James Gunn has addressed the DCU's 10 year plan – and why some projects are more standalone than others.

While some of the DCU's projects, like Superman and Supergirl, are very clearly connected to each other, others, like Clayface, are far more standalone.

On Threads, responding to a now-deleted post, Gunn wrote: "No. You can look at my quotes from January '23 when we started and I said we were going to do exactly what we're doing. I said some stories would be standalone like the Guardians movies were (which is what Clayface is) and some stories would have part of a larger narrative structure, which is what the Superman Saga is. All that said, each piece of the larger story should work on its own with or without having to see everything else."

He added: "ALSO, some things get conflated here. The often cited '8 to 10 year roadmap' originally pitched wasn't only story points (although that was a part of it), but also the plan for DC as a whole, including focusing on diamond characters (Superman, Batman, WW) as well as smaller characters we could turn into diamonds (Krypto, John Stewart, Peacemaker), how we would foster filmmaker freedom & allow for multiple tones & ratings, the influences of Star Wars & George RR Martin, and so much more.

"It's exciting seeing things START to come together and all that makes me even more excited for what we have in store for everyone in Man of Tomorrow."

Man of Tomorrow is the next movie for the DCU, and it functions as a quasi-sequel to Superman. The massive cast includes the return of David Corenswet's Supes, Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor, and Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane, along with Milly Alcock's Supergirl, Aaron Pierre's John Stewart, Lars Eidinger's Brainiac, and Adria Arjona's mystery character – who everyone thinks is Wonder Woman.

That film arrives on July 9. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows for everything else that's on the way.

Clayface director James Watkins says the best scene in the new DCU horror movie wasn't in Mike Flanagan's original script.

Warning: Mild spoilers for Clayface below!

"It came to me quite late in the process. I really wanted to beef up Matt’s journey upstairs [to confront mobster Markos Szabo]," Watkins told The Hollywood Reporter. "I kept talking about capturing the feeling of Robin Hood movies, or a film like El Cid, where they storm the castle. Before the hero can reach the keep and rescue Maid Marian or whoever, they have to fight their way through the outer defenses."

Towards the end of the movie, Matt heads to Szabo's club, Vesuvius, with the intention of taking down the mobster once and for all. While he's there, however, he decides to have some fun and terrorize Szabo's girlfriend Mia Torres by shapeshifting back and forth between Szabo's right-hand man Sal and himself, before taking on the rest of Szabo's goons in various forms (one of which happens to be Aaron Paul for some reason).

Continued Watkins: "I also wanted to show Matt discovering and experiencing the dark glee that comes with his powers. He’s been on quite a tough ride to that point, and I wanted to give the audience permission to enjoy the payback."

Clayface currently sits at a 75% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a near-perfect 94% audience score. The film is already proving to be much more profitable than Supergirl, having pulled in $24 million at the domestic box office in its opening weekend, bringing in a total gross of $43 million worldwide against a budget of $44 million (per Box Office Mojo).

Clayface is in theaters now. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows. If you have already seen the movie, jump to our guides on the Clayface ending explained and Clayface Easter eggs.

DC Studios boss James Gunn has heaped praise on Clayface lead Tom Rhys Harries on the 65th anniversary of Matt Hagen's comic book debut.

"It’s one thing to watch someone become a monster, but another to feel everything that person is losing along the way. Tom Rhys Harries gives an astounding performance in Clayface, bringing an emotional weight to the horror in a way that feels incredibly personal," Gunn wrote on Twitter. "Happy anniversary to Matt Hagen, who debuted in DETECTIVE COMICS #298."

While the concept of Clayface precedes Matt Hagen's first appearance by decades, that iteration of the shapeshifting Batman villain has become one of the in vogue choices ever since Batman: The Animated Series' two-part 'Feat of Clay' back in 1992 helped popularize the character.

Since then, multiple versions of Clayface have graced our screens, including the hammy actor Basil Karlo (voiced by Alan Tudyk) in Harley Quinn. The character – again, Karlo's version – also popped up in Batman: Arkham City,

But the DCU is going all-in on Hagen, with the character first appearing in animated series Creature Commandos before Rhys Harries made his gloopy mark on the troubled figure in live action earlier this month.

Yet, there's been no mention of Batman, despite the Caped Crusader supposedly roaming around Gotham during the events of Clayface.

Speaking to that absence, director James Watkins told GamesRadar+, "It's a city of a very many million people, and this is Matt Hagen's story. I didn't want to get too cute. I just wanted to be honest to the story."

Clayface has also proved to be a modest success at the box office, recouping its budget in its first weekend.

For a spoiler-filled breakdown of the finale, we have a Clayface ending guide. There's also a wider look at how Clayface fits on the DCU timeline.

Despite earning mixed reviews from critics, Clayface has managed to make back its production budget in just a few days.

Clayface debuted to $24 million in the US over its opening weekend, pulling in $43 million worldwide in total, as per Box Office Mojo. That means that the DCU's first horror movie, which cost $35 million to make, has already made its budget back.

This means that Clayface is on track to become the third most profitable DC movie this decade, after The Batman and Superman, as found by Global Box Office. Released in 2022, The Batman earned over $772.7 million in total globally, which was almost four times its estimated production cost of $200 million. The DCU Chapter One's first movie, Superman, grossed $618.7 million, just shy of 3 times its $225 million budget.

Clayface is already besting the DCU's last live-action movie, Supergirl, which grossed $126.4 million in total but cost between an estimated $170 and $200 million.

This is good news indeed for the James Watkins-directed horror film, which opened to mixed but mostly positive reviews. The movie sits at a 75% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a near-perfect 94% audience score. In our 3 out of 5-star Clayface review, we call the new addition "DC Studios' biggest experiment to date. Yet, Tom Rhys Harries' outstanding Matt Hagen and squeamish sequences can't completely cover up a safe body horror that carries the scars of a so-so script and surface-level dissection of its gloopy subject matter."

Based on the beloved Batman villain, Clayface follows budding Hollywood star Matt Hagen, whose career is cut short when a local mobster leave shim horribly disfigured. Desperate to get his old life back, Hagen seeks out an experimental medical trial which heals his scars, but turns him into a gloopy monster hellbent on revenge.

Clayface is out in theatres now. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows. If you have already seen the movie, jump to our guides on the Clayface ending explained and Clayface Easter eggs.

James Gunn has responded to a common cinematic universe criticism – that standalone movies are only "meaningful" if they lead to a big crossover event movie.

In replying to a Threads user who themselves disagreed with the idea that the DCU isn't building towards anything, Gunn wrote, "DCU is just an alternate universe; we can enter at any location or time and tell THAT story. I dislike the idea that individual stories aren't meaningful unless they lead to something else."

To make his point, Gunn pointed to another household pop culture name in a galaxy far, far away as proof of concept

"People not understanding this is strange to me, because Star Wars has essentially been doing this for 50 years across movies, shows, games and books, admittedly without the tonal variety," Gunn stated.

Of course, the DCU isn't without its setup. 2027's Man of Tomorrow is a Superman sequel in all but name, with connective tissue coming in from the likes of Supergirl, Lanterns and DCEU's Blue Beetle (try not to think about the canon implications of that one just yet). But the DC Studios co-CEO is adamant that audiences should be watching each project on its own merit, not because it's sprinkling breadcrumbs for whatever is next – or the next Big Bad in DCU Chapter One.

"But that doesn't mean those other stories only exist to set up what's happening there," Gunn said. "I would love people to be seeing Clayface because it's a great, fun horror movie unto itself, not because of where else Clayface will show up three movies from now."

So far, the DCU has prided itself on its individuality. Where Marvel Studios typically converges its stories for an Avengers movie, DC has gone the opposite way – platforming animated adventures, cosmic capers, True Detective-style mysteries, and body horrors all within its first 18 months. Or, as I wrote in my Clayface review, the DCU is "quickly learning that its biggest strength, like Clayface himself, is in its malleability."

Clayface has proved a fair hit with audiences on opening weekend, effectively recouping its budget with a $43 million worldwide gross.

If you've already seen Matt Hagen's murderous revenge tale, check in on our spoiler-filled breakdown with the Clayface ending.

For all things DCU, we have a look ahead to upcoming DC movies that are currently in the works.

Clayface reviews are in, and they're mostly positive, with the horror movie netting a higher Rotten Tomatoes score than Supergirl.

The DC body horror sits at a score of 76% on Rotten Tomatoes. Supergirl, meanwhile, sits at a rotten 52% – despite being the DCU's second movie overall, it's the franchise's first rotten rated movie.

"Have I told you what a pleasure it's been working with director James Watkins on this project? If so, I'll say it again!" DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn wrote on Twitter, sharing The Hollywood Reporter's review of the movie.

Our own Clayface review awards the film 3 stars, and our verdict reads: "On paper, Clayface is DC Studios' biggest experiment to date. Yet, Tom Rhys Harries' outstanding Matt Hagen and squeamish sequences can't completely cover up a safe body horror that carries the scars of a so-so script and surface-level dissection of its gloopy subject matter."

Supergirl, meanwhile, cratered at the box office with a global gross of just $126.4 million. "While Supergirl didn't meet our box office expectations, it's just one component of a broader, long-term strategy at DC Studios that we remain confident in," DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran reflected.

"I spoke with Matt [Reeves], and he was incredibly supportive, as well as James Gunn," Clayface director Watkins told GamesRadar+. "And I said, 'Look, this is where I want to go,' and they were like, 'Great, do it.' And there was no mandate to try and match or change or do anything. There was this notion that, 'This is what we're going to create for Clayface, and this feels right for this story.' I like the standalone nature of this story. I didn't have to worry about any concerns for a greater universe."

Clayface is in theaters this October 23. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows for everything else the DCU has in store.

As Clayface rolls into theaters, another standalone project based on a Batman villain is moving forward at DC. The previously rumored live-action Poison Ivy TV series is a go, and The Penguin showrunner Lauren LeFranc is in talks to produce.

According to Deadline, the upcoming Poison Ivy series will be part of the DCU, rather than being part of Elseworlds, which is the universe that belongs to Matt Reeves and The Penguin. No plot or casting details have been announced as of yet. We also don't know if any other spin-offs will come out of the Matt Reeves Batman universe, as The Batman 2 doesn't hit theaters until 2028.

Poison Ivy made her comic book debut back in 1966 in Batman #181, first introduced as Dr. Lillian Rose. A doctor of botany, she survives an attempted poisoning and realizes she's immune to all toxins and diseases. In 1988, she was reimagined as Dr. Pamela Isley, a Gotham City botanist who develops plant-like superpowers after being injected with poison by her evil professor.

