Since Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced a “reset” for the company’s DCEU, rumors have been flying about the fates of several projects currently in development. “We are going to focus on quality. We are not going to release any film before it’s ready,” said Zaslav. “DC is something we can make better.” While this statement is ominous in ways that are difficult to describe, several of DC’s creatives are “pissed” about Zaslav’s slash-and-burn approach to building a better tomorrow. Besides shelving Batgirl, several other projects are in danger of being canceled, including some of the DCEU’s most anticipated and inclusive features.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, DC Films president Walter Hamada had big plans for the DCEU, including a more elaborate version of the famous DC comic event Crisis on Infinite Earths. A version of the story had already been adapted for television via The CW. However, Hamada was planning to present the story on a grander scale. Per THR’s report, rumors indicate that the villain team Secret Six would have been introduced as part of the plan. Additionally, development for films based on Supergirl, Green Lantern Corps, Static Shock, and J.J. Abrams and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Superman has slowed to a crawl.
However, proven high-profile products appear to be safe from Zaslav’s wrath. James Gunn’s Peacemaker, for example, is still on track for a second season on HBO Max. Insiders also say Blue Beetle starring Xolo Maridueña, will hit its August 2023 release date. Fans of Todd Phillips’ Joker can rest easy knowing that Joker: Folie à Deux is secure. Whether fans of the original will choose to embrace the sequel’s musical nature remains to be seen. Gird your loins for some epic commentary across social media when the first trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux hits, my friends.
Other projects remaining on DC’s slate of upcoming films include Black Adam, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and The Flash. “We’ve seen them. We think they are terrific, and we think we can make them even better,” Zaslav remarked about the studio’s upcoming offerings for superhero cinema. How the studio plans to spin the recent actions of Ezra Miller in The Flash and Amber Heard’s contributions (if any) to Aquaman 2 remains a mystery.
The slowing of development for the Supergirl, Green Lantern Corps, Static Shock, and Black Superman is nothing more than whispers at this time. We’ll be sure to keep our ears open for any further developments.
What do you think about the state of DC Films right now? Do you think Zaslav and the company are on the right track to success? Let us know in the comments below.