With Aquaman making a nearly $300 million-splash in theaters since its December release, it seems the DC Extended Universe may have finally found its footing. And with Shazam! and Joaquin Phoenix’s solo Joker movie both set to hit theaters this year — followed by the Margot Robbie-led Birds of Prey as well as Wonder Woman 1984 in 2020 — DC Extended Universe fans aren’t going to have to wait long for more action.
In fact, Warner Bros.’ full slate of upcoming DC flicks, which includes nearly 25 titles, is jam-packed with movies that are sure to have superhero enthusiasts raring to secure their seats on opening night.
The DC Extended Universe has struggled to match the level of blockbuster success that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has achieved with superhero mega-hits like Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. But judging by the box office pulls of recent DC Extended Universe’s releases like Justice League and Wonder Woman, that may be beginning to change.
From DC movies that have a set release date to those that are still in development, here’s a complete list of all the upcoming DC movies — including those that don’t fall under the umbrella of the DC Extended Universe.
Shazam! (April 5, 2019)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
Zachary Levi will star as the superhero Shazam, formerly known as Captain Marvel, in what director David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation, Lights Out) has said will be the DC Extended Universe’s most “lighthearted” movie to date. The story follows 14-year-old Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a foster kid who is granted powers by an ancient wizard and gains the ability to transform into an adult superhero (Levi) simply by uttering the word “Shazam!”
This time around, Shazam will not face off with his comic book archenemy Black Adam, as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is currently developing a solo film for the DC antihero. He will instead battle supervillain Doctor Sivana (Mark Strong) in his first big screen outing.
The Shazam! screenplay was written by Henry Gayden (from a story by Gayden and Darren Lemke) with Peter Safran producing. It actor Jack Dylan Grazer will also star as Billy’s foster brother and best friend Freddy.
Joker (Oct. 4, 2019)
Universe: DC Dark/Black
Director Todd Phillips’ (The Hangover) standalone Joker movie will be the first entry in the DC Dark/Black universe —a line of films that take place outside of the DC Extended Universe, where Jared Leto plays the Joker.
As the latest star to take up the mantle of Gotham’s Clown Prince of Crime, Joaquin Phoenix follows in the footsteps of A-listers like Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger. But unlike his predecessors, Phoenix will portray the Joker in the years before he becomes Batman’s archnemesis. The origin flick will chronicle failed comedian Arthur Fleck’s descent into madness and eventual transformation into the titular villain, and has been described by Warner Bros. as an “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.”
The movie will take place in the 1980s and was reportedly inspired by Martin Scorsese’s 1982 cult classic The King of Comedy. Early reports indicated that Scorsese was attached to the project as a producer, but he is not credited in any capacity.
Joker also stars Robert De Niro, Marc Maron, Zazie Beetz and Dark Knight Rises alum Brett Cullen, with Dante Pereira-Olson set to appear as a young Bruce Wayne. It was co-written by Phillips and Scott Silver (The Fighter).
Birds of Prey (Feb. 7, 2020)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
Margot Robbie will return as Suicide Squad favorite Harley Quinn to assemble her own team of superheroes in Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). “I pitched the idea of an R-rated girl gang film including Harley, because I was like, ‘Harley needs friends,’” Robbie told Collider in May 2018. “Harley loves interacting with people, so don’t ever make her do a standalone film.”
Helmed by Indie director Cathy Yan, the female-led flick will also star Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress — a “former mafia princess who was devastated at a young age when her family was killed in a mob hit,” according to Variety — Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary — a vigilante who takes down opponents with a powerful sonic scream — and Rosie Perez as Gotham City PD detective Renee Montoya. Ewan McGregor has also joined the cast as the villainous Black Mask.
Although Batgirl was a member of the Birds in the comics, in the movie, a younger Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) will come under the protection of the titular team of heroes.
Birds of Prey was written by Christina Hodson (Bumblebee).
Cyborg (set for April 3, 2020 – for the time being)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
Following his cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Cyborg was formally inducted into the DCEU in Justice League. Now, Ray Fisher is set to reprise the role of Victor Stone in a solo movie that, according to Joe Morton — who played Cyborg’s father, Silas Stone, in Justice League — may expand on a storyline that was scrapped from the 2017 superhero flick.