Uma Thurman famously portrayed Poison Ivy in 1997's Batman and Robin, though she has been more recently portrayed by Bridget Regan in The CW's Arrowverse and by Payton List in the Fox TV series Gotham.

Up next for the DCU is Clayface, which hits theaters on October 23. After much delay, The Batman 2 is set to premiere on February 18, 2028. For more, check out our guides to all the upcoming DC movies and shows and our breakdown of how to watch the DC movies in order.

Clayface might take place in Gotham City, but the DC location's famous protector, Batman, is nowhere to be seen.

That's because Clayface is the standalone tale of Matt Hagen, an up-and-coming Hollywood actor who is horrifically disfigured by a mobster after a drunken bad decision on a night out.

But, was director James Watkins ever tempted to include an obvious reference to the Dark Knight?

"I wasn't," he tells GamesRadar+ when we meet with him in London to discuss the film. "Because I sort of felt, like the Joker is the story of one person in Gotham, so is this," he adds, referencing Todd Phillips's 2019 film starring Joaquin Phoenix as the Clown Prince of Crime. "It's a city of a very many million people, and this is Matt Hagen's story. I didn't want to get too cute. I just wanted to be honest to the story."

Still, while Batman might not show up, the movie does establish Gotham City in the DCU for the first time, and it's a fittingly gritty, seedy, and lively version of the iconic setting.

"I wanted Gotham to be a character," explains Watkins. "It's this overbearing city. I've got a brilliant production designer, James Price, he did Poor Things, he won an Oscar for that. We've worked with him a few times. James and I talked a lot about German expressionist cinema from the '30s with buildings looming over people. And with Rob Hardy the DP, we looked at cinematography and photography from New York from the 70s and 80s and 90s, where it was really a rough city, and textures, and dirt, and had neons, and this kind of dirty poetry that the city had back then.

"So, trying to capture some of that, that sort of city where the rubbish doesn't get picked up, where it's corrupt, where you can't get a break, and then contrasting that with Coast City, where Matt is initially, which is sunny, and golden, and blue sky, and sea, and there's vegetation, greenery, which there isn't in Gotham," he adds. "You barely can see the sky in Gotham. It's always oppressive. We frame out the sky most of the time. The buildings frame it out. So, it was very much trying to land it as a character."

Of course, this is far from the first time that Gotham has been depicted on screen. "As well as looking at a lot of non-film reference, I looked at all the films," explains Watkins. "Joel Schumacher's world is very dayglow, whereas Chris Nolan's world is very grounded. Tim Burton's world with brilliant production design. Trying to track those different worlds is kind of fun, but they're all versions of Gotham."

The attention to detail translated into the fictional city feeling incredibly real for the actors themselves. "I kept having moments on set where I was just like, 'Whoa,'" says Matt Hagen actor Tom Rhys Harries. "You sort of normalize it, and then you remember that this is a very surreal thing to be experiencing. I thought James Price, the designer, did an incredible job of filling that world in and giving it an extended world beyond what we see on the camera. I'd pick up an empty soda can that had a very specific, niche Gotham branding on this soda can, and then underneath it would be a sticker that was crumpled up, and you'd open it up, and it would be like, I don't know, a ticket to a gig that was happening in Gotham that night. I'd had a number of pinch me moments throughout this whole process."

That also led to Max Minghella, who plays GCPD cop John Borrelli in the film, having a surreal moment of his own on set. "I went to see James Gunn's Superman in the cinema. I really loved it, and I knew nothing that I was going to be involved in this movie," he says. "And then, quite quickly after I saw that film in the cinema, I was on set holding a Jitters Coffee cup, which is featured in Superman. And I do think it was one of the most surreal moments of my life, because I was like, 'I just went to see this film, and there was this prop in the movie, and now I'm holding that prop,' but it felt like it was yesterday. And I thought, 'Wow, the magic of movies.' I never get over it. It's just a kid in a candy shop, it's so fun."

The GCPD is also an iconic Gotham institution, which makes joining the universe particularly exciting. "Look, I can't pretend I was cool about it. I was completely overexcited and couldn't believe it," says Minghella. "I was pinching myself every day. It's just a real childhood dream come true. And then on top of that, Naomi [Ackie] and I both, even before we were part of this film, recognized it might be quite special, that there is something really original about it, but also that the Clayface character will lend itself in a very cinematic way. So, it wasn't just like we get to establish Gotham, and I get to be a cop, and all that stuff. It was also that we were making a movie we all really believed in. We all felt like we were doing something that was going to be different, so the whole thing was amazing."

"You see Gotham in the day," adds Ackie, who plays Caitlyn Corr, the doctor who treats Matt's injuries (and inadvertently gives him his shapeshifting powers). "You rarely see Gotham in the day. There are some scenes where there's neighbourhoods, people are having fun, normal things: different shades of Gotham that allow for you to believe that people live in Gotham and make it by."

But, don't expect to spot every Gotham City detail – even Watkins doesn't know all of them. "There are quite a few Easter eggs in the movie, and actually there are some I don't even know about because the graphics department, the production design department, they were always sneaking in little things all over the place," he says.

Clayface arrives in theaters this October 23. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows for everything else the DCU has in store.

Clayface arrives as the third movie in the DCU and is set in Gotham City, home to Batman. But, the film is a standalone with very few connections to the wider shared universe, instead placing its focus squarely on its tragic villain protagonist.

Matt Reeves, architect of his own Bat-verse, is a producer on the film, along with DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. But, according to director James Watkins, there were no guardrails for fitting the film into the DCU.

"I spoke with Matt, and he was incredibly supportive, as well as James Gunn," Watkins tells us when we meet with him in London. "And I said, 'Look, this is where I want to go,' and they were like, 'Great, do it.' And there was no mandate to try and match or change or do anything. There was this notion that, 'This is what we're going to create for Clayface, and this feels right for this story.' I like the standalone nature of this story. I didn't have to worry about any concerns for a greater universe."

But that doesn't mean Clayface exists entirely apart – even if the connections are so small you might not even notice them.

"There was little things, like if you had an advertisement hoarding, there was stuff that James had, like various burgers or products from their world, and we could cherry-pick some of the products that we thought [worked]," explains Watkins. "In the newspaper, there's a burger on it at some point, so there's kind of little Easter eggs and things that we've cross-referenced from their fictional world. But there was no overarching, 'You must do this,' or 'You must do that.'"

The film being so standalone hasn't stopped star Tom Rhys Harries from assessing his chances against Batman, either.

Clayface is in theaters this October 23. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows for everything else the DCU has in store.

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has shared new artwork for the upcoming animated TV show, but there seems to be someone hiding in the background

The new image, shared on Twitter by Gunn, shows a bloodied and bruised Mister Miracle and Barda looking into each other's eyes whilst a horde of armed warriors charge at them. However, DC fans have spotted a strange figure hiding in plain sight. If you look between Mister Miracle and Barda, you can see the silhouette of Darkseid.

Though we cannot yet see the super-tall character's signature grey skin and red eyes, we know it is him just from the shape of his body and head. We already knew that Darkseid would be a part of the new show, thanks to Gunn confirming the show is canon. Check out the artwork below.

First introduced to DC Comics in 1970, Darkseid is a New God that lives in another realm known as the Fourth World. He rules over the nightmare world Apokolips and has just one aim: to destroy all universes and turn their inhabitants into his mindless followers. This won't be the first time Darkseid has appeared on screen. We met a live-action version of Darkseid in the DCEU in Zack Snyder's Justice League, played by Ray Porter.

The show will adapt comic writer and Lanterns co-creator Tom King's Mister Miracle comic that ran from 2017 to 2019. The comic follows Scott Free as he escapes Apokolips, where he was raised by his adoptive father of sorts, Darkseid. But when he lands on Earth looking for a normal life, he struggles with PTSD from his dark past. Josh Hutcherson will voice Mister Miracle, and Mackenzie Davis has been cast as Big Barda. Darkseid's voice actor has yet to be announced.

In an interview with IGN, DC Studios co-head Peter Safran teased, "It's just a beautiful story about, 'How do we survive in today's world knowing that we're never going to truly know the answers to the big questions in life?' It's a beautiful book, and the adaptation is fantastic, so we're excited about that."

Mister Miracle does not yet have a release date. For more, check out our guide on how to watch DC movies in order, and keep up with upcoming DC movies and TV shows on the way.

The DCU's next movie, Clayface, is almost upon us, and DC co-CEO James Gunn has released a list of body horror movies to get us in the mood for everyone's favorite goopy supervillain.

Gunn took to Threads to share the list after a fan asked what they should watch, if anything, to prepare for a fleshy, goopy nightmare of a horror movie like Clayface. The list leans David Cronenberg-heavy, with Shivers, The Brood, The Fly, and Videodrome all making the list. However, Gunn also included Invasion of the Body Snatchers, John Carpenter's The Thing, Guillermo del Toro's Cronos, and his own body horror, 2006's Slither. You can check out the rest of the list below.

Gunn has also stated that Clayface is a straight-up horror movie, rather than a horror-superhero hybrid (such as Blade or The Crow). The movie follows Hollywood actor Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), who makes the mistake of getting with a mobster's girlfriend. After they cut up his face, effectively ending his career, he decides to undergo an experimental treatment at the hands of trusted doctor Caitlin Bates (Naomi Ackie). Needless to say... he doesn't exactly get the results he was hoping for.

James Watkins (Eden Lake) directs from a screenplay penned by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini. David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan also star.

Clayface releases in theaters October 23. For more, check out our guides to all the upcoming DC movies and shows and our breakdown of how to watch the DC movies in order.

DCU Studios co-CEO James Gunn has revealed plans for the universe's Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold, have changed since it was announced.

Originally, the movie was set to be about Bruce Wayne and his biological son Damian Wayne, who, in the comics, becomes Robin and fights crime at his father's side.

When asked by a fan on Threads "have the plans for DCU Batman changed creatively in some way since the 2023 announcement of The Brave and the Bold?" Gunn responded with a simple: "Yep."

Now, it's unclear what exactly that means – at the moment, no DCU Batman has been cast, and he has only been seen briefly in silhouette in the DCU. So, the film has plenty of freedom to go in any direction.

The Brave and the Bold will be the DCU's take on Batman, while Matt Reeves's The Batman 2 is an Elseworlds movie with no connection to the shared universe. News recently broke that Steven Soderbergh will take over principal photography on the film while Reeves deals with a personal matter.

"Just to be clear, I am not leaving The Batman Part II," Reeves has clarified. "I am profoundly grateful to Steven for coming to my aid during this challenging time to help me finish principal photography. Thank you to all for your concern and well wishes."

The Batman 2 will be released on February 18, 2028. Next up for the DCU is Clayface, which arrives on October 23.

