With Marvel Studios taking a back seat at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, it was DC Entertainment’s time to shine.
While the company has struggled to engineer a shared superhero universe of their own, this past weekend brought promising footage for a number of upcoming DC projects, along with an entirely new branding for the franchise as a whole.
Although fans have long been referring to the series of interconnected movies as the DCEU (or DC Extended Universe), this title was never officially recognized by the company. So during their Hall H panel, Warner Bros. took the opportunity to rebrand its superhero universe as the “Worlds of DC.”
This title makes a lot more sense for the franchise, as the movies and TV shows have never existed in the same continuity. Not to mention that DC seems to be moving forward with a number of movies that will have no connection to its already-established universe – including the Joaquin Pheonix Joker movie which was recently given a 2019 release date.
Some of the biggest trailers to drop this past weekend included the first official look at Aquaman, Shazam!, and the upcoming Titans web-series. Feedback online and from the attendees at Hall H has been largely positive, which is just the thing that DC needs after its latest and most ambitious movie to date, Justice Leauge, proved to be a critical and commercial flop.
While things may be looking up for DC, the sheer number of projects that they have in the works is still more than a little confounding.
Let’s take an in-depth look at 30 DC Projects Currently In Development.
30. Aquaman
Despite being only five months from the film’s release, the first trailer for Aquaman was just released this past weekend San Diego Comic-Con.
Early fan reaction is mostly positive, however, more promising news for Aquaman came courtesy of the attendees from Hall H, who claimed that the exclusive footage which was privately screened did a far better job of building anticipation than the trailer itself.
After a number of pushed-back release dates, Aquaman is finally set to hit screens on December 21 of this year.
29. Shazam!
As the DCEU has slowly been trying to revise its dark and overly-brooding tone for years, it looks like the franchise is finally ready to go in for some good old-fashioned entertainment, with Shazam! in 2019.
The first trailer for Shazam! was easily the breakout star at this year’s SDCC, which gave audiences their first in-depth look at the unconventional superhero.
The film follows 14-year-old Billy Batson who is granted magical powers that transform him into a superhero whenever he speaks the word “Shazam.”
Zachary Levi suits up to play the “adult” version of the character, who embraces his newfound powers with the excitement and immaturity that one would expect from a teenage boy.
27. Titans
The first official trailer for the upcoming Titans series debuted during SDCC, where it confirmed viewers suspicions that the show would be geared toward a more adult audience.
The series follows Dick Grayson as he takes up the title of Nightwing and assembles a team of younger heroes, made up of Raven, Beast Boy, and Hawk, among others.
Benton Thwaites plays the former Batman sidekick, who hurls a vulgar insult in the trailer when he’s asked about the Dark Knight’s whereabouts.
Titans is set to be the first series released on DC’s very own streaming service, which launches later this year.
26. Joker
While there is little excitement surrounding Jared Leto’s Joker movie — or any future film that features Leto’s incarnation of the character, for that matter — the standalone Joker film starring Joaquin Phoenix has been amassing a lot more intrigue.
The film already has an October 4, 2019 release date, with Todd Phillips (The Hangover, War Dogs) set to direct a script co-written by Scott Silver (The Fighter).
Joker is set to be an origin story.
This already makes the film a somewhat polarizing project considering that the Joker’s origins are purposefully ambiguous throughout his long life in the comics.
25. Green Lantern Corps
After a split-second cameo in Justice League, the Green Lanterns are expected to make their debut proper with the upcoming 2020 film, titled Green Lantern Corps.
Instead of solely focusing on a single Green Lantern and run the risk of retreating the same ground as the 2011 flop, this installment is expected to bring a number of Lanterns into the fold — including both John Stewart and Hal Jordon.
A number of promising writers have been attached to the project, including David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight), Geoff Johns (The Flash), and Justin Rhodes (Masters of the Universe).