The Cyborg standalone was originally slated for an April 2020 release, but it’s possible that date will be pushed back.
Wonder Woman 1984 (June 5, 2020)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
The Wonder Woman franchise is continuing its march toward Diana Prince’s (Gal Gadot) present-day Justice League storyline with a 66-year time jump from the end of WWI to 1984. Following the success of 2017’s Wonder Woman — which became the highest-grossing live-action film directed by a woman less than a month after it hit theaters — Patty Jenkins is hoping for a repeat performance from Wonder Woman 1984.
“I want to make great movies. I realized I have these characters that I love, this world that I love, and we can make this whole new movie about something pure and strong and unique as the first one,” Jenkins said at San Diego Comic-Con 2018.
While Gadot has said that Wonder Woman 1984 is not a sequel, but rather a “different chapter,” both Gadot and Chris Pine — whose character, Steve Trevor, appeared to die in Wonder Woman — are reprising their roles from the first installment. Kristen Wiig is joining in on the fun as Cheetah, a villain with the ability to transform into a human-cheetah hybrid, while Game of Thrones‘ Pedro Pascal is also set to play a “pivotal role.”
The Wonder Woman 1984 script is based on a story by Jenkins and former DC Entertainment president Geoff Johns and was written by David Callaham (Godzilla, The Expendables).
Green Lantern Corps (set for July 24, 2020 – for the time being)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
Despite the fact that the 2011 Ryan Reynolds-led Green Lantern solo movie was heavily panned by both critics and audiences, Warner Bros. has opted to move forward with a reboot that will introduce multiple Green Lanterns into the DCEU. Silver Age Green Lantern Hal Jordan will reportedly be paired with a younger John Stewart for a buddy cop-style movie that will focus on Stewart’s origin story.
Green Lantern Corps will be written and produced by former DC Entertainment president Geoff Johns, who wrote Green Lantern comics for nearly a decade. No director is yet attached.
The Flash (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
A Flash spin-off was originally intended to be DC’s first post-Justice League release, but due to a series of director switch-ups — both Seth Grahame-Smith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and Rick Famuyiwa (Confirmation, Dope) stepped down from the project in 2016 over creative differences with Warner Bros. — the fastest man alive flick isn’t expected to hit theaters until at least 2021. However, no official release date has been announced.
Directing duo Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (Game Night, Vacation) are currently onboard to helm Barry Allen’s (Ezra Miler) first solo adventure, based on a script by Joby Harold (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword).
“We love that he is not your traditional superhero, like Batman or Superman who have their sh-t together and are filled with angst and anguish,” Daley told Den of Geek in February 2018.
“In much the same way that Peter Parker is sort of the entry level way into the Marvel Superhero Universe, they both share that quality that they’re still a little excited to have these powers and they’re newbies and all that,” added Goldstein.
Suicide Squad 2 (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
After Suicide Squad director David Ayers opted to pursue the DC Extended Universe’s forthcoming Gotham City Sirens movie rather than take a second run at the Task Force X team, Warner Bros. courted both Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge, Braveheart) and Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows) to direct Suicide Squad 2. When neither of those options panned out, Gavin O’Connor (The Accountant) was handed the reins. However, he left the project after learning his take was too similar to the Birds of Prey plot.
Now, former Marvel director James Gunn, who was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in July, has been tapped to pen a script and potentially direct what will reportedly be a “reboot” of the first movie. It’s unclear how many, if any, of the original cast members will return.
The Batman (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
Speculation over Ben Affleck’s solo Batman movie has run rampant since summer 2015, when it was reported that Affleck was in talks with Warner Bros. to star in, co-write and possibly direct the standalone superhero flick. Affleck later decided to step down from the director’s chair in order to focus on his lead role, and Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) was brought on board to direct.
However, reports now indicate that Warner Bros. may not intend to move forward with either of its planned Batman or Superman solo movies, meaning Affleck’s departure from the DCEU could be imminent.
