The Most Epic Fantasy and Sci-Fi Website

Every DCEU Movie Believed to be in Development


Justice League failing to take off with audiences may very well have been one of the final nails in the coffin for the DC Extended Universe. (Yes, we know that’s not the official name for DC Films, but it’s too engrained in our minds to just drop it.) Nevertheless, even with the future of the DCEU in a state of flux, Warner Bros. still has a massive slate of superhero films in various stages of development.

Some of them, we’re absolutely getting; others, we’re probably getting; and some… well, they were announced, and until we hear otherwise, we have to assume there are still plans to bring them to the big screen at some point. Regardless of which of these camps they fall in, here’s every DCEU movie believed to be in development:

  1. Aquaman

    Director: James Wan

    Release Date: Dec. 21

    Alright, this one’s the easiest, since it’s already in post-production. In fact, barring some sort of unforeseen disaster of epic proportions, it’s safe to say the chances of Aquaman NOT happening are slim to none. However, how the film is received could go a long way in determining the fate of the DCEU. Another runaway success, a la Wonder Woman, could breathe new life into the shared cinematic universe, while another critical and commercial flop could stop everything dead in its tracks.

  2. Shazam!

    Director: David F. Sandberg

    Release Date: April 5, 2019

    Shazam! is another film that’s probably safe, as it’s currently filming, which means WB would take a massive hit if it pulled the plug early. Principal photography is scheduled to wrap in May 2018, and while a lot can still change in that time, it should have enough of a head-start to protect it from any more potential studio shakeups.

  3. Wonder Woman 2

    Director: Patty Jenkins

    Release Date: Nov. 1, 2019

    The DCEU’s only true critical and financial darling Wonder Woman getting a sequel was a foregone conclusion long before the film finished its theatrical run. In fact, the same month in was released, Geoff Johns and Patty Jenkins had already begun working on the story treatment with Jenkins officially signing back on to direct just 3 months later. Wonder Woman 2 is currently in pre-production, and filming is set to begin in London this summer.

  4. Cyborg

    Director: TBA

    Release Date: 2020

    We know very little about the planned Cyborg movie, aside from the fact that Ray Fisher will reprise his role as the titular cybernetic organism. This film was on many fans’ short lists for “most likely to be canceled” out of those featuring the core members of the Justice League, but if it’s no longer part of WB’s slate, it doesn’t appear anyone’s told Fisher yet. This past November, Fisher went on the record to say, “Things are in development,” while also sharing his desires for what he’d like to see in the standalone film.

  5. Green Lantern Corps

    Director: TBA

    Release Date: 2020

    Green Lantern Corps is in a similar position as Cyborg, as it’s planned to be released in 2020, but still has no director. However, unlike the former, GLC has already founds its writers in the form of David S. Goyer and Justin Rhodes. What’s more, in January, Goyer confirmed that despite the recent DCEU shakeup, the film is still in active development at this time.

  6. Suicide Squad 2

    Director: Gavin O’Connor

    Release Date: 2019

    Although Suicide Squad received poor ratings, it exceeded box office expectations, so a sequel was all but inevitable. Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, and Jay Hernandez are all reportedly reprising their roles from the original film, and it’s even been rumored that Suicide Squad 2 will introduce Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Black Adam to the DCEU. Production is expected to begin in October.

  7. The Flash: Flashpoint

    Directors: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein

    Release Date: TBA (Note: none of the remaining films on this list have planned release dates)

    Despite being plagued with directorial drama, The Flash: Flashpoint remains a high priority when it comes to the DCEU, with many believing the studio will use it as a means of soft-rebooting the shared universe (as evidenced by the addition of the word Flashpoint to the title). The film made major strides at the start of the year when John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein were tapped to helm the project after the departure of the two previous directors, so let’s hope the third time’s the charm.

  8. Nightwing

    Director: Chris McKay

    Nightwing is something of an outlier in that director Chris McKay has been relatively vocal about the project, yet we still know virtually nothing about it. Of course, that’s expected to change quite soon, as McKay took to social media to reveal that production news for Nightwing will be arriving this month, sometime around Valentine’s Day. What that news actually entails remains to be seen, but a casting announcement for the titular character would go miles in terms of increasing anticipation for the film.

