Summary

Superman will launch the new DC Universe, but other projects, such as Lanterns and Supergirl, are already underway.
Warner Bros. Is taking a big gamble with an unproven universe that Superman has yet to establish.
DC may be repeating past mistakes by rushing to establish the interconnected universe, potentially leading to costly pivots.

Warner Bros. Has big plans for the new DC Universe, but Superman, their flagship feature, hasn't even hit theaters yet. After DC's prior interconnected universe of superhero films failed, they handed over DC Studios to James Gunn and Peter Safran. Gunn would write and direct a new Superman movie to start the latest DC Universe, with several projects announced that would span TV, film, and potentially video games.

Many of their plans are already in motion. Peacemaker season 2 is set to premiere in August. The movie Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow has wrapped filming, and the Lanterns TV series is in production. The animated series Creature Commandos was the first project to debut, serving as a soft launch on their promised world, featuring characters that will carry through, like Frank Grillo's Rick Flag Sr. However, with so many DC shows and movies in the works, Warner Bros. Is taking a big gamble on an unproven universe, all before Superman has even laid the groundwork.

James Gunn Has Already Proven Himself Capable Of Handling Superman's Trickiest Aspect

James Gunn is packing a lot into Superman, with the director already proving he can handle the trickiest aspect the trailers have highlighted.

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By Timothy McClelland

The DC Universe Already Has Substantial Plans In Motion

Creature Commandos has already aired its first season, garnering stellar reviews from critics and audiences. The show has even been renewed for a second season, allowing the team of misfits to continue. Superman is meant to start the cinema side of the DC Universe, but far more is already in the works. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow recently wrapped filming, with House of the Dragon star Milly Alcock playing the title role. Supergirl also has an exciting director at the helm, Craig Gillespie, who has an eclectic career, directing Colin Farrell's Fright Night remake, the Academy Award-nominated I, Tonya, and Disney's Cruella.

Peacemaker season 2 is set to complicate the narrative when it arrives in August, as the first season was part of DC's failed previous universe. When the show airs, fans are expecting Peacemaker to explain away the connections and characters that appeared. However, with the DC Universe looking to start anew, Peacemaker may overcomplicate the already expansive plans the DCU hopes to encapsulate. Despite the first season's positive reception, it may have been better off not returning.

Lanterns is a TV series currently in production that will follow Green Lanterns Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). The show will also feature Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, who is making his debut in Superman before appearing in Peacemaker season 2.

Complicating things further, Gunn and Safran are planning Elseworld films, which are DC comics-based content that takes place outside the main DCU continuity. These projects include The Batman II, Keanu Reeves' planned Constantine sequel, and the animated Harley Quinn series that just aired its fifth season. Further plans include a Clayface movie penned by Mike Flanagan, which is undergoing rewrites before its planned production starts later this year. However, the DCU hasn't established Batman. Clayface is a bold choice to bring into the unproven space, even if it ends up being part of the Elseworld films, as Matt Reeves may use the character in The Batman II.

There are numerous plans for Teen Titans projects, a Waller TV series, an animated Robin movie, The Brave and the Bold take on Batman, and even a film based on the lesser-known The Authority. With projects already being canceled, like the Sgt. Rock movie, and with so many unproven elements at play, WB has made a significant commitment.

Superman Is Meant To Kick Off An Unproven Universe

Even with everything the DC Universe has already planned, Superman trailers have highlighted numerous characters who will be debuting. Beyond the DCU debut of Superman characters like Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Metallo, the movie will feature other heroes like Guy Gardner as Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific, all of whom fans hope to see get their time to shine in a movie that seems packed to the brim with content. Superman is also taking a big swing by introducing Krypto the Superdog into live-action for the first time, which could be a make-or-break element.

With so much riding on Superman's shoulders, the movie needs to be financially successful and must land with critics and audiences. DC's own past has seen films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice make waves financially, but fail so hard with critics and fans that it sent all their plans into a tailspin. Superman appears to be taking several big swings with bold choices meant to set itself apart from other adaptations of the hero. However, if it fails, DC may be repeating the same mistakes they made in their last attempt at an interconnected universe.

The DCU May Repeat The Mistakes That Doomed The DCEU

The prior DC Comics slate of interconnected projects was known as the DCEU, or the DC Extended Universe. It began in 2013 with Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, which was meant to set the tone and kick off the franchise if it was successful. Financial returns saw WB announce their DCEU plans, which included a follow-up film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which would be followed by Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and a Justice League movie. Several other projects were announced, like a Cyborg movie, the Green Lantern Corps, and the fact that the Justice League was intended as multiple movies.

As Batman v Superman hit theaters, Justice League, Suicide Squad, and Wonder Woman were already in production. When critics and audiences maligned the movie, DC chose to make a drastic pivot in their strategy. This led to the notorious behind-the-scenes shakeups that saw Justice League reworked and many projects canceled. Among those axed were Ben Affleck's solo Batman feature, Henry Cavill's Man of Steel 2, and Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke film. Suicide Squad was also drastically altered, producing another lackluster outing they hoped to correct.

DC was hoping to garner the same success that Marvel captured via the MCU. However, the MCU was built over the course of several years, slowly laying the groundwork before Marvel introduced The Avengers and brought all their characters together. DC looked to rush through establishing their universe in hopes that they could attain similar results over a shorter period, simultaneously throwing several projects into production. While this seemed like a financially lucrative plan, they never accounted for the possibility of failure. This doomed their DCEU in the early stages by preemptively building too much atop an unproven universe.

The DCEU slowly limped to its death with the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in 2023 after diminishing returns with films like Black Adam, The Flash, and Shazam!: Fury of the Gods. By this time, Gunn and Safran had been tapped to reboot DC's TV and movie slate, announcing their plans for the DCU. However, with so many projects currently in production before Superman establishes the DCU, Warner Bros. And DC Studios may be repeating the same mistakes that could force them into costly pivots in already produced content.