While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows.

The temporary pause on The Batman 2 production will soon be lifted as Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh is filling in for Matt Reeves to direct while Reeves deals with a family-related issue.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that filming on The Batman 2 had been halted to allow Reeves to attend "a family matter." Just 10 days later, Deadline reports that Soderbergh will step in to direct the DC Studios sequel in its final weeks of production. Soderbergh will reportedly finish filming the project while in communication with Reeves, who won't be on set. Reeves is said to be picking up post-production duties after filming wraps.

"As Matt Reeves continues to attend to an ongoing family matter, Steven Soderbergh, as an admirer of Matt's work, approached Matt and will step in, with the full support of DC Studios, to help the writer-director complete the final weeks of principal photography on The Batman Part 2. Matt and Steven will work closely together with the actors and crew to fulfill Matt's vision of the film," reads a statement from DC Studios.

Soderbergh, who won an Oscar for his 2000 crime drama Traffic, said in his own statement that "Matt Reeves' work on The Batman was stunning; it was intentional, specific, and rigorously coherent," adding, "The goal here is to work with Matt and his team to generate footage that will integrate seamlessly with what’s already been shot so Matt can properly finish his film."

The Batman 2 still has a theatrical release date of February 18, 2028. Deadline reports that it's too soon to say whether that'll change due to the temporary pause in production.

The cast includes Robert Pattinson returning as Batman alongside Andy Serkis as Alfred and Colin Farrell as Penguin. New additions to the cast include Charles Dance, Scarlett Johansson, Brian Tyree Henry, Jayme Lawson, and Sebastian Stan.

While you wait for The Batman 2, here's our guide to the best Batman movies and all of the upcoming DC movies you have to look forward to.

The DCU's next movie, Clayface, has premiered, and the supervillain body horror is already being called "shockingly gruesome" in early reactions. Good news for all the Clay-heads out there, then: James Gunn has revealed this won't be the last we see of Matt Hagen in the DCU.

Speaking to Cinemex on the Clayface red carpet, Gunn confirmed that the gloopy, shapeshifting bad guy will return in a future DCU project. "I think one of the most fun things about creating the DCU is being able to tell stories that are very, very different from one another, in very different genres, and yet they all come together at certain points," Gunn said. "And yeah, this isn't the last we'll see of Clayface. And I can't wait for you guys to see what we do with him."

Of course, we've seen Hagen before in the DCU: he appears in the first season of the animated series Creature Commandos (and, yes, James Gunn has previously confirmed that the characters are one and the same). It's possible Gunn could simply be referring to the fact that Hagen will almost certainly pop up in Creature Commandos season 2, but given the character is best known for being part of Batman's rogues' gallery, Clayface appearing in The Brave and the Bold, or a future Batman-starring DCU movie feels like a distinct possibility.

The Batman buzz is certainly building around the DCU. In a separate interview, Clayface star Tom Rhys Harries may have let slip that Batman is in Gotham during the events of the DCU movie. Clayface director James Watkins has also said that Batman's presence will be felt "inherently" in Clayface, telling SFX magazine: "You're in a city called Gotham. So I guess you feel the shadow of the Bat inherently. Because of the nature of where you are."

Clayface releases in theaters October 23. For more, check out our guides to all the upcoming DC movies and shows and our breakdown of how to watch the DC movies in order.

DC Studios has announced that production on The Batman 2 is going on hold as director Matt Reeves steps away for a personal issue.

"Production on The Batman Part II has been temporarily paused while Matt Reeves focuses on a family matter," the studio says in a statement provided to Deadline and others. "Matt has the full support of DC Studios and we look forward to continuing the journey soon."

The Batman 2 is set to be released on February 18, 2026. Deadline's sources say it's not yet clear whether the pause in production will affect the planned release date. The film had already been delayed multiple times over, as it was first planned to release back in 2025.

Filming for The Batman 2 was already underway, as evidenced by a host of recent set photos unveiling such details as a battle-damaged Batmobile, the new Batsuit, and an apparent appearance from the Court of Owls. Despite the set leaks, few official details about the movie's plot have been revealed, though Robert Pattinson describes it as a "radical retelling" of Batman.

Pattinson returns as the titular superhero, alongside Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Colin Farrell as The Penguin. New additions to the cast include Sebastian Stan, who is widely expected to play Harvey Dent/Two-Face, alongside Scarlett Johansson, Charles Dance, Sebastian Koch, and Brian Tyree Henry.

To tide you over as the wait for The Batman 2 goes on, check out our ranking of the best Batman movies, and stay up-to-date with all the upcoming DC movies on the calendar.

James Gunn has been forced to cover for Man of Tomorrow's Frank Grillo after the Rick Flag Sr. actor reposted an unofficial cast poster which showed Adria Arjona as Wonder Woman.

"Is this an accidental tease or should we not read anything into it?" one fan asked on Threads, prompting Gunn – who has a long history of debunking reports on social media – into action.

"It's Frank reposting somebody because it has his photo in it and he loves himself," Gunn wrote. "I can assure you Frank doesn't know who Adria is playing in the DCU and whether or not she has any sort of incredibly small cameo in MoT or not. People have been making wayyyyyyyyyyy too much of this."

Gunn even, incredibly, followed up with a text message exchange with Grillo, wherein the actor 'fesses up to reposting it without realizing what a stir it would cause.

Ever since Arjona's casting in the DCU, fans – at the risk of putting two and two together and getting five – have been convinced that the actor is playing Wonder Woman.

Adding further fuel to the flames of speculation is Arjona herself, who confirmed in a recent interview that she was very much aware of which character she was auditioning for.

"I love my costume," Arjona said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, while also name-checking the two characters (Wonder Woman and Maxima) that she has been linked to in recent months.

Man of Tomorrow is a Superman sequel in all but name, though – and stars David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, and Rachel Brosnahan, alongside fellow DCU heroes such as Aaron Pierre's John Stewart.

For more on that character's journey into Man of Tomorrow, check out the Lanterns season 1 ending explainer and how it could set up a potential Lanterns season 2.

Sean Gunn has shared his thoughts on Man of Tomorrow, and it sounds like the film is shaping up to be something special.

Gunn has a role in the DCU as Maxwell Lord, and he also played Kraglin and was the physical performer for Rocket Raccoon in the MCU.

"It weighs everything on it," Sean Gunn told ComicBook, when asked how Man of Tomorrow tips the scale between James Gunn's Marvel and DC movies. "Because I can tell you: I can't say anything about Man of Tomorrow in terms of what it's about or who's in it, or whatever. But I think it's okay that I can say that I've read it, and it's my favorite of all of them. So I'll be very curious to come back a year from now and talk to people about what they like the best."

But, Sean Gunn also stressed that he doesn't see the two sets of films as competing. "I also want to say: it's not a competition. I'm so proud of the Guardians movies and the role I played there, and I think that I root for all of them. You just want the stories to be good; you want the products to be good; you don't want to be like, 'This is better than that!' It's more like this is for the audience that loves this; and the audience that loves this [other franchise], loves this. And let's just keep trying to tell good stories and bring everybody into the fold."

Man of Tomorrow is a quasi-sequel to last summer's Superman, and it will see Clark Kent and Lex Luthor team up against Brainiac.

It arrives on July 9, 2027. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows for everything else that's on the way.

The final trailer for Clayface has arrived, and it gives us our best look yet at the upcoming DCU horror, including a glimpse of his final form.

The latest trailer focuses less on how Hagen becomes Clayface, and more on the violent, tragic aftermath. Evoking the likes of Joker, it's clear that Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is a victim of tragic circumstances in a cruel and unforgiving Gotham, as his ability to change his appearance pushes him towards murderous villainy. Plenty of gnarly body horror too; if you don't wince at the sight of Hagen about to cut open his eye flaps (gross) with a pair of nail scissors on a bumpy flight, you're made of sterner stuff than us.

Clayface is the next film in the DCU Chapter One, and stars Tom Rhys Harries as the movie star turned shapeshifting gloop monster. In extended DC media, Clayface is typically depicted as a Batman villain, though the DCU could be doing things a little differently, as Hagen has already popped up in the canon DC animated series Creature Commandos (and, yes, they are the same character).

Clayface is something a little different for the DCU, as it's smaller scale and, by the looks of it, a great deal more unsettling than any DCU feature or show to date. Director James Watkins (who helmed the excellent Eden Lake, and the recent Speak No Evil remake) has cited Sam Raimi's Evil Dead movies as an inspiration, which is all we really need to hear.

While the trailer gives us our best look yet at Hagen's gloopy final form, don't expect a clear shot of Clayface to sneak out before release, as Watkins confirmed a couple of months back it won't appear in marketing materials. "You don't want to show the shark," Watkins said. "I think people give away too much… I believe in the power of mystery and the power of suggestion and the power of people putting two and two together. I think it's more fun." Harries, however, has confirmed that it indeed looks "fucking sick".

Clayface hits cinemas on October 23. For more, check out our guide on how to watch DC movies in order, and keep up with upcoming DC movies and shows on the way.

Depending on what part of the planet you’re living on, it appears that Superman is set to go up, up, and away from HBO Max, and understandably, some DC fans aren’t happy about it. According to the Superman Homepage, James Gunn’s 2025 DCU Chapter One movie has “Leaving Soon” stamped across it on the streaming service in places like Australia and Spain, with an expected departure date of September 18 or 19, depending on where you are.

In some cases, the apparent exit of the first all-new DCU movie comes almost a year after it arrived on HBO Max. As it stands, there’s no telling whether David Corenswet’s debut as the Man of Steel might pop up on another streamer local to certain countries. Even so, fans have understandably expressed their concern about the impending change, wondering if and when Superman returns (no, not that one).

In some cases, the film is set to appear on Netflix on Saturday, and fans have chimed in. @QueenZiitta said on X, "Superman leaving Max right as the new DCU is gaining momentum feels like an interesting move. Netflix could introduce Corenswet’s Superman to an even bigger audience." Other fans weren’t so happy about the news, with @luvghoulia saying, "This pisses me off. I don't want another subscription just to watch my fav movie when all the other DC stuff is on HBO."

It does seem a little ill-timed, given that Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), who has been plastered all over Superman on HBO Max, is set to make an appearance next week on the hit show, Lanterns. This might leave those uninitiated having to wander around to look for him, if at all, when the feature film makes its departure. For HBO Max users around the world, we’d advise squeezing in a showing of Superman while you still can before the next chapter in the Superman story hits screens.

Superman is streaming on HBO Max (for the time being). Man of Tomorrow releases in theaters on July 9. For more, check out all the other confirmed new DC movies and shows in the pipeline.

