TCTTS said:

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By all accounts, the movie itself is apparently pretty good. That said, while I hope Miller has turned his life around, I would be shocked if he stayed the course long enough to actually do multiple Flash movies beyond this summer. Either way, I don't at all understand why WB/DC would want to take that chance unless The Flash is just so incredibly great that they don't want to "waste" it.

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yeah, even if Miller behaves perfectly from now until then and the movie is a hit, if I'm DC, I'm thanking my lucky stars it held together, but I'm cashing out those chips and moving on. after the last few years, there's no way i'm signing up for more

They have the perfect vehicle (The Flash movie, itself) to recast the role.

Dwayne Johnson Talks “Desire To Succeed, & Guts To Fail” While Hitting Back At DC Rejection Piece https://t.co/M1UG2DqgZw pic.twitter.com/rFChyfQgCA

— The Playlist (@ThePlaylistNews) January 6, 2023

The new trailer for ‘SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS’ will be released at the end of this month. pic.twitter.com/bqX8p2grrN

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 10, 2023

I love Zach Levi and want him to succeed in everything he does. Hope it makes enough money that he gets the next big thing coming his way since I'm sure Gunn will pull the plug on Shazam 2 days after the movie comes out.

Weird editing on the trailer. Feels like I saw the whole movie in chronological order.

The Porkchop Express said:

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I love Zach Levi and want him to succeed in everything he does. Hope it makes enough money that he gets the next big thing coming his way since I'm sure Gunn will pull the plug on Shazam 2 days after the movie comes out.

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James Gunn help Zach land the role so I wouldn't be surprised if Gunn keeps him around in some way. Zach was the runner up for starlord I believe.

Re: the rebooted DC slate, part of which is apparently being revealed tomorrow (seeing as Gunn said "this month" earlier this month, and tomorrow's the last day of January)...

Me right now. You tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/tvvBZ4TN92

— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) January 30, 2023

TCTTS said:

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Re: the rebooted DC slate, part of which is apparently being revealed tomorrow (seeing as Gunn said "this month" earlier this month, and tomorrow's the last day of January)...

Me right now. You tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/tvvBZ4TN92

— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) January 30, 2023

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But did he announce which year "this month"?

First movies and shows announced: https://variety.com/2023/film/news/dc-universe-superman-legacy-batman-green-lantern-supergirl-booster-gold-1235507426/

Maybe we need a new thread?

I'm excited to give a new spin on DC comics a shot. That Superman reboot is going to make all the money in the world.

I cannot wait, as one who was always much more familiar with the big DC characters than any Marvel characters.

Thanks for that

Excited to finally get John Stewart Green Lantern and Booster Gold. The rest sounds meh. But to be fair, so far I can't forgive them for scrapping Henry Cavil and that is clouding my judgment.

The Green Lanterns show with a True Detective vibe sounds really interesting.

Hm…

1. Gunn sure said "fantastic" a lot.
2. The image they used for the Superman piece I think is from the first issue of the All-Star Superman mini-series by Grant Morrison. Not sure if that is a tell or not, but I wouldn't say no to it.

Vince Blake said:

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The Green Lanterns show with a True Detective vibe sounds really interesting.

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Seconded, definitely the one that piqued my interest the most.

I'd also really love to see a Batman universe finally work in live action, Damian could be a fun character. And Swamp Thing could be great, the series was surprisingly interesting and definitely leaned more into horror.

MOVIES


"Superman: Legacy"

Set to open on July 11, 2025, "Superman: Legacy" will mark "the start of the DCU," as Safran put it, but it will not be an origin story of the proverbial Man of Steel.

"It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing," Safran said. "He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned."

Gunn is writing the project, and Safran said he hopes Gunn "can be persuaded, perhaps, to direct it as well." (Gunn, sitting right next to Safran, remained uncharacteristically poker faced in response.)

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav made no secret that rebooting Superman was a top priority for the company as he spent much of 2022 searching for the right leaders for DC Studios. So it's little surprise Gunn and Safran are turning to the most recognizable superhero in the world to lead the charge for the DCU.

"'Superman' is for everyone," Gunn said. "That's a four quadrant film that should speak to everyone in the world."
(A separate Superman movie produced by J.J. Abrams through Bad Robot, and written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, remains in development and would exist outside the DCU.)


"The Authority"

From global fame to relative obscurity, "Superman: Legacy" will lead directly into "The Authority," an ensemble movie about superhumans who have a less-than-idealistic approach to saving the world.

Gunn spoke at some length about "The Authority," a project he said he's "really excited" to bring to life. The characters come from Wildstorm, which was launched in 1992 as an independent entity under current DC Comics chief Jim Lee and ultimately made an imprint of DC. The Wildstorm characters were later folded into the main DC comics universe when the company rebooted its continuity with the New 52 initiative in 2011. Gunn said he and Safran intend to do the same with Wildstorm characters in the DCU.