New Gods (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe – provisionally
Following the March 2018 release of A Wrinkle in Time, Warner Bros. announced that director Ava DuVernay will be adapting Jack Kirby’s comic New Gods for the DC Extended Universe from a script by Kario Salem (Chasing Mavericks).
If the movie follows the comics, the story will likely center on the war between the Fourth World planets of New Genesis, a utopia ruled by the Highfather, and Apokolips, a dystopia ruled by the despot Darkseid.
Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds), Darkseid’s uncle, was already introduced into the DCEU in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and later returned as the main villain in Justice League. Some fans also speculate that Darkseid was the menacing “he” that Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) referenced at the end of Batman v Superman.
“The bell’s already been rung. And they’ve heard it. Out in the dark among the stars. Ding dong, the God is dead,” Luthor told Batman (Ben Affleck) following Superman’s (Henry Cavill) death. “But a bell cannot be unrung. He’s hungry. He’s found us. And he’s coming.”
However, some reports seem to indicate that New Gods will exist outside of the DCEU entirely and is intended to be the start of a new universe of properties for Warner Bros.
Justice League Dark (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
Originally titled Dark Universe, Justice League Dark has been in development since at least 2013, when Guillermo Del Toro confirmed he was working on the movie. Nearly six years later, Del Toro is no longer involved, but the project is supposedly still active.
Doug Liman (The Bourne of Idenity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith) was also attached to Justice League Dark for a period of time, but exited in May 2017.
Details about the movie’s plot are being kept under wraps, but as The Hollywood Reporter explains, in the comics, “Justice League Dark was a loosely organized team of supernatural characters who dealt with threats to the world (and, occasionally, all of existence) that were of a more metaphysical nature than the regular League could handle.”
The members of the team vary, but some mainstays include John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Deadman, Zatanna and Etrigan the Demon.
Batgirl (TBD)
Marvel’s Joss Whedon (The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron) was hired to both write and direct a standalone Batgirl movie in March 2017, but left the project in February 2018 after releasing a statement in which he claimed he “really didn’t have a story.”
Warner Bros. is now looking for a female director to replace Whedon while Christina Hodson, the screenwriter for Birds of Prey, pens a script for the Barbara Gordon-centric story.
Gotham City Sirens (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
Margot Robbie will be back for another DCEU adventure in David Ayer’s (Suicide Squad) Gotham City Sirens movie, which will see Harley Quinn team up with fellow Gotham City female villains Poison Ivy and Catwoman.
“It’s a story about three fantastic women who’re trying to find their way in the world, and realize that they have more power together than they do individually,” Ayers told IGN in 2017. “I have daughters, and I want to create something that might be able to help them get along in the world a little bit.”
Geneva Robertson-Dwore (Tomb Raider) is writing the script.
Untitled Joker movie (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
In addition to Joaquin Phoenix’s standalone Joker movie, Jared Leto will be reprising the role of the Clown Prince of Crime for a separate solo flick. However, unlike Phoenix’s, this one will be part of the DCEU.
Leto is reportedly set to both star in and executive produce the still untitled movie, which will lay the groundwork for an expansion of the Suicide Squad property, according to Variety.
Harley Quinn & The Joker (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
When Jared Leto’s Joker and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn aren’t off on their own adventures, they’ll be reuniting to explore their troublesome relationship in a joint movie penned by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the writing team behind Bad Santa who now executive produces This Is Us.
“It was sort of like, we wrote Bad Santa a couple of years ago, and it was that sensibility mixed with our This Is Us sensibility. We kind of meshed them together,” Ficarra told Metro in September 2018. “We were doing a relationship movie but with the sensibility of a Bad Santa, f—ed up, mentally deranged people. It was a lot of fun.”
Ficarra even went so far as to reveal how he and Requa envision the first scene playing out. “The whole thing starts with Harley kidnapping Dr. Phil. Played by Dr. Phil, hopefully,” he explained. “Because her and the Joker are having problems with their relationship.”