It's nothing new for heroes and villains to switch sides. Venom started out as a real pain. Sinestro was the greatest Green Lantern of them all, until he wasn't. Perhaps one of the most forgotten heel turns in comic book history, however, involves billionaire bad guy Maxwell Lord, who has now been played by two different stars on the big screen – Pedro Pascal in Wonder Woman 1984 and Sean Gunn in Superman.

In a recent online exchange with a fan, James Gunn – the co-head of DC Studios and director of Man of Tomorrow – was asked why bowl-cut-haired ring-slinger Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) was working for Lord as part of the Justice Gang, given his evil reputation. It was here that Gunn set the record straight on Threads about the character, and assured that the version we'd already met might be different to the kind of character Lord had become.

"Who said he was evil? The DCU is not a Xerox of DC Comics. It's an alternate universe. But as a hint, I'm a huge fan of the deeply flawed but hardly malevolent Max as originally created by [Keith] DeMatteis, [J.M.] Giffen, and [Kevin] Maguire, not the less nuanced evil dude he was retconned into," explained Gunn. "The original Max as presented in JLI was one of my favorite characters."

For those who might have done their hero and villain homework, Lord started out as an ally to the Justice League and was a key part of the Justice League International’s formation. Over time, he eventually became an enemy of the original League and ended up getting his neck snapped by Wonder Woman in a pivotal part of Infinite Crisis after killing Ted Kord, aka Blue Beetle.

In the final act of Superman, Gardner enlisted Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) into the Lord-funded hero team, the Justice Gang, while also giving themselves a name change. Factoring this in, there's no telling how close to the comics the Justice League's journey might become and, by extension, how much involvement Lord will end up having as this universe expands. While Gunn might certainly be backing his version of Lord, we'd still suggest that Xolo Maridueña, who is reprising his role as Blue Beetle, keep an eye out, just in case.

Man of Tomorrow releases in theaters on July 9. For more, check out all the other upcoming DC movies and shows in the pipeline.

Superman follow-up Man of Tomorrow has now wrapped filming and DC fans are starting to wonder when we might get a first look at the new movie. Well, if James Gunn has anything to do with it, we might not see several key characters until we're in the theater.

Posting on Threads, Gunn was asked if we can expect to see Superman's new suit any time soon. "If I could just drop it in theaters without showing anything I would," he replied, before sharing a similar sentiment too about Brainiac, who is set to be the new big villain in the new DC movie. Played by Babylon Berlin star Lars Eidinger, he'll be the target who brings Clark Kent and Lex Luthor on the same team.

"James, are we getting a first look of Brainiac? Just tell us so we can set our expectations about this," another fan asked to which Gunn replied: "Again, I'd rather show people nothing and have people see everything in theaters. But unfortunately we can't entirely do it that way."

It's not yet clear when we'll get our first look at Man of Tomorrow outside of set pictures, but the movie is set for release on July 9, 2027. Therefore, it seems likely we'll be waiting until the new year before we get a trailer.

Elsewhere, Gunn warned audiences not to expect a lot of new characters in Man of Tomorrow, even though the cast list is looking pretty stacked. As well as Nicholas Hoult and David Corenswet returning as Lex and Clark, Milly Alcock will return as Supergirl, Aaron Pierre is back as John Stewart, and Rachel Brosnahan returns as Lois Lane.

Andor star Adria Arjona is also joining the cast, but it's not yet clear who she's playing. Initial rumors suggested she might be Maxima but it has been heavily speculated since that she's actually going to be Wonder Woman. Her intense training has only been fuelling these rumors too.

Ahead of Man of Tomorrow, Lanterns is still airing weekly on HBO Max and Clayface is heading to theaters soon. You can also check out all the other confirmed new DC movies and shows in the pipeline.

No matter how divided audiences might be about his latest film, The Last Photograph, the debate will pale in comparison to the golden era of Snyder fandom and his handling of the DC Extended Universe.

Beginning with Man of Steel and ending with his own cut of Justice League, his time with Batman and Superman, whether loved or loathed, was exactly what he was aiming for, and a far cry from the bright and snappier world we got with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Looking back, though, Snyder revealed in an interview that perhaps that’s the kind of route he should’ve taken with his time in the DCEU, after all.

"[Marvel is] like an amusement park ride, right? The ups, the drops, the kind of cruising part, and then another drop. At the end, you’re like, 'Wow, that was crazy, that was awesome,'" Snyder told The Hollywood Reporter. "I had no interest in that. And you know, maybe that was a mistake. But I don’t think that way. I can’t do that. I'd rather just kind of talk about the mythology of them. And maybe that's not as fun," the director added.

There’s no doubt the biggest issue with the fan-labeled Snyderverse was its dark, overly intense tone, which for some bogged the films down a little. Now, though, there's been a tonal shift in movies like Superman and shows like Lanterns as part of the James Gunn-shaped DCU Chapter One. And while it's proven popular with some, it still hasn’t been without its hiccups (sorry, Supergirl).

For now, we can just be grateful that Snyder did his best in one of the world’s most beloved comic book universes, and certainly left his mark on the genre, whether you like it or not.

If you need to catch up, here's how to watch the DC movies in order, and our ranking of the best Zack Snyder movies.

The DCU is full steam ahead, as just over two weeks after James Gunn officially announced that The People v. Gorilla Grodd had been greenlit, the series has already started filming at a university in the US.

The upcoming Jimmy Olsen show has started filming at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, and thanks to leaked set photos, it looks like the series will fully embrace the university setting. Images posted by a Georgia Tech student on TikTok show banners for Metropolis University, branded in blue and purple. Many presumed the photos were taken on the set of Man of Tomorrow, but that finished filming in August.

On August 21, Gunn took to Twitter to share that the previously announced Jimmy Olsen show, which is a true-crime mockumentary, is officially going ahead at HBO. According to the in-universe bulletin from The Daily Planet, the eight-part mock-doc, directed by Daily Planet reporter and Superman character Olsen, will "take a fresh, 360-degree look at the case, revealing a lesser-seen side" of Grodd, who was imprisoned for the "murder and brain consumption of his father, King Grodd."

So, why is the show filming at a university? Well, the documentary is set to include "interviews with witnesses and experts on both Grodd's and the Metropolis District Attorney's side of the case." Plus, another image shows a newspaper dated Friday, November 3, 1989. This means that Olsen is doing some digging and could pay some university professors a visit to ask about the super monkey's abilities.

First introduced to DC Comics in 1959 as an antagonist to the Flash, Grodd gained his powers when he was exposed to a space rock, making him hyper-intelligent and able to control the human mind. Alongside Olsen star Skyler Gisondo, the cast also includes Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant, and Wendell Pierce as Perry White.

The People v. Gorilla Grodd does not yet have a release date. For more, check out our guide to DCU Chapter One and keep up with all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows.

Adria Arjona is almost certainly playing Wonder Woman in Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, but the Andor star continues to be grilled about the likely identity of her mystery character while on the promo tour for A24 horror-thriller Onslaught.

Speaking to Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Arjona dropped a couple more tidbits about her entry into the DCU Chapter One, without outright blowing the worst-kept-secret in superhero casting since Sadie Sink was forced to keep schtum about playing Jean Grey for months on end.

First, Arjona knew which character she was auditioning for from the beginning, which isn't always the case with secrecy-shrouded superhero projects (for example, VisionQuest's Tommy Shepherd star previously auditioned for an MCU role, but still doesn't know which one). Arjona responded to a direct question about whether she knew the character she was auditioning for with a simple, "Yeah."

The grilling continued, with some light-teasing about the idea she could be playing Maxima. Many have taken the suggestion that Arjona – a major up-and-coming star – could be playing a character as obscure as Maxima, and going to significant lengths in the gym to bulk up, as a clear smoke-screen for the truth: she's the DCU's Diana Prince. So what did Arjona make of her mystery character's costume?

"I love my costume," Arjona said, barely keeping things together at this stage. "Really like my costume. Both great costumes. Both characters [Wonder Woman and Maxima], if you are a fan of the comics. They have great costumes."

To be fair to Arjona, it's an impossible position to be put in, and as she freely admits: "I'm sworn to secrecy and I don't like secrets. I hate secrets. I'm so bad at them!" In all likelihood, Arjona is set to appear fleetingly in Man of Tomorrow, so it might be better to announce what we all know, now the cat is well and truly out of the bag.

That said, everyone involved swore blind that Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's Peter Parkers weren't in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and that worked out pretty well for all involved, as did keeping Sadie Sink's Jean Grey under wraps, given Spider-Man: Brand New Day looks set to finish its theatrical run as the highest-grossing movie ever at the US box office. Maybe there's something to be said for secrets after all.

Man of Tomorrow recently wrapped filming ahead of its planned Summer 2027 release. The movie sees David Corenswet's Kal-El and Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor team up to face an even greater threat in Brainiac (Lars Eidinger). The movie is set to be something of a crossover event for the DCU, with Milly Alcock's Supergirl, Aaron Pierre's Green Lantern John Stewart, and Adria Arjona's, ahem, unconfirmed character all set to appear.

Man of Tomorrow releases in theaters on July 9. For more upcoming superhero movies, here's our complete guide to new DC movies and shows on the way in 2026 and beyond.

It sounds like the almost six-year wait will be well worth it, as Bruce Wayne star Robert Pattinson says that The Batman 2 is very different from the first movie.

"It’s just amazing. It’s quite a radical change to the script," said Pattinson at the Venice Film Festival (via MYmovies), noting that the sequel goes into "another tonally different direction… even when I'm just looking at the playback on certain things, it looks different to the first one."

Pattinson added, "It's difficult to reinvent Batman as this new thing... I think Matt is the only person who anybody would allow to do it because it’s like a really radical retelling of Batman and I think people are gonna be excited by it. According to the star, both DC Studios and Warner Bros are totally "behind" Reeves' vision.

Reeves and co are keeping a tight lid on the upcoming sequel, which is currently filming in Glasgow, Scotland. However, although leaked set images and videos have revealed that not much has changed in terms of the design of the Batmobile and Bat's suit, a flurry of new faces have joined in on the fun. This includes Sebastian Stan, who fans think is either playing Harvey Dent or serial killer Victor Zsasz, and Scarlett Johansson, who may or may not be Poison Ivy.

Pattinson's comments have convinced fans that the "radical change" could be a hint at Batman joining the DCU. "Yup, he’s the DCU Batman, thank God," said one fan on Twitter, and another added, "So basically they’re trying to make Batman fit into the DCU?" As it stands, Reeves' Batman movies are not part of James Gunn's DCU: Chapter One. However, Gunn's Batman movie The Brave and the Bold has yet to find its star.