As a comic, "The Authority" was created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch as an ends-justify-the-means superhero team, an approach that appealed to Gunn and Safran's desire to diversify the storytelling within the DCU.

"It isn't just a story of heroes and villains, and not every movie and TV show is going to be about good guy versus bad guy," Gunn said. "There are people that are very questionable, like the Authority, who basically believe that you can't fix the world in an easy manner, and they take things into their own hands."

Added Safran, "They're kind of like Jack Nicholson in 'A Few Good Men.' They know that you want them on the wall, or at least they believe that."

Gunn said the film "is being written now," but he declined to say who was the screenwriter.


"The Brave and the Bold"

Along with introducing the DCU's version of Batman who will exist separately from the version played by Robert Pattinson in "The Batman" movies "The Brave and the Bold" will introduce "the Bat family," Gunn said. First among them is Robin, who is returning fully to live-action movies for the first time since 1997's ill-fated feature "Batman and Robin."

This version of Robin is Damian Wayne; Gunn described him as "our favorite Robin," "a little son of a *****," an "assassin" and a "murderer."

Damian is Bruce Wayne's biological son, a fact unknown to Wayne for the first eight to 10 years of Damian's life. "It's a very strange sort of father-son story about the two of them," Gunn said.

The project is based on the run of Batman comics authored by Grant Morrison, who Gunn said was "exceptionally influential" on the DCU. The other comics writer Gunn mentioned by name was Tom King who participated in the DCU writers room and leads right into the next feature project.


"Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow"

Based on King's comics run of the same title from 2021 and 2022, "Woman of Tomorrow" features Superman's cousin, Kara Zor-El, who, as Gunn explained, "is a very different type of Supergirl."

"We see the difference between Superman, who was sent to Earth and raised by loving parents from the time he's an infant, versus Supergirl, who was raised on a rock chip off of Krypton, and watched everyone around her die and be killed in terrible ways for the first 14 years of her life."

Gunn called this Supergirl "much more hardcore" though King's series also involves Krypto, the superdog.


"Swamp Thing"

Easily the most extreme example of Gunn and Safran's conviction to diversify the DCU, "Swamp Thing" will "investigate the dark origins of Swamp Thing," Safran said, through the prism of horror.

By way of explaining further, Gunn referenced the initial reactions to the Guardians of the Galaxy joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe and initial questions about how Rocket Raccoon would work standing next to Thor. "That mashup quality" wound up being one of the highlights of "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame," Gunn argued.

Gunn said they're "one-upping" that approach with "Swamp Thing."

"This is a much more horrific film, but we'll still have Swamp Thing interact with the other characters," he added.

TELEVISION


"Creature Commandos"

This animated series for HBO Max is the very first project greenlit by Safran and Gunn, who has written every episode. The show is already in production.

The Creature Commando characters were first launched in 1980. The premise features Frankenstein's monster teaming up with a werewolf, a vampire and a gorgon to fight Nazis in World War II. It doesn't appear that Gunn's version takes quite the same approach Weasel, one of the characters from Gunn's 2021 film "The Suicide Squad," is one of the Commandos, along with Rick Flag's father, Rick Flag Sr.

Animation, Gunn said, allows their creative collaborators to "tell stories that are gigantic, but without spending, you now, $50 million an episode."

Crucially, Gunn said that the actors cast to voice the characters on the show will also play the roles in live action later on in the DCU.


"Waller"

With Gunn focused on "Superman: Legacy" for the foreseeable future, Season 2 of "Peacemaker" has been put on hold. Instead, "team 'Peacemaker'" will appear alongside Davis as a "continuation" of that show, Gunn said which (spoiler alert for Season 1 of "Peacemaker") ended with Waller's daughter Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) outing Task Force X (a.k.a. the Suicide Squad) and Waller's role running it to the world.

Along with Christal Henry, who was part of the DCU writers room, "Waller" will be executive produced by Jeremy Carver, who created the beloved DC series "Doom Patrol," which was recently canceled by HBO Max.

"They are crushing it," Safran said of Henry and Carver's work on "Waller."

"It's just the greatest show ever," Gunn added.

Both "Creature Commandos" and "Waller" are expected to debut before "Superman: Legacy"; Safran called them the "aperitif" for the DCU.


"Lanterns"

Of all the TV series, Safran and Gunn seemed most excited for "Lanterns," which Safran described as "a huge HBO-quality event" that is "very much in the vein of 'True Detective.'"

The show will focus on two of the best known members of the Green Lantern corps.: Hal Jordan (the test pilot first played on screen by Ryan Reynolds in 2011's "Green Lantern") and John Stewart (an ex-marine and one of DC's first Black superheroes), who investigate a mystery that Safran said "plays a really big role leading us into the main story that we're telling across our film and television."

"So this is a very important show for us," Safran continued.

