked to James (Mangold) the other day. No, he hasn’t delivered a script. He’s been distracted with his billion of movies,” said Gunn. “We’re talking about it again.”

    One of those films distracting Mangold may be his Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi movie which was recently said to have been coming together relatively quickly and moved ahead of the Daisy Ridley-led Star Wars: New Jedi Order project. If that’s the case, it’s highly unlikely that Swamp Thing finds its way into theaters at any point within the next two years which was the original plan for the first ten projects revealed in 2023. However, with a Wonder Woman film gathering momentum at the studio, it seems the focus has somewhat shifted toward getting DC’s Trinity and other heavy hitters to the screen sooner than expected, while still leaving room for other projects such as Clayface or Sgt. Rock.

    Source: Happy Sad Confused

  • Wonder Woman Casting: The Search for a New DCU Star

    Wonder Woman Casting: The Search for a New DCU Star

    The future of the all-new DCU was riding on the successful launch of James Gunn‘s Superman. As the new film , which was a hit with audiences and critics, closes in on $200 million at the domestic box office, it seems safe to say that, at least for now, the future is secure… though it certainly won’t look much like the original plan laid out by Gunn and SC Studios’ co-chair Peter Safran.

    While Supergirl and Lanterns, which were both included in the first look at the studio’s Gods and Monsters slate, are on track for release in 2026, they’ll be joined by Clayface, a true horror film, which only took shape over the past year. Beyond that, projects such as Booster Gold, Swamp Thing and Paradise Lost, seem to have lost all creative momentum; however, there’s no shortage of ideas in the queue and it sounds as though one of them is starting to move ahead quickly.

    After a recent report by Variety claimed that a Wonder Woman movie was being fast tracked at DC Studios, longtime industry insider Umberto Gonzalez has added fuel to that fire. According to Gonzalez, who recently appeared on The Box Office Podcast, the studio has begun the search for an actress to portray the DCU’s Princess Diana of Themyscira.

    Gonzalez indicated that Gunn and Safran are following the same plan that led them to Milly Alcock as the shared universe’s Supergirl and are looking for a not-so-household name with a TV-heavy resume rather than an actress with a background in big studio fare. It’s a new age at the box office and it appears that saving salary will be a primary concern as the new studio gets up and running.

    For his part, Gunn has confirmed that Wonder Woman is in development, though he certainly has not given any indication it has been fast tracked. “I mean, it’s not going to be until the scripts are ready,” Gunn said recently when asked about when fans might expect to see Batman and Wonder Woman join Superman in the DCU. “So, both the scripts (The Brave and the Bold and Wonder Woman) are being written now, and, if they’re good, then we’ll go into production immediately.”

    Given Gunn’s recent comments that one planned film was abandoned because the writer could not put together a good script, the news is equal measures good and not so good; however, the studio is unlikely to bail on a member of the Trinity, meaning a new Wonder Woman film WILL happen, even if we can’t say when just yet.

    Source: The Box Office Podcast

  • David Krumholtz ‘Supergirl’ Role May Tease Traumatic Flashbacks to Krypton’s Final Days

    David Krumholtz ‘Supergirl’ Role May Tease Traumatic Flashbacks to Krypton’s Final Days

    With the additions of David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham, DC Studios’ Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow has begun to build its supporting cast. Though original reports of their casting indicated that Krumholtz and Beecham were playing Supergirl’s parents, it was unclear if the pair alhad signed on to play Zor-El and Alura In-Ze, the Kryptonian parents of Kara, or Jeremiah and Eliza Danvers, her adoptive Earth parents. That’s no longer in question.

    Following the trade report, Krumholtz took to Instagram to celebrate the news, calling it a “mindblowing privilege” to join the DCU while clarifying he had been cast as Zor-El.

    Based on Tom King‘s limited comic book series of the same name, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow follows Kara across the galaxy as she attempts to find a renewed purpose. It’s unclear just how one-to-one DC Studios’ adaptation of the book will be but Krumholtz‘s role as Zor-El may be relatively small if it’s similar to the role played by the character in King’s work. In the comic, Zor-El and Alura appeared as Kara recalled her final days in Argo City as her father prepared to send her away to save her life.

    Given that Superman will not include Kal-El ‘s origin story, it’s possible that Kara’s memories of her home planet may be the first time it is seen in the DCU. It’ll also be interesting to see what James Gunn and Peter Safran have in mind for Zor-El, who in recent years has become a cyborg under the control of Brainiac.

    Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is expected in theaters on June 26, 2026.