Given the enormous success which Marvel has had with their cinematic universe, it's no surprise that other studios would want in on the game, and Warner Bros. was no exception. With their stable of iconic superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and many more, it was a no-brainer to bring them all together, but it was easier said than done. Unlike the critical praise which has repeatedly been heaped upon the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DCEU hasn't been quite so fortunate.
There have certainly been successes, but following the disappointment which was JUSTICE LEAGUE, the future of the franchise is looking as though it will be much less connected. While speaking with The LA Times, Warner Bros. Entertainment CEO and chairman Kevin Tsujihara said that their upcoming slate of DC films is putting much less of a focus on building a cinematic universe, adding that it finally feels like the right strategy for them.
The upcoming slate, with Shazam, Joker, Wonder Woman 1984 and Birds of Prey, feels like we’re on the right track. We have the right people in the right jobs working on it. The universe isn’t as connected as we thought it was going to be five years ago. You’re seeing much more focus on individual experiences around individual characters. That’s not to say we won’t at some point come back to that notion of a more connected universe. But it feels like that’s the right strategy for us right now.
Kevin Tsujihara added that "What Patty Jenkins did on Wonder Woman illustrated to us what you could do with these characters who are not Batman and Superman. Obviously, we want to get those two in the right place, and we want strong movies around Batman and Superman. But Aquaman is a perfect example of what we can do. They’re each unique and the tone’s different in each movie." It remains to be seen whether Warner Bros. is finally on the right track, but I'm personally feeling quite excited by the future of the franchise.
As far as that future goes, we've got SHAZAM! hitting theaters on April 5, 2019, BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN) on February 7, 2020, WONDER WOMAN 1984 on June 5, 2020, THE BATMAN on June 25, 2021, THE SUICIDE SQUAD on August 6, 2021, and AQUAMAN 2 on December 16, 2022.