This project is separate from a Green Lantern series that was being developed by Greg Berlanti for HBO Max, which is now no longer moving forward.

"Greg's vision was more of a space opera," Safran said. "Our vision is much more 'True Detective,' terrestrial-based investigation story."


"Paradise Lost"

This "'Game of Thrones'-ish story," Safran said, is set on the island of Themyscira before the birth of Diana (a.k.a. Wonder Woman).

"It's really about the political intrigue behind a society of all women," Safran said.
Added Gunn, "How did that come about? What's the origin of an island of all women? What are the beautiful truths and the ugly truths behind all of that? And what's the scheming like between the different power players in that society?"

The provocative title recalls the "Paradise Island Lost" comics series authored by Phil Jimenez and George Prez, which followed a civil war on Themyscira; however, that run directly involved Wonder Woman.


"Booster Gold"

Finally, there's "Booster Gold," which allows the DCU to fully stretch into outright comedy. While he may not be familiar to casual fans of DC, the character, also known as Mike Carter, is a fan favorite among devoted readers. Safran called Booster "a loser from the future who uses basic future technology to come back to today and pretend to be a superhero."

In the 25th century, Mike is a disgraced former football star who uses a time machine on display in the Metropolis Space Museum.

Added Gunn, "Basically, 'Booster Gold' is imposter syndrome as a superhero."

This isn't quite the initial slate I was expecting, but reading through everything, and considering the Gunn of it all, it makes sense.

Except for the fact that it's still somewhat connected to DCEU, with Waller being the first live-action series, and then Safran and Gunn leaving the door open "for Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, and Zachary Levi to continue playing their respective DC superheroes of Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash and Shazam"

Huh?

So if/when they pop up again, they'll suddenly be interacting with a new Superman who isn't Henry Cavill? And the same goes for Batman? I totally get and absolutely support having the Reeves Batman universe and an Abrams/Coates Superman iteration outside of the DCU. But keeping some of the old DCEU characters around, and having them interact with new versions of Superman and Batman, within the DCU, makes zero sense to me.

To be clear, much of new stuff sounds legit awesome, and I'm genuinely excited for a number of those projects. But once again, DC manages to muddy the waters somehow, and now I'm more confused about this franchise than I've ever been, which is saying something.

It would be one thing if any Waller, Gadot, Momoa, Miller, or Levi appearance were part of this new "DC Elseworlds" label...

Quote:

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While Gunn and Safran are developing a new DC Universe, which includes the 2025 theatrical release "Superman: Legacy," Reeves' "The Batman Part II" will remain a standalone property and fall under the newly branded "DC Elseworlds" category. Gunn announced that any DC film or television series that is set outside of the main DC Universe will get the "DC Elseworlds" tag, exactly how DC Comics functions.

In addition to "The Batman Part II," the "DC Elseworlds" roster of upcoming projects includes Todd Phillips' "Joker: Folie Deux" with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga (set for release Oct. 4, 2024), the ongoing animated series "Teen Titans Go!," and a separate Superman movie produced by J.J. Abrams and written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. The latter project was first announced in 2021 and remains in active development. Gunn and Safran said they are eagerly awaiting a draft of Coates' screenplay.

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... but it doesn't sound like they will be. Instead, they're part of the DCU. But with a different Superman. And a different Batman. So weird...

Agreed with both of the above post that none of this stuff really excites me at all.

And the fact that season 2 of Peacemaker is being pushed off for some of this crap actually pisses me off.

TCTTS said:

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To be clear, much of new stuff sounds legit awesome, and I'm genuinely excited for a number of those projects. But once again, DC manages to muddy the waters somehow, and now I'm more confused about this franchise than I've ever been, which is saying something.

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this is the part that really has me concerned. this was DC's chance. they could erase the past iterations of the DCEU...they have their version of Feige and his team to finally have a cohesive plan...Marvel has been slipping lately, so the door is actually wide open...

and they totally DC'd it

As for everything else...


MOVIES

"Superman: Legacy" - Cautiously optimistic. With Gunn writing, it of course has the chance to be incredible.

"The Authority" - Basically sounds like a less zany Suicide Squad? Who's asking for this?

"The Brave and the Bold" - Having Robin be our intro to the "bat family" is a bold choice (no pun intended), but I'm willing to give it a shot. Could be fun.

"Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" - No opinion, could not care less.

"Swamp Thing" - Could be cool, but I have zero attachment to this character.


TELEVISION

"Creature Commandos" - Probably won't be watching.

"Lanterns" - The only DC series I'm actively looking forward to. True Detective is my favorite series of all time, so I'm in based on that comp alone. I also love that this is a mystery series that will basically kick off the main story (and villain?) of the DCU.

"Paradise Lost" - I guess I'll give it a shot, but I already had my fill of Themyscira in the DCEU.

"Booster Gold" - If Gunn is heavily involved I could see this being fun/funny, but I'm not particularly looking forward to it.