But other fans think that Pattinson is simply talking about how Reeves might be taking risks with the sequel. "First one was fire," added another fan. "If different means differently cool, I‘m down." It is no secret that The Batman: Part II hasn't had the easiest road to release. The movie has been delayed multiple times until it finally landed on an early 2028 release. With such a long wait between the two films, fans are certainly expecting something big.

The Batman 2 is set to hit theaters on February 18, 2028. For more, check out our guide on how to watch the DC movies in order, and keep up with other upcoming DC movies and shows.

Perhaps the strangest upcoming project in James Gunn's DCU Chapter One is The People vs. Gorilla Grodd. Starring Superman's Jimmy Olsen, it's being billed as an eight-part true-crime mockumentary and comedy.

Created by American Vandal's Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, it sees Olsen investigate the crimes of a telepathic gorilla and notorious DC villain. He tries to work out whether the character has been wrongly convicted of murdering his father in the unique new show.

It's definitely a fun idea, and it's hard to think of anything else we've seen like it in the superhero space. However, that hasn't stopped people from trying, with ScreenRant calling it She-Hulk meets Invincible in a recent feature.

Gunn reacted to this on Threads, admitting he was a little bit confused by the comparison after a fan shared it with the caption: "After Lanterns and Peacemaker @jamesgunn could green light an 8-episode series of ice cubes melting on a kitchen table and I'd be there every Sunday night with bells on."

The DC Studios head replied: "Although, The People Vs is a DCU true crime docuseries, so I don't see what it has in common with either of those shows. But I appreciate the support and hope it will help push my Melty Ice Cube series through this fall."

However, Gunn probably didn't realise that his reply has also got fans hoping the show will be a multi-season project. By calling it "The People Vs.", some have been wondering if it's being set up as a new anthology show – and they have plenty of suggestions about who it should cover next. "The People vs Giganta," suggested one, while another added: "The People vs Darkseid".

We'll have to wait and see what happens there. In the meantime, the DCU is releasing Lanterns weekly on HBO Max and Clayface will be heading to theaters very soon. For all the other projects on the way, check out our guide to upcoming DC movies and shows.

Blue Beetle star Xolo Maridueña didn't think he'd return to DC, until James Gunn called him out of the blue.

Maridueña first played his character Jaime Reyes in 2023's Blue Beetle, but, since that was part of the old DCEU, there was some doubt whether he'd return – even though Gunn said Blue Beetle was the first DCU character.

"There's never a guarantee with anything, bro," Maridueña told Variety. "I mean, you know this, stuff flips on a dime, and I know that it's not always like a merit-based system. So, there's so much that's out of my control, but I am just the most humbled of James and the greater DC team for folding us in, Indiana Jones style."

He also explained how he learned he was set to return. "I was in Japan with my friends; nobody knew anything," he shared. "And I just see, like, the Bat-phone, my phone rings [and it's] James Gunn. All my friends look at me, and I had to leave the room. I came back, and I was like, 'Off the record, don't tell anyone, but we're coming back,' and I'm so excited for people to see where Blue Beetle ends up."

Maridueña will return in Man of Tomorrow, a quasi-sequel to Superman that will see David Corenswet's Clark Kent forced to team up with his nemesis Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), against the much bigger threat of Braniac (Lars Eidinger).

The rest of the cast includes Milly Alcock as Supergirl, Lanterns star Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, and Adria Arjona as Maxima (though fans think she's Wonder Woman).

Man of Tomorrow arrives on July 9, 2027. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows for everything else that's on the way.

As Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow wraps filming, DCU fans are more certain than ever that Adria Arjona is playing Wonder Woman. Although the Andor star has yet to confirm, it is highly possible, as it sounds as though the DCEU's Diana star Gal Gadot won't be returning to the role.

In an interview with ScreenRant, Gadot said she hasn't "heard anything" or had "any specific conversations" with DC Studios or heads James Gunn and Peter Safran about reprising her Wonder Woman or even taking on a new character, just as DCEU's Aquaman star Jason Momoa returned as Lobo in Supergirl.

Gadot seemed to seal her fate by leaving a heartwarming message to the next Wonder Woman actor: "This is such an incredible character that so many of us care about so much, so whoever it's going to be to portray her, I wish for her that she enjoys this amazing ride with this amazing character. And I'm just grateful that I was granted the opportunity to wear her boots and celebrate this incredible character and everything she stands for."

Gadot first appeared as the DC hero in Zack Snyder's 2016 movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, followed by her own movie and Justice League in 2017. The star made her last run as the Amazonian in sequel Wonder Woman 1984 in 2020, followed by a brief appearance in The Flash, which released after Gunn took over DC Studios. At that point, many fans believed the studio would keep on actors such as Superman star Henry Cavill or Momoa's Aquaman, but Gunn jettisoned much of what came before, and later introduced David Corenswet as the new Man of Steel.

Gunn has yet to announce the new Wonder Woman, but fans are sure it is Arjona, who is set to appear in Man of Tomorrow in a still unconfirmed role (though some reports have suggested she's playing Maxima). Earlier this week, the star confirmed that although she still cannot confirm her character, she has been "training two to three hours a day on a crazy diet," and has "muscles" like never before. The upcoming sequel welcomes back Corenswet's Superman and Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor as they team up to face Braniac.

Man of Tomorrow hits theaters on July 9, 2027. For more on DCU: Chapter One, keep up with upcoming DC movies and shows in the works.

Adria Arjona can't reveal who she's playing in Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, and our only hint is that she bulked up for the role.

"I have muscles that I've never had in my life. I'm training two to three hours a day on a crazy diet," Arjona told ScreenRant. "Drinking coffee is the only thing that keeps me up. And I’m really excited!"

There have been rumors that Arjona, perhaps best known for starring as Bix Caleen in the Star Wars Disney Plus series Andor, is playing Wonder Woman in the DCU for quite some time now. However, several outlets reported back in April that she was set to play Maxima. Director and DCU co-captain James Gunn, however, said the reports were false. As it stands, we have no idea who Arjona is playing... but I'm putting my money on Wonder Woman.

In case you're unfamiliar, Maxima is an alien queen from the planet Almerac who comes to Earth to find a mate... and quickly decides that Superman is the only worthy option. He's not fazed, given his undying love for Lois Lane and all, and chaos ensues. Given that Gunn has pulled a lot of unsuspecting heroes out of the DC comics for the newly rebooted DCU, namely the Creature Commandos, so it wouldn't be out of the norm for him to throw Maxima into the ring.

While we wait for Man of Tomorrow to hit theaters on July 9, 2027, you can stay up to date on all the upcoming DC movies and shows that are in the works.

Despite a rumor that DCU Batman movie The Brave and the Bold is on hold, James Gunn has clarified that the film is still in the pipeline.

The film is set to be directed by The Flash and It: Welcome to Derry helmer Andy Muschietti, and a claim that the director had said the film was on hold until after the Warner Bros. and Paramount merger was settled recently hit the internet.

"It doesn't sound like something Andy would have said but the project is in no way on hold," Gunn wrote on Threads.

News on The Brave and the Bold has been quiet since it was announced along with the DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters slate in 2023.

"There's really no new updates," Gunn told us last July, ahead of the release of Superman. "I mean, we're working on a script. We have a screenwriter who's hammering away at it. I'm very involved, and so, you know, we'll see what happens next. I wish I had more news for you, but I don't."

But, another Batman will make it to the screen soon. The Batman 2, which sees Robert Pattinson return as his version of the Caped Crusader, will arrive on February 18, 2028. However, this Batman is in a different universe to the DCU.

"I just think Matt Reeves is brilliant and he wrote, not only tonally, a really kind of dark and at times terrifying piece, and not only psychologically weighty and nuanced, but really feeling," Penguin actor Colin Farrell has said of the upcoming film. "It's a really... There's moments in it. It's full of feeling. I just think he wrote kind of a contemporary genre masterpiece, really. I'm only in two scenes, which is great because it means I can enjoy the rest of the film. Honestly, man, it's so good. I'm so excited about it."

Lanterns is currently airing on HBO in the US and Sky/NOW and HBO Max in the UK, while the next DCU movie is Clayface, which arrives this October 23.

In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows for everything else the DCU has in store.

James Gunn has confirmed that filming has wrapped on Superman follow-up Man of Tomorrow, with a series of behind-the-scenes pictures. These feature Lex Luthor star Nicholas Hoult swimming in a lake as well as the crew in a rocky forest – and fans think this may be a clue about a key location in the sequel.

Posting on Reddit, one fan pointed out: "This environment looks like Salvation. Could be where Brainiac and/or Lex end up. Could also have a funny Peacemaker cameo too."

For those unfamiliar, Salvation is an alien prison that becomes a place to exile supervillains. It was introduced in the 2007 Salvation Run comics, which sees characters like Luthor and the Joker imprisoned there as they create alliances and try to escape their fate.

It also played a big part in another DCU project, Peacemaker season 2. Introduced by Rick Flag Sr., it was masterminded as a way to keep those with extraordinary abilities imprisoned in a way that Arkham and Belle Reve can't. And from the pictures Flag shows in Peacemaker, it does look very similar to the background of this location.

It's also where Peacemaker ends up at the end of the season, after he's kidnapped by Flag and sent through the portal onto the planet. He tells him that he's planning to send the Metahumans there, but first wants to see how it impacts the human body.

Could this be where Lex ends up at the end of the movie, imprisoned on the major planet after teaming up with Superman? It's certainly possible, but I think it might actually be where the sequel starts. Last we saw of the character, he was in prison, which makes me think he may be one of the first characters transferred to Salvation under Flag's new plan.

I like the idea that this could be where he first meets Brainiac too, as the Reddit theory suggests. If they've been acquainted before, it might be why Clark Kent goes to Luthor for his knowledge on the villain in the upcoming movie.

Man of Tomorrow hits theaters on July 9, 2027. For more, check out our guides to all the upcoming DC movies and shows on the way.

Man of Tomorrow has officially wrapped filming, and James Gunn has posted a villain-on-vacation-esque photo to celebrate.

"That's a wrap on principal photography for #ManofTomorrow," Gunn wrote in an Instagram post featuring a photo of the and another of Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor swimming in a lake. "Truly a joyful experience and I have immense gratitude to my cast and crew." You can check out the photo below.

Man of Tomorrow, written and directed by Gunn, sees David Corenswet's Superman and Lex Luthor team up to take down supervillain Braniac, played by Babylon Berlin star Lars Eidinger. Milly Alcock's Supergirl is also set to make an appearance.