  9. The Batman

    Director: Matt Reeves

    Perhaps no other project on this list is riddled with more uncertainty than The Batman. Originally, Ben Affleck was going to write, direct, and star in the film. After giving up his writing and directorial duties, Matt Reeves took over, and with full creative control, decided to have the entire script re-written to better suit his style and vision. Now, we aren’t even sure Affleck will reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman, as it’s been reported that Reeves has his eye on Jake Gyllenhaal, instead. In any case, production is expected to begin at some point this year, so hopefully we’ll find out the fate of Batfleck soon.

  10. Black Adam

    Director: TBA

    Spinning out of Shazam! is Black Adam, starring the aforementioned Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He’s been attached to the role of the titular anti-hero for years, but it wasn’t until January 2017 that we learned he’d be getting his own standalone film. Nevertheless, it’s expected the character will debut beforehand, either in Suicide Squad 2 or in a capacity that allows him to go toe-to-toe with Henry Cavill’s Superman. Either way, it doesn’t appear we’ll see Black Adam in Shazam!

  11. Gotham City Sirens

    Director: David Ayer

    Margot Robbie is expected to not only reprise her role as Harley Quinn but also join Gotham City Sirens as an executive producer through her production company, LuckyChap Entertainment. While Jared Leto is also expected to reprise his role as The Joker, it’s believed that Harley will be flanked by Poison Ivy and Catwoman, a la the comic book series. News about the film has been relatively scarce as of late, but periodically, director David Ayer will post a Sirens-related image to his Twitter account, seemingly confirming that the project is still alive and well.

  12. Justice League 2

    Director: TBA

    Originally planned to be the second installment in a two-part Justice League movie, Justice League 2 was placed on the back burner to make room for The Batman, though it’s unclear how that film’s production drama has changed things. In any case, this past December, it was reported that WB has “no immediate plans” for Zack Snyder to return to the director’s chair for the sequel. This news came just two months after Commissioner Gordon actor J.K. Simmons stated in an interview that a script was in the works, so even with Snyder on the outs, we still may get Justice League 2 eventually.

  13. Man of Steel 2

    Director: TBA

    A Man of Steel sequel has seemingly been in the infant stages of development for several years, with the most recent mention of the project coming from Henry Cavill himself this past December at ACE Comic Con. Matthew Vaughn’s name has been unofficially attached to the film, as well, stemming from his talks with WB about possibly directing, but so far, nothing concrete has surfaced.

  14. Batgirl

    Director: Joss Whedon

    Last March, it was announced that Joss Whedon would write, direct, and produce a film focusing on Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. Inspired by Gail Simone’s New 52 comic book run, Batgirl was expected to begin production this year, but it’s unclear if that’s still the case. Nevertheless, the film was included as a part of WB’s official slate revealed at San Diego Comic-Con.

  15. Justice League Dark

    Director: TBA

    Justice League Dark is another film that’s gone through several directors, and at this time, no one is onboard to helm the project. However, much like Batgirl, it was also included in the official WB slate from SDCC, so until further notice, it looks like it’s still happening.

  16. Untitled Deathstroke Movie

    Director: Gareth Evans

    One of the more recent additions to the DCEU slate is a film starring Joe Manganiello as Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, who was originally supposed to be the primary antagonist in The Batman. However, Gareth Evans, who was initially in talks to direct Justice League Dark, impressed studio executives with his pitch for a Deathstroke solo film, prompting WB to greenlight the project.

  17. Untitled Harley Quinn/Joker Movie

    Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

    This Suicide Squad spinoff, originally believed to be Gotham City Sirens, was later confirmed to be a completely separate project. All we really know about the yet-to-be-titled Harley Quinn/Joker film so far is that it’s going to be a “criminal love story,” which, given the titular characters, as well as Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s work on Crazy, Stupid, Love, could bode quite well for the project.

  18. Untitled Harley Quinn/Birds of Prey Movie

    Director: TBA

    This entry is a bit confusing, largely because of conflicting reports about whether Margot Robbie’s third Suicide Squad spinoff is a solo film or a Birds of Prey film. Her remarks from this past December, in which she said she’s “been working on a separate spinoff Harley thing for a while,” seems to hint at the former. However, a report from January suggests Robbie’s next appearance as Harley could be in Birds of Prey, and while they could very well be two separate movies, there seems to be quite a bit of overlap, so all we can do is wait and see.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Fandoms and Lists page.