IT’S been a long overdue but Warner Bros. and DC Studios finally have a proper blueprint to crafting a coherent and cohesive film universe.
The improvisational days of throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks from Zack Snyder’s previous DC Extended Universe has been buried under the DC Studios’ bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new slate of films.
Now, after ambitiously promising fans that they would have something to show them by Feb 1, Gunn and Safran have unveiled the first part of their slate, which is being billed as “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters”.
It’s a combination of big, well-known heroes, along with lesser-known characters, the latter which Gunn has done before with the Guardians of the Galaxy films over at Marvel Studios, along with DC Films’ The Suicide Squad in 2021 and its Peacemaker spin-off series.
Though plans may change due to the nature of the industry, here is the current slate of films in Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters.
Creature Commandos
A seven-episode animated series, written by Gunn, that is already in production. Originally a team of classic monsters assembled to fight Nazis, this is a modern take on the concept. The voice actors have yet to be cast, but the executives are looking to find people who can voice the animated characters and also portray the live-action versions when the antiheroes show up in movies and series.
Waller
In a spinoff of Gunn’s own HBO Max hit series Peacemaker, Viola Davis will return as the ruthless and morally ambiguous head of a government task force. It is being written by Christal Henry (Watchmen) and Jeremy Carver, the creator of the Doom Patrol TV series.
Superman: Legacy
Though the previous two are appetisers for the new DC Studios slate, the new Superman film will truly kick off the universe.
“It’s not an origin story,” Safran said. “It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks that kindness is old-fashioned.”
The film is being written by Gunn, who may also direct it. The film is scheduled for release on July 11, 2025.
Lanterns
The previously planned, stuck in pre-production hell Green Lantern TV series has been scrapped. This is will be the new series.
“Our vision for this is very much in the vein of True Detective,” Safran described. It will feature prominent Lantern heroes Hal Jordan and John Stewart and is one of the most important shows they have in development.
Lanterns will play a big role leading into the main story that will be told across film and TV.
The Authority
This will be a movie based on a team of superheroes with rather extreme methods of protecting the planet that first originated in the late 1990s under an influential imprint known as Wildstorm, run by legendary artist – now head of DC publishing – Jim Lee.
“One of the things of the DCU is that it’s not just a story of heroes and villains,” said Gunn.
“Not every film and TV show is going to be about good guy versus bad guy, giant things from the sky come and good guy wins. There are white hats, black hats and gray hats.”
Paradise Lost
Taking place before the events of the Wonder Woman films, Paradise Lost will be a HBO Max series in the vein of a Game of Thrones-style drama set on the all-female island of Themyscira, filled with political intrigue and scheming between power players.
The Brave and the Bold
“This is the introduction of the DCU Batman,” said Gunn, “of Bruce Wayne, and also introduces our favorite Robin, Damian Wayne.”
The movie will take inspiration from the now-classic Batman run written by Grant Morrison that introduced Batman to a son he never knew existed: a murderous tween raised by assassins. “It’s a very strange father-and-son story.”
The film will feature a Batman not played by Robert Pattinson.
Booster Gold
Another HBO Max series based on a unique, lesser-known hero created in 1986. “It’s about a loser from the future who uses basic future technology to come back to today and pretend to be a superhero,” Safran said.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Taking its cues from the recent Tom King-written miniseries, this movie promises a different take than what most think of when Superman’s cousin comes to mind.
Swamp Thing
A horror film featuring DC Comics’ iconic swamp-dweller that promises to close out the first part of the Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters banner.
The Batman Part II
That’s right; the sequel to last year’s The Batman by director Matt Reeves.
Once again directed by Reeves, Pattinson will reprise the role as the Caped Crusader in the sequel. Scheduled for release on Oct 3, 2025, the film is tentatively titled The Batman Part II.
“2025 is going to be a very big year for DC. Superman and Batman within the same year,” said Safran.
Both Reeves’ The Batman films and Todd Phillips’ Joker films will fall outside the main DCU continuity, and will be under the DC Elseworlds banner.