Even more exciting, at least for me, is the fact that Lanterns star Aaron Pierre is set to make an appearance as John Stewart (though the new DC show just premiered and we don't know if John, who is Hal Jordan's trainee, ends up becoming the Green Lantern or not). Pierre previously told GamesRadar+ that his time on Lanterns helped him step onto the set of Man of Tomorrow with confidence, as it gave him a much deeper understanding of the character. Nathan Fillion's Green Lantern Guy Gardner is also set to appear.

Man of Tomorrow hits theaters on July 9, 2027. Supergirl is in theaters now. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows for everything else the DCU has in store, or our guide to watching the DC movies in order for a marathon.

DC Studios' Gorilla Grodd TV show is coming to HBO Max as an eight-episode series now officially titled The People v. Gorilla Grodd.

James Gunn, co-chairman and CEO of DC Studios, took to social media to announce the news. Gunn is executive producing the series and calls it DC Studios' "first foray into the true crime genre." Really, it's a mockumentary-style exploration of the cult-favorite arch-enemy Gorilla Grodd, one of the wildest creations in DC history, and whether he's guilty of murdering his father.

First conceived way back in 1959 during the early days of the Silver Age DC Universe in The Flash #106 by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino, Grodd is a super-intelligent ape with psychic powers with world-conquering ideations. In the DC Studios TV show, he's convicted of murdering his father, the King of Gorilla City, while Jimmy Olsen, played by Skyler Gisondo, reopens the case to find out whether Grodd is truly guilty or innocent.

Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, the directing duo known for creating the 2017 Netflix mockumentary series American Vandal, are serving as writers and showrunners on The People v. Gorilla Grodd. The cast includes Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant, and Wendell Pierce as Perry White.

"We're excited by the challenge of creating a series that feels less like an entry into the DCU and more like an artifact from it," Yacenda and Perrault say in a statement to Variety. "A Daily Planet original documentary made for the people of Metropolis. We hope it'll appeal to fans of the comics, comedy and true crime. And while we can't speak for audiences here yet, we already know it's a huge hit in Metropolis. They love this series."

Meanwhile, Gunn repeats that the Grodd TV show is one of two shows alongside Lanterns that he pitched to Warner Bros. before he even joined the company. "With Tony and Dan at the helm, it's something truly special," he says.

While we await more details, here are all of the upcoming DC movies and shows on our radar.

Lanterns has just debuted on HBO, and the DCU show is off to a spectacular start. But a crucial tidbit revealed by Lanterns co-creator Tom King on the official Lanterns podcast has me wondering how Lanterns fits into the DCU timeline.

Warning: Spoilers for Lanterns episode 1 follow.

At the end of Lanterns' first episode, it's revealed that Earth's Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, is murdered in 2026. Not only that, but his Power Ring is nowhere to be found. Without getting into the decision to kill Hal (we have plenty of thoughts on that here) or who precisely could have killed him (we have thoughts on the prime suspects as well!), my theory brain has been in overdrive ever since listening to the official podcast, where a comment from Tom King piqued my interest.

"At the end of this episode, Hal is dead," King says. "But also, you see John [Stewart]'s hand; he's not wearing that ring. Guy [Gardner] has the ring. So why does Guy end up with the ring, and where do we go after this, cause this moves us forward."

Now, this is interesting. If you'll recall, Green Lantern Guy Gardner is well-established as a Green Lantern on Earth in Superman; he's even part of a super-team in the Justice Gang, and has history with Supes before the movie starts. Superman is set in 2025, however, and Hal is murdered in 2026, which means Hal must lose his ring long before his death; years before, potentially. The Lanterns timeline just got a lot more confusing.

Of course, it's entirely possible – probable, in fact – that Lanterns will address this question in future episodes as Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner is set to appear in the show, bowl cut and all. But with the line of succession for Hal Jordan's ring made clear as day by the show, precisely how and why Guy is chosen by the ring instead of John is a fascinating question.

Lanterns is the DCU's gritty take on the traditionally cosmic superhero series, and tells a ground-level murder mystery set over multiple timelines. Showrunner Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country) told us realism was "totally the goal" because they're "trying to tell a real story." Co-creators Damon Lindelof and Tom King, meanwhile, bring comic-book legitimacy to the HBO show, noting in a conversation with GamesRadar+ that the idea was to "bring out the visions" of Green Lantern comic book writers.

Lanterns episode 1 is streaming now on HBO Max in the US and UK, and on NOW in the UK. For more, check out our Lanterns review, and be sure to bookmark our Lanterns release schedule so you never miss an episode.

Lanterns co-creators Damon Lindelof and Tom King say they made sure to depict Hal Jordan and John Stewart's comic book origins in a way that honors various Green Lantern comic book writers, rather than one that relies on fan service.

"It transcends the idea of doing fan service to say that there's certain aspects of the canon that are essential," Lindelof tells GamesRadar+, when it comes to deciding how to work Hal Jordan and John Stewart's various comic book origin stories into the new show. "And you have to kinda throw them in the blender when you're making your smoothie. But at the same time, when you drink the smoothie, you can add one flavor too many, and it becomes overwhelming, or two flavors aren't necessarily combining in a good way."

"So I think that you put everything out on the table and you say these are the things that make John Stewart a legacy character. These are the things that make Hal Jordan a legacy character," adds Lindelof. "These are different stories about how they got the ring. These are different stories about adventures that they went on as Green Lanterns. And, and then you educate yourself, and then you know it all. And then you kind of, like, have to put all of that stuff away and start over and say, 'What's the story that we wanna tell?'"

Lanterns is a True Detective-esque take on Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), who find themselves embroiled in a mystery set in rural Rushville, Nebraska. In the show, Hal is Earth's first Green Lantern (though technically Alan Scott was the first human to wear the Green Lantern moniker in the comics), though he wasn't chosen first (and we'll let you watch the show to learn more about that lest we spoil it). John Stewart is his trainee, and the two have a mutual respect but otherwise resentment toward one another. John's backstory has been retconned a few times throughout DC comic history, though the show honors his later origin story as a US Marine.

The series also works backwards, giving us Hal and Jordan's present-day dilemmas before going into how their partnership came to be, and effectively adapting the Green Lantern comic Beware My Power which introduced John to the world back in 1972.

"From a comic book nerd, which I say proudly, point of view, you know...two different characters have very different sort of comic book histories," King says. "Hal has been very consistent in his origin stories over, over the years since, like, the early '60s when he was born. Um, John has not been consistent, and sort of rewritten and redone and not just in this medium. You know, a lot of John's origin story comes from what Dwayne McDuffie did in the Justice League, in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon."

Continues King: "But if you look at it, look at it closely and go back to those origins, you see, like, John's first appearance with Neal Adams and Denny O'Neil, there is that idea that he is chosen, and He will not accept the Lantern world that's given to him, and Hal is a little resentful of that and is rebellious against that. That's all in his first issue. And then if you look at what Dwayne did in the cartoon, that idea of sort of a military guy who's been under such pressure his whole life and has so much emotion that he has to sort of suppress, that's all in there. So it was bringing out the visions of those creators and bringing them into this world."

Lanterns is streaming now on HBO Max. For more, check out our Lanterns review, or stay up to date with our Lanterns release schedule. For more, check out our list of upcoming DC movies and shows.

Lanterns showrunner and co-creator Chris Mundy says the new DC show is meant to suspend disbelief and put you in the middle of a thrilling murder-mystery.

"That was totally the goal," Mundy tells GamesRadar+, when asked whether the goal was to get the viewer completely locked in to the point where they forget they're watching a superhero show. "When I first talked to James Hawes about directing, he was in London, so it was on Zoom, and it seemed like we all kind of matched up in the way we would wanna do it. One of the first things he said was, like, 'We have to talk about flying.' He's like, 'I don't know if I'm gonna direct this, depending on what the flying is,' you know? And, and we wanted everything to feel like it was of the world. So okay, if this really happens, how does it work? What's the relationship to the ground around him and the people around him?"

The new series is a True Detective-esque mystery thriller that sees Green Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and his trainee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) end up in rural Rushville, Nebraska, where an otherworldly mystery is brewing. It's tonally different than anything we've seen in the DCU just yet, and isn't afraid to bring darker themes and senseless violence to the forefront.

One of my favorite things about the show is how normal the usually over-the-top superhero elements feel, which include the aforementioned flying and even the fact that the Green Lantern ring itself needs to be charged like an iPhone. Unlike the super fans we see crowding around in masks and other homemade merch in the Marvel world, the citizens in Lanterns are mostly unfazed by Hal Jordan being the "guardian" of Earth, and don't see why a local cop couldn't do just as good of a job when it comes to solving a mystery.

Continues Mundy: "If you're gonna do something that has a fantastical element, but you're trying to tell a real story, it's like, what would that actually be like if it existed? Instead of it being hyperreal, you know? So, everything was very intentional. I mean, we had more meetings than you could ever imagine about every tiny detail in terms of the world, and the look, and the feel, and the texture of things, you know?

Lanterns is streaming now on HBO Max. For more, check out our Lanterns review, or stay up to date with our Lanterns release schedule.

The first season of new DCU show Lanterns hasn't even hit HBO yet, but there is already talk of a second season.

At the Lanterns premiere, ScreenRant asked co-creator Damon Lindelof if he has plans for Lanterns season 2. "If it's successful and people love it, there's a lot of runway to launch into future seasons," said Lindelof. "But I think Chris Mundy has already started a new writers' room, figuring out what new stories could be for Lanterns."

Although he didn't reveal what season 2 might entail, Lindelof did list several actors he would want to see in the next installment, including Watchmen star Regina King, The Leftovers actors Justin Theroux and Carrie Coon, and Wonder Man himself. "I worked with a great actor, Yahya Abdul Mateen II, who would be great," said Lindelof. "He was already in the old version of the DCU. He played the bad guy in the Aquaman movies."

There have been rumblings of Lanterns season 2 this week, after the series landed a new co-showrunner ahead of a possible second outing. According to The Ankler, comic writer and producer Christopher Cantwell has joined as co-showrunner alongside Chris Mundy. However, Lanterns has yet to receive an official renewal from HBO or DC Studios.

It seems that anything is possible in the DCU right now, as DCU: Chapter One has undergone a massive shake-up. On August 12, it was reported that upcoming DC shows Waller and Wonder Woman series Paradise Lost had been scrapped. But Booster Gold, which has been hit with cancellation rumors, remains in development.

However, Lindelof admits that when he approached Lanterns, he only had the first season on his mind. "We came into this with the sort of attitude that this was a mystery with a beginning, middle, and end," said the long-time DC collaborator. "We had a story to tell about characters that we really cared about, and we would want the audience to kind of get to know them over the course of the first season and really invest in them, and then that story ended."