24. Flashpoint
Plans for a standalone Flash movie were making waves back in 2013 with a projected 2018 release date. But so many writers and directors have come and gone from the project that the film isn’t expected to go into production now until early-2019.
The film will adapt the Flashpoint limited series, which finds Barry Allen traveling between two alternate DC timelines.
While the DCEU was experiencing extreme backlash following Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad, many saw Flashpoint as a beacon of hope and the one logical possibility for a series reboot. Since subsequent films have received far more favorable buzz, it’s looking like this scenario is a lot less likely.
23. Suicide Squad 2
While Suicide Squad was destroyed by critics, it still pulled in an impressive haul at the box office, making way for a sequel that is expected to go into production later this year.
David Ayer won’t be returning to direct, and it looks like he’s been replaced by Gavin O’Connor (The Accountant), who will also help write the script alongside Todd Stashwick and Anthony Tambakis (Warrior).
The main cast from the first film is rumored to return, with Internet gossip claiming that the evil android Amazo will be serving as the film’s antagonist.
22. The Batman
Amidst negative reviews for Batman v Superman, Justice League, and Suicide Squad, the uncertainty surrounding the DCEU’s next big project, The Batman, very much seemed like a make or break point for the franchise.
While Ben Affleck was originally attached to write, direct and star in this solo outing, the actor eventually relegated himself to a starring role only.
Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) was eventually brought in to serve as writer and director.
However, Affleck’s interest in continuing to play Batman has been waning for some time, and if he doesn’t reprise his role here, The Batman will likely fall outside the boundaries of the shared universe - or serve as a prequel.
21. Doom Patrol
Although Titans has yet to make its debut, it’s clear that DC is putting a lot of stock in its tentpole web-series, as a spinoff is already in the works.
Based on the DC superhero team of the same name, Doom Patrol follows a group of misfits and outcast who came by their powers through traumatizing accidents. The series will pick up after the events of Titans with a number of characters — including Elasti-Girl, Negative Man, and their leader, Chief — set to appear in both shows.
Reportedly, a full season consisting of 13 episodes has already been ordered, with an expected release date in 2019.
20. Gotham City Sirens
After the success of Suicide Squad, David Ayer was expected to return to direct the sequel. But in December 2016, Ayer announced that he would be helming a spin-off, titled Gotham City Sirens, instead.
At first, the film seemed like it was on the fast track, capitalizing on the popularity of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn by pairing her alongside two other iconic female DC villains: Catwoman and Poison Ivy.
News for the project seemed to drop off entirely, with no plot details or casting announcements made within the last year.
Due to their similar storylines, some have speculated that Birds of Prey has since replaced Gotham City Sirens.
19. Deathstroke
After appearing in the post-credits scene of Justice League, Deathstroke was expected to play a prominent role in the upcoming Batman solo movie.
Now that Ben Affleck’s involvement in The Batman is still up in the air, we have no idea if Deathstroke will appear in the film or how the villain will fit into the overarching shared universe.
That being said, actor Joe Manganiello confirmed that his character still has a solo movie in the works, though he didn’t go into any further detail. The film has no release date as of yet, though Gareth Evans (The Raid) was recently rumored to be the director.
18. Untitled Joker/Harley Quinn Movie
This crime/romance movie first made headlines last summer when it landed Glenn Ficarra and John Requa as the project’s directors.
The duo is probably best known for directing the 2011 rom-com Crazy, Stupid, Love, though they also helmed the far darker romance and crime film I Love You Phillip Morris a few years earlier — which seems a little closer to the mark for a project like this one.
Not much else is known about the film at this time, though it has been rumored it will adapt the Mad Love story-line, which follows Harley Quinn as she attempts to destroy Batman and win the affection of the Joker in the process.
17. Man of Steel 2
While Henry Cavill was said to have only one DC film left on his contract following the release of Justice League, the actor’s made it clear that he’s still interested in playing the iconic character across multiple films.