Blackhawk (TBD)
Universe: TBD
Steven Spielberg officially signed on to produce and potentially direct a movie adaptation of the DC comic Blackhawk — a series that centers on the leader of an elite squadron of WWII fighter pilots — in April 2018. Frequent Spielberg collaborator David Koepp (Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds) is writing the script.
“We are so proud to be the studio behind Steven Spielberg’s latest hit, and are thrilled to be working with him again on this new action adventure,” said Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich following the success of Spielberg’s 2018 release Ready Player One. “We can’t wait to see what new ground he will break in introducing Blackhawk to movie audiences worldwide.”
It’s not yet been confirmed that Blackhawk will be a part of the DC Extended Universe.
Supergirl (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
Warner Bros. put a Supergirl movie written by Oren Uziel (The Cloverfield Paradox) into development in August 2018. Details about the plot have not yet been released, but in the comics, Supergirl is the teenage cousin of Superman who escapes Krypton at the same time as baby Clark Kent.
Nightwing (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
Although Warner Bros. announced a Nightwing solo film directed by Chris McKay (The Lego Batman Movie) and written by Bill Dubuque (Ozark) nearly two years ago, progress on the movie seems to have stalled indefinitely since.
However, according to McKay, there’s still hope for a Dick Grayson standalone chronicling the adventures of the original Robin. “No.You’re going to have to wait tho,” McKay tweeted in response to fan who asked if the Nightwing movie was no more in October 2018. “Keep hope alive. To paraphrase Dick Grayson: Nightwing lives. Always.”
Black Adam (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been attached to play DC antihero Black Adam in a DCEU movie for several years. But while he was originally intended to be the villain in Shazam!, Warner Bros. later decided to give each character their own standalone movie before pitting the two against each other on the big screen. Adam Sztykiel (Rampage) has been tapped to write the screenplay with Hiram Garcia (Skyscraper, Rampage) producing.
“For the longest time, you know you kind of have this living superhero in Dwayne Johnson, so I was always trying to figure out what’s the perfect character that will kind of fit him and his look and his build and his kind of edge and the attitude he’s got,” Garcia told Collider in August 2018 of knowing the role was right for Johnson. “Black Adam just made kind of great sense. It was this kind of really cool antihero, kicks ass, who believes in basically exacting justice in his way with a fascinating backstory, the history he has with regards to having been a former slave and freeing his people and then getting his abilities and what happened from there.”
Deathstroke (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
After making his first DCEU appearance in Justice League’s end credit scene, Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke was slated to star opposite Ben Affleck in the solo Batman movie. But with that project in limbo, Warner Bros. decided to move forward with a Deathstroke standalone.
“I say ‘it’s in the works’ because it is. There’s nothing further,” Manganiello told MTV at San Diego Comic-Con 2018. “I can’t say without speaking out of school. I’m part of a team, I’m a part of a locker room. You don’t talk outside the locker room. All I can say is, for the hardcore fans, it’s in the works. They want it, they want the character to happen, it’s just when he happens. They [want to do it the right way]. Everybody’s committed to that.”
Gareth Evans (The Raid) has signed on to direct.
Lobo (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
A movie centered on alien bounty hunter Lobo has been stuck in development for nearly a decade —before the DCEU even existed. But with Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman) now on board to pen the screenplay, it seems the interstellar mercenary flick may get underway. Transformers‘ Michael Bay has reportedly met with Warner Bros. to discuss the project, but has yet to officially sign on to direct.
Blue Beetle (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
Warner Bros. announced in November 2018 that Jaime Reyes will become the first Latino superhero to headline a movie in a Blue Beetle standalone. Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (Miss Bala) has been tapped to write the screenplay with Zev Foreman (Once Upon a Time in Venice) executive producing.
Plastic Man (TBD)
Universe: DC Extended Universe
A Plastic Man movie has reportedly been in development at Warner Bros. since December 2018, when the studio announced that Amanda Idoko (Breaking News in Yuba County) was hired to pen a comedic action-adventure script for the DC character who can transform himself into any shape. Bob Shaye, the co-founder of New Line Cinema, will executive produce.