Lanterns follows Green Lantern and intergalactic cop Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and his trainee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as they investigate a mysterious murder. The season is set across two timelines in 2016 and 2026, and also stars Kelly Macdonald as a local sheriff, Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro, and Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner.

Lanterns hits HBO Max on August 16. See our Lanterns release schedule for exact timings. For more, keep up with upcoming DC movies and shows on the way.

The DCU is making some changes to its previously announced roster, and this reportedly includes scrapping Waller and Paradise Lost.

According to The Ankler, Waller and Paradise Lost are "both dead at DC, which also heard pitches for series built around Poison Ivy and Catwoman, though DC/HBO passed on both projects." Though Booster Gold was hit with cancellation rumors, the show "remains in development, and a search for a new writer is underway."

Waller was first announced as part of DCU's 'Chapter One,' when James Gunn and Peter Safran took control of DC Studios in 2023. The series, starring Viola Davis's Amanda Waller, was set to pick up after the events of Peacemaker season 2. Back in February 2025, Safran said that scripts "still haven't been able to land," which didn't bode well for future announcements.

Paradise Lost was also announced as part of the initial slate, and was described by Safran as a "Game of Thrones-ish story about Themyscira," the home of the Amazons and birthplace of Wonder Woman. The two projects join The Authority, which was also scrapped back in April.

In some positive news, a co-showrunner has reportedly already been hired for Lanterns season 2... which hits HBO Max on August 16.

For more, check out our list of upcoming DC movies and shows.

While John Stewart is set to make his DCU debut in the upcoming Lanterns, played by Aaron Pierre, the Green Lantern will soon be reappearing in next year's quasi-Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.

But, by the sounds of things, showrunner Chris Mundy had the leeway to take Lanterns wherever he wanted to go, despite the wider universe being at play.

"We weren't tasked with having any specific landing point, which was great for us because it gave us freedom to land the story where we wanted to land the story," Mundy told SFX magazine. "But John will be part of the greater DC Universe. That was good for us to know. And where we land him is somewhere that they're happy with us landing him and somewhere they can take him, if they want."

So far, Lanterns looks more like a gritty detective drama than a superhero show, with the buddy cop dynamic between Stewart and Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan at its heart. But elsewhere in the SFX piece, Mundy hints that the grounded DC show might go cosmic: "We'd be stupid not to use everything that you can do inside the Green Lantern universe."

Man of Tomorrow, meanwhile, will see Superman forced to team up with Lex Luthor to take on Brainiac.

Along with Pierre and Chandler, the Lanterns cast also features Laura Linney, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro.

"Our show is in a lot of ways about replacement – when should someone step aside and when is it time for the next person to take the reins?" Mundy said back in 2025. "That push and pull between those two characters is really important. So much of the power that John has is by not taking the bait, understanding that you lose your power if you’re yelling and screaming."

Lanterns arrives on August 16. In the meantime, keep up to date with everything else the DCU has in store with our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows.

James Gunn has moved fast to quash rumors that The Batman 3 will be filming back to back with The Batman 2.

After a fan asked on Threads whether the DC Studios co-CEO could "confirm or deny" the reports, Gunn plainly responded, "I can deny."

The excitement around back-to-back sequels entering production under Matt Reeves appeared to stem from Batman on Film founder Bill Ramey posting a Batman logo with 'three' written in Roman numerals on Twitter. Some even went on to report the post as more than a rumor.

Ramey later clarified, "My intention behind posting the picture was true: Bangin’ the drum for a THE BATMAN PART III. However, if you’re a fellow Batman fan and a fan of Matt Reeves’ SAGA, I apologize if you felt misled. Honestly, not my intention."

So, we're only getting The Batman 2 – for now. The DC sequel (part of the 'Elseworlds' umbrella, so not part of the DCU) is currently filming.

Robert Pattinson once again returns as the Caped Crusader, flanked by familiar allies in the shape of Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and trusty butler Alfred (Andy Serkis).

Newcomers include Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, and Charles Dance, although speculation has run rife about who exactly each actor will be playing. For Stan alone, the rumor mill has mentioned everything from Harvey Dent to Victor Zsasz.

The DCU, meanwhile, is gearing up to launch Lanterns – a HBO murder mystery starring Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler – later this month. A Clayface movie follows in October, with Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow hitting cinemas next July.

For more, check out the upcoming DC movies currently in the works.

Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav doesn't seem too concerned with Supergirl's box office failure, as he has full confidence in what DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran are cooking up next.

"We have Clayface coming up soon, which looks terrific," Zaslav told TheWrap, when asked directly about the critical and box office failure of Supergirl. "We got Lanterns launching in the next few weeks on HBO, which Casey [Bloys] and Sarah [Aubrey] are super excited about. So DC feels very good, and we have a robust pipeline, and Peter and James are hard at work."

Supergirl had a pretty rough go this year, and only made $125 million at the global box office against its budget of $170 million. The film currently sits at a 54% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, though the audience score is at a much higher 76%. There's also some speculation that the film's screenwriter misinterpreted the ending of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the comic on which the movie is based, not to mention all the kerfuffle about the deeply strange needle drop during the final epic battle scene. Despite all the chaos, leading lady Milly Alcock will appear again as Kara Zor-El in the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, which is set to hit theaters in 2027 (and I'm stoked to see her return).

Next up for the DCU is Lanterns, a True Detective-style take on the adventures of Lantern Hal Jordan and his trainee John Stewart, and the horror movie Clayface, which tells a Cronenberg-esque origin story about the goopy Batman villain.

Supergirl is out in theaters now. For more, check out our Supergirl review and our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows.

New DCU movie Supergirl has officially finished its worldwide theatrical run, and its total gross is the lowest for any DC movie in decades.

Supergirl has ended its global theatrical run at $125.8 million worldwide, as per Box Office Mojo. That's over $45 million lower than 2022 DC flop Morbius, which earned $167 million, and $83 million less than Joker 2.

In fact, Supergirl marks the lowest box office return for any DC movie since Catwoman in 2004, which earned $82 million. But that was over 20 years ago, so considering inflation, Supergirl fared far worse.

This isn't a huge surprise, as Supergirl has struggled on screen from the very start. The movie opened to $37.1 million in the US and just over $62 million globally. But the Woman of Tomorrow adaptation failed to grow from that point on, seeing massive dips week by week. In the end, Supergirl only managed to scrape in total what last year's Superman made on opening weekend alone last year.

The movie marks a financial loss for DC Studios, as it cost around $170 million to make and perhaps tens of millions more to market. Worse yet, Supergirl is only the second movie in James Gunn's new DCU, following last year's Superman, which made more during its first weekend on screen than Supergirl did in its entire run. Superman went on to gross over $618 million worldwide.

It is not clear why the movie flopped so hard. Starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, Supergirl follows the titular hero as she puts her partying days behind her to help a new friend seek revenge on the same villain responsible for harming her dog, Krypto. The movie opened to mixed reviews and a 56% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is not so bad when compared to Morbius' 15% score.

However, in June, DC Studios co-head Peter Safran told The New York Times that although Supergirl's opening was disappointing, the team remains "confident" in their overall strategy. DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters continues this year both on the small screen with Lanterns this August, and on the big screen with Clayface this October.

For more, check out our Supergirl review and keep up with upcoming DC movies and shows.

Although DC Studios is choosing not to promote its stack of upcoming movies at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, the Lanterns panel has given us another look at what's to come from DCU Chapter One on the small screen with a brand new trailer.

The new clip opens with Hal Jordan rudely waking his trainee, Jon Stewart, giving us a taste of the duo's Training Day-style relationship. As the pair uncover a string of crimes, Hal becomes convinced that aliens are to blame. Well, ol' Hal is correct, as later in the trailer we find out that extraterrestrial antagonists known as Manhunters, which "can take the shape of any species," are at large on Earth.

Elsewhere in the trailer, it seems as though there is quite a bit of friction between Hal Jordan and Jon Stewart, as Jon seemingly wants rid of his mentor. "The Ring has always been mind. Jordan is just keeping it warm," he says. We also get a glimpse at Nathan Fillion's Superman character Guy Gardner, and what looks to be Green Lantern's nemesis Sinestro, who you can see below.

Starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as intergalactic cops and members of the Lantern Corps, Hal Jordan and new recruit Jon Stewart, Lanterns follows the duo as they investigate a murder in the American heartland, but in the process are drawn into a dark mystery.

Unlike the most recent DCU project to hit the screen, Supergirl, Lanterns is set on Earth. The show is set across two timelines, both in 2016 and in 2026, sometime after the events of Superman. But just like Supergirl, it looks like Lanterns will feed into Superman sequel Superman: Man of Tomorrow, as it has cast Jon Stewart actor Aaron Pierre.

Lanterns, which has been described as a buddy cop show meets True Detective, is the third TV show to come from Gunn's DCU, following on from Creature Commandos and Peacemaker season 2, and is the fifth project overall. However, the HBO show has a bit of pressure on it not only for being the only DC series released this year, but after Supergirl flopped at the box office, DC Studios needs Lanterns to be a hit.

Lanterns is co-created and co-written by Lost's Damon Lindelof, Criminal Minds' Chris Mundy, and comic book writer Tom King. DC heads James Gunn and Peter Safran are on board as producers. The show also stars Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Laura Linney, Jason Ritter, and Ulrich Thomsen.

Lanterns arrives this August 16. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows for everything else the DCU has in store.

Comic book fans are desperate to see Alan Ritchson answer the bat signal in James Gunn’s DC Universe, but as it stands, the Superman director doesn't sound like he's planning to hand over the keys to the Batcave just yet.

Last year, Gunn assured that he was a fan of the Reacher star and advised, "let's just wait and see what happens," saying no more on the matter. Well now, Ritchson is back to stoke the flames of the DC fan-fuelled fire and assure that conversations have definitely been happening regarding his involvement in the cinematic universe. He's just not clarifying what they involve.

During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ritchson confessed that "James Gunn and I have spoken a lot." Naturally, when host Josh Horowitz probed the star on what chats were had, he seemed bursting at the seams to spill the superhero-themed beans.

"There's so much to unpack here that you don't even know. You don't know what you're asking for," Ritchson said. "I really respect James. I would like to do something with James. James would like to do something with me."

As promising as this might sound, though, the man mountain behind Reacher, which will soon be returning for its fourth season, clarified that there would be some conditions he'd make sure to meet if something ever did happen.

"I know how to develop a project and anything I do with DC will still meet my standards. It'll have to meet my standards. And I hope that we work on something that feels like we're all making this movie that I would be proud of."

Finally, when asked if there was a character in DC’s roster that he had his eye on, Ritchson gave a resounding, "Yes." While not confirming if it was Batman, he teased, "Look, the future is bright, the horizons are broad, and anything is possible for any of us." Mister Mxyzptlk it is, then.