This includes another solo outing for Superman, with Cavill saying that he’s very interested in making a direct sequel to Man of Steel — rather than just relegating the character to a supporting role in team-up movies.
Considering that the character seems to be back to his comic book persona following his resurrection in Justice League, Man of Steel 2 could land a lot closer to the mark for what people expect out of a Superman movie.
16. Birds of Prey
Yet another spin-off of Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey is expected to follow an all-female team of heroes who are tasked with defending Gotham City.
Some of the teams most notable members from the comics include Batgirl, Poison Ivy, and Black Canary.
Outside of Margot Robbie being expected to reprise her role as Harley Quinn, there’s been no word on which other characters will make their jump to the screen.
With writer Christina Hodson and director Cathy Yan attached to the project, many have speculated that Birds of Prey has swooped in to replace Gotham City Sirens (along with the Harley Quinn solo movie), but that has yet to be confirmed by Warner Bros.
15. Swamp Thing
While James Wan prepares to have his first DC project released later this year with Aquaman, it looks like the director is also producing the upcoming Swamp Man TV series, which will be released directly on DC’s upcoming streaming series.
Aside from directing Aquaman and a single installment of the Fast and Furious franchise, Wan is best known for helming some of the creepiest horror movies of the last decade — including Insidious and The Conjuring — making him an ideal fit for a horror series.
The show is expected to drop in 2019, but to date, no official plot details or casting announcements have been released.
14. Untitled Jared Leto Joker Movie
There are currently two Joker movies in the works at Warner Bros. One will feature Jared Leto reprising his version of the character from 2016’s Suicide Squad, and the standalone movie that will star Joaquin Phoenix.
While it looks like the Phoenix project is much further along — having secured a writer and director with Todd Phillips plus a release date of October 2019 — Leto’s solo movie is still on the docket.
However, the project has yet to secure a writer or director, making it more likely that we’ll get another Suicide Squad film first.
13. Stargirl
Although Geoff Johns may no longer be the Chief Creative Officer at DC Entertainment, the comic book writer is still hard at work for a number of projects for the company, including this 2019 series which is set to debut on DC’s upcoming streaming service.
Stargirl was originally created by Geoff Johns, who based the superhero on his sister who passed away in 1996 during a tragic airplane accident.
Therefore, the project is undoubtedly dear to Johns, who is set to write and produce the series alongside Sarah Schechter and Greg Berlanti.
12. Black Adam
Many were disappointed to hear that Black Adam would not be appearing in 2019’s Shazam!, as the comic book character has long been an archenemy of Billy Batson. Instead, he’ll be getting his own standalone film, with Dwayne Johnson already attached to play this all-powerful anti-hero.
There’s certainly no reason that Black Adam couldn’t make a cameo appearance in 2019’s Shazam!
The strong buzz for Shazam! out of SDCC should also bode well for the future of a Black Adam film, which has yet to be assigned a release date or a director, though Adam Sztykiel (Rampage) is currently working on a script.
11. Cyborg
If there was one character who should have had a standalone movie prior to Justice League, it was Ray Fischer’s Cyborg. Unfortunately, that opportunity has come and gone, and we don’t yet know what ground the upcoming Cyborg film will cover.
While there has been little news about the project as of late, Fisher confirmed earlier last year that the film was still on track to meet its release date of April 3, 2020. This means the film would likely have to begin filming by early next year, but to date, no writers or directors have been attached to the project.
10. Lobo
A film adaptation for the character of Lobo has been in development since before the DCEU was established.
Back in 2009, Guy Ritchie was expected to direct the project, which revolves around an alien mercenary and motorcycle enthusiast who was originally created as a send-up to the overly gritty comics of the 1980s.
However, Richie has since parted ways with the project, and more recently Jason Fuchs has been rumored to be working on a script with Michael Bay in talks to serve as the director.
Reportedly, the film is expected to capitalize on the irreverent humor and self-referential tone of the comics — possibly making it DC’s answer to the massively successful Deadpool franchise.