To make sure you don’t miss any DC-related news at SDCC this week, keep an eye on our live-blog here.

As James Gunn's DC Universe continues to expand, we're still in the dark about two of the big three that fans want to see appear in it.

David Corenswet's Superman might be holding down the Fortress of Solitude, but we're still none the wiser about whom the Dark Knight of the DCU is, or the Wonder Woman that'll be fighting alongside them both.

For some time, one name that has long been rumored to be in connection with the part of Diana Prince is Andor and Hit-Man star Adria Arjona.

The last time her name came up in DC-related hubbub was in April, when it was reported that she was set to play Maxima in the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow. Gunn, however, shot those rumors down, suggesting that wires had certainly been crossed, even though other outlets had already reported this. What better person to ask to clear up all the information, then, than Arjona herself?

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actress was asked outright if she was picking up the lasso of truth or not, and her only (and pretty reasonable) reaction was to make like a woman with a superhero identity and walk away from the conversation entirely. "I'm going to go now," she said before jokingly returning and giving as much detail as she could on the upcoming project that she's mysteriously attached to.

"I love James so much. Funny that you ask me that, James gave me my first movie ever. The first movie I ever stepped on was a James Gunn and Peter Safran movie. They are family, and I am so happy to be part of the DC universe."

So, whatever part that might be still has yet to be revealed. The good news is that, since SDCC is happening this week, we might get some big announcements, which could include a little clarification on Arjona's part in the upcoming super-sequel. We'll just have to see if she makes an appearance via invisible jet or not.

For the full rundown of the San Diego Comic-Con, check out our SDCC 2026 live blog and our SDCC 2026 schedule.

It's well-known that DC's upcoming body horror Clayface was inspired by the classic Batman: The Animated Series two-parter Feat of Clay. But in a new interview, Matt Hagen himself, Tom Rhys Harries, has revealed that the Batman Arkham games' depiction of the shapeshifting Batman baddie was a touchstone for the DCU: Chapter One movie.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Harries not only name-checked the 1989 graphic novel 'A Serious House on Serious Earth' by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean as an inspiration for his take on Matt Hagen, but the Welsh actor also identified Rocksteady's 2009 franchise launcher Arkham Asylum as a touchstone for its depiction of a Clayface at “a really effective and psychologically jarring moment.”

Now, if you've played the Arkham games, you're probably wondering if Harries actually meant Arkham City, as Clayface isn't much more than a glorified Easter egg in Arkham Asylum, appearing briefly in a cell where he transforms into Quincy Sharp and Jim Gordon as the solution to one of the Riddler's many riddles. Arkham City, however, gives Basil Karlo a surprise starring role: in a late-game twist (spoiler alert!) Batman discovers that Karlo has been posing as the Joker all along – "the role of a lifetime," as he puts it.

It's curious that Harries has singled out Arkham's Clayface. While the first two games in particular are widely lauded for their Paul Dini-scripted stories, and Clayface undoubtedly plays the role of the Joker well (he had us fooled, anyway), there isn't much depth to the character in the Arkham-verse beyond the unexplored psychology of a man willing to embody a psychotic clown. In fact, he only has three lines of dialogue when he's not imitating the Joker – two of which are "encore" and, er, "let's do this" – so it's not clear what "psychologically jarring" moment Harries is referring to.

What's clear is that Clayface is something drastically different for the DCU and superhero cinema as a whole. The story of actor-turned-transforming-gloop-guy Matt Hagen, the R-rated movie will feature “the true body horror of a Cronenberg-type movie,” according to DC co-CEO Peter Safran. “We’re not just telling a villain story, but a real psychological unraveling.”

After Supergirl failed to fly at the box office, making less money than Morbius during its opening weekend, the DCU is currently on the back foot. No doubt Safran and Jame Gunn are hoping the upcoming one-two-punch of HBO series Lanterns and Clayface will turn the fledgling comic-book universe's fortunes around.

“Not everything’s gonna work," Safran admits in that same interview, referring to Supergirl's commercial failure. "But we don’t judge the success of our 10-year plan based on any individual project along the way." Instead, it's about "expanding the tonal range of the DC universe,” notes Safran.

The first Clayface trailer teased a body horror spectacle from director James Watkins (Speak No Evil) and writer Mike Flanagan (many a Stephen King horror), just don't expect Batman to show up, despite all the Gotham nods in the initial reveal.

Clayface releases in theaters on 23 October. For more, check out our breakdown of how to watch the DC movies in order and everything you need to know about upcoming sequel Superman: Man of Tomorrow.

The DCU's weirdest project might have cast its lead, and, to be honest, I still can't believe this is happening.

The TV show will focus on Jimmy Olsen, Superman's pal played by Skyler Gisondo, and also, for some reason, supervillain Gorilla Grodd.

According to Deadline, Scream 7's Jimmy Tatro is in talks to play the ape, whom DC describes as "a hyper-intelligent telepathic ape who has sought to rule both the simian and human worlds, though the Flash has frequently thwarted his plans."

If you're wondering just what that has to do with Jimmy, it's because the show, apparently called DC Crime (though James Gunn has denied that's the title) is going to be like a true crime docu-series hosted by Jimmy. So, the first season is set to focus on Gorilla Grodd.

The news comes after Supergirl cratered at the box office, earning less money than notorious flop Morbius in its opening weekend. The film also debuted to the DCU's first rotten Rotten Tomatoes score, a feat that took the MCU 13 years and 26 movies.

"While Supergirl didn’t meet our box office expectations, it’s just one component of a broader, long-term strategy at DC Studios that we remain confident in," said DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran.

Next up for the DCU is Lanterns, a buddy cop show focusing on Hal Jordan and Jon Stewart of the Green Lantern Corps. That arrives this August 16.

In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows for everything else the DCU has in store.

James Gunn, perhaps more than most directors, has his favorites. From his brother Sean Gunn, to long-time collaborators Michael Rooker, Steve Agee, and Nathan Fillion, the DC Studios boss has long populated his casts with both friends and family.

Now, Jennifer Holland, wife of Gunn and an actor in her own right, most notably as Emilia Harcourt in Peacemaker, has revealed why the Superman and Guardians of the Galaxy director surrounds himself with so many familiar faces.

"It really just comes about because James loves to have his friends and family around him all the time," Holland explained to CinemaBlend. "It's hard to make movies; it's lonely. You're stuck in a place that's not your home for a very long period of time."

Holland added, "You don't have all of your friends and family with you, so as much as he can include friends and family in his movies, he tries. That gives them an excuse to be around and he really thrives on that. As much as he is a loner when it comes to sitting in an office, typing on his computer… he really is inspired by and revived by true relationships."

To that end, Gunn has even based the look and mannerisms of Krypto on his own rescue dog, Ozu.

Next up for Gunn is Man of Tomorrow, the follow-up to Superman, which is currently filming.

Speaking to GamesRadar+ in a separate interview, Holland teased the movie as perhaps Gunn's finest work yet.

"I can tell you that I have seen an enormous, enormous portion of the movie, and I am so excited for Man of Tomorrow," Holland said at a screening of upergirl. "It is different...I don't wanna say this. Ugh. It might be James's best… my favorite movie of James, and I haven't even seen the whole thing yet. I love the movie. I'm really excited about it. It feels like a step up to me in a lot of ways. I'm excited for people to see it, and he's not done filming it yet."

Man of Tomorrow, starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Milly Alcock, and more, flies into cinemas on July 9, 2027.

For more, we have a complete guide to DCU Chapter One and all the latest on Clayface.

It doesn't look like things re going to get much better for Supergirl, as after a disappointing opening weekend, the new DCU movie is expected to drop even further at the box office during its second weekend on the big screen.

As reported by Variety, Supergirl is expected to make just $15 million over its second weekend in theaters. That's a 60% decline in ticket sales from its first weekend.

Supergirl had a rough start after hitting screens on June 26. The DC movie debuted to just $37.1 million, even lower than recent superhero flops Morbius and Joker 2. In fact, Supergirl marks the lowest opening for a DC movie since Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which opened to a measly $27.6 million in December 2023. After its theatrical run, the sequel failed to make back its budget once marketing and theatrical revenue splits are accounted for.

2023 was a rather bleak year for DC Studios, as in addition to the Aquaman sequel blunder, the studio saw a number of flops, including The Flash, which opened to $55 million, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which opened to $30 million, and Blue Beetle, which debuted to an even lower $25 million. Soon after, James Gunn and Peter Safran were brought on board as co-heads to shake up the studio.

Let's hope Gunn's DCU Chapter One doesn't face the same fate, as Supergirl is only the second movie released under the new banner after 2025's Superman, which went down a lot better with fans. The studio has yet to release Clayface this September, before Man of Tomorrow hits screens next year.

As for Supergirl, if box office predictions are right, it doesn't look like the film will be able to make back its $170 million budget, which doesn't account for the tens of millions more spent on marketing. The film has earned $67.7 million worldwide so far.

Supergirl is out in theaters now. For more, check out our Supergirl review and our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows.

There's no denying that Supergirl is currently flopping at the box office, but following yesterday's initial results, the DCU movie's opening weekend take has been confirmed, and it's actually doing worse than we first thought.

On Monday, June 29, many outlets reported that Supergirl had earned $38 million in the US over opening weekend. However, now it looks like the superhero film only scraped $37.1 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

That means that Milly Alcock's first outing as Kara Zor-El is not only doing worse than Sony's Spider-Man spin-off Morbius, which is widely known as one of the worst superhero movies ever, but also DC's Joker 2. Officially titled Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel opened to $37.6 million and scored a measly 31% on Rotten Tomatoes.

This is a pretty hard knock for James Gunn's new DC, as Supergirl is just the second movie in DCU Chapter One. But, the team still seems confident in their overall plan. On June 28, DC Studios co-head Peter Safran made a statement, telling The New York Times, "While Supergirl didn’t meet our box office expectations, it's just one component of a broader, long-term strategy at DC Studios that we remain confident in."

It is not clear why Supergirl is flopping so hard. Yes, it is true that the movie has opened to mixed reviews, and is not as widely loved as last year's Superman, which opened to $125 million domestically and went on to gross over $618 million worldwide. But the film's mediocre 56% score on RT is not the worst in the world. However, many fans are complaining about the lacklustre storyline and one questionable needle drop.

If Supergirl continues to underperform in this way, it will prove to be a loss for the studio. The movie cost around $170 million to make and perhaps tens of millions more to market, which means that the film will have to see a pretty steep incline in ticket sales over the coming weeks. But at this point, that seems unlikely.

Supergirl is out in theaters now. For more, check out our Supergirl review and our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows.