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.

Supergirl screenwriter Ana Nogueira appears to have misinterpreted the ending of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, resulting in a very different fate for a major villain.

Warning: Major spoilers for Supergirl below!

"The ending between Kara and Krem was always in it, from the pitch, truly from the very beginning," Nogueira told Variety. "Because the comic ends with Ruthye killing him, but in the far, far future. We knew we weren’t gonna be able to do that kind of time jump, and I find it’s quite a dark ending of the comic. He essentially has changed, and she kills him anyway, because she still just has this anger, and you understand there’s this element of deserve, right?

"So, we wanted to craft a villain who would deserve this, but we also wanted Kara to really care about preserving Ruthye’s innocence, and to feel like she could take on [killing him], that she could be the one to bring justice to this man, and do it without burdening this child. It’s different for Supergirl, and I think it will feel different for audiences."

The new DC movie is based on the eight-issue limited comic series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. At the end of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #8, Ruthye appears to hit Krem over the head with her cane and leave him there alive.

Woman of Tomorrow writer Tom King confirmed this in a 2024 podcast, stating, "This is not supposed to be ambiguous. He’s supposed to be alive at the end. That’s why he grabs his head. Ruthye does not forgive him, still f***ing hates him, bops him on the head, and walks away" (via ComicBookMovie). You can check out the panel below.

The new movie, which marks the second feature-length entry in the rebooted DCU, currently sits at a 54% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, though the audience score is at a much higher 76%. Milly Alcock will appear again as Kara Zor-El in the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, which is set to hit theaters in 2027.

Supergirl is in theaters now. For more, check out our spoiler-filled breakdown of the Supergirl ending, plus a rundown of all the major differences between the DCU movie and the Woman of Tomorrow comic. You can also read our Supergirl review or see our guide on how to watch the DC movies in order.

Debates over Supergirl's divisive needle drop went down to the "very last week" according to director Craig Gillespie.

The moment in question, during Supergirl's final act, features a Kelty Greye cover of 'The Middle' by Jimmy Eat World, a much slower tempo version of the song that audiences largely felt were at odds with the tone of the scene and the movie as a whole.

"There were a lot of options," Supergirl writer Ana Nogueira told Rolling Stone, with Gillespie revealing that "there were probably about 45 songs that went against that scene."

Gillespie said, "That was probably the biggest discussion. And it was down to the very last week, and I gotta give James [Gunn] credit for that one." He added that "a remix of a classic" was also a runner-up for the soundtracked scene – but didn't say what it was.

Reacting to the news, Greye wrote on Instagram, "As a proud nerd who was raised on superhero movies, this is quite literally a dream come true!"

Gunn, of course, is renowned for his deployment of pop and rock songs in his films, from the '80s-heavy Guardians of the Galaxy to the earworms of Peacemaker's opening titles sequences in its first two seasons. Fans may be less pleased with his contributions here, however.

All told, Supergirl has disappointed in its opening weekend. Its global opening of $68 million has led DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran to release a statement.

Safran told 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."

Supergirl is now out in cinemas. For more, check out our spoiler-filled breakdown of the Supergirl ending, plus a rundown of all the major differences between the DCU movie and the Woman of Tomorrow comic.

You can also read our Supergirl review or see our guide on how to watch the DC movies in order.

Following Superman's successful theatrical run last year, the second movie in James Gunn's DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters is currently flopping at the box office, but co-head Peter Safran says Supergirl is just one piece of a larger picture.

"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 the co-chairman and co-chief executive of DC Studios to The New York Times.

After debuting to mixed reviews and landing a mediocre 56% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Supergirl went on to earn just $38 million in the US over opening weekend, and a further $30 million internationally. That is pretty disappointing for DC, and is even lower than 2022 Spider-Man spin-off, Morbius, which opened to $39 million.

It is not clear at this point whether Supergirl will prove to be a loss for the studio. The movie cost around $170 million to make, with tens of millions more spent to market the movie worldwide. However, there is no doubt that Supergirl is off to a bad start. Just last year, Superman opened to $125 million domestically and went on to gross over $618 million worldwide against a predicted $350 million production and marketing budget.

So, why is Supergirl flopping so hard? There's no doubt that the new film is receiving a lot of flak online, with many viewers complaining about the pacing and one questionable needle drop. But many superhero fans are enjoying Milly Alcock's debut as Kara Zor-El. In our Supergirl review, we awarded the new DCU movie 3.5 out of 5 stars, saying, "Supergirl earns its Guardians of the Galaxy and Mad Max comparisons with a surprisingly dark space adventure about revenge and finding your home."

However, no matter how Supergirl fares, the DCU lives on, as there are already several projects in the works. Next up, HBO show Lanterns will take us on a True Detective-like adventure, and just in time for Halloween, the DCU will deliver its first horror movie, Clayface. Plus, filming has already started on the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow.

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

It feels a little ridiculous to talk about the new movie Supergirl and not discuss the titular character. But with the latest DCU flick now in theaters, all eyes won’t just be on the Maid of Might – they'll be on the Main Man, Lobo, played by Jason Momoa. And thankfully, the actor's long audition as Aquaman in the DCEU properly prepared him for the role Momoa was born to play.

Is that unfair to say about a role Momoa played multiple times, in multiple movies (and TV shows)? Perhaps. Except, ever since the actor was announced as playing Arthur Curry way back in 2014, it seemed like an odd fit. Sure, he had played a ruler before on Game of Thrones, but the monosyllabic Khal Drogo was a far cry from any iteration of Aquaman we had seen before in the comic book source material, let alone his appearances in animated TV shows and live-action on Smallville.

Yet Momoa proceeded to make the role his own from a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, all the way through the cockroach-crunching end of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. But the problem was that Momoa bent Aquaman his way into a brash, joke-slinging bad-ass who shouts "my man," gets into bar fights, and is more Momoa than Curry.

That may not entirely be an issue, because Momoa was one of the highlights of the controversial DCEU/Zack Snyder era, despite his every move seeming to be designed to specifically push back at anyone who made fun of Aquaman for talking to fish. This Aquaman was cool. He was a muscle-bound beefcake. He drinks and fights, and if you say he's anything less than rad, he will beat you up. But it also, curiously, seemed antithetical to what Aquaman is supposed to be.

Ride or die

Which is why this all makes a lot more sense once you realize Momoa was merely paving the way for Lobo. Unlike his Fast & Furious franchise cohort Dwayne Johnson – who attempted his own hostile takeover of the DC cinematic franchise and took Henry "I would just love to play Warhammer 40k if you don't mind" Cavill down with him – Momoa managed to pivot one of the more successful turns in the DCEU into his dream role in the DCU. Reportedly, the very morning James Gunn and Peter Safran were announced as the new heads of DC Studios, Momoa texted Gunn two words: "Fucking Lobo." And Gunn somehow interpreted that mysterious text correctly and agreed, stating that he thought Momoa should have been Lobo for years.

It's clear that through the auditions for Batman and casting as Aquaman, what Momoa really wanted was Lobo. And it's such a better fit, as Momoa basically is Lobo, without the immortality and bloodthirstiness. The Czarnian bounty hunter, created in 1983 by Roger Slifer and Keith Giffen, is what it says on the tin, but it wasn't until the ‘90s that the character found his niche as a commentary on the over-the-top dark and gritty superhero trend kicked off in part by characters like Wolverine at Marvel and Batman at DC. Momoa himself is like a walking, talking human parody, with his scraggly beard, wild hair, and 6'4 height. He's a wild man who looks like he'd accept an invitation to party any day, any time.

That's Lobo, and that's exactly what Momoa captures on screen with Supergirl. Yes, he physically looks like the character walked off the comic book page, thanks only in small part to black and white makeup, red eyes, and sharp teeth. But honestly, Momoa's inherent physicality does the majority of the work. And his delivery, delighted to see ultra-violence, taking no guff, and coaching a young girl to kill people, feels so much more natural coming out of Lobo than any of Momoa's dialogue did with Aquaman.

The main event

Lobo's the perfect loose cannon running through the new DCU movie, and given his relatively scant screen time, the next question is: when will we see Lobo again? A lot of that potentially depends on how Supergirl does at the box office this weekend – all signs point to "not great" – but Momoa has taken the Lobo ball this far, it's hard to believe his dreams of being the Main Man will stop here, particularly as the actor has the strength of will that would make a Green Lantern jealous.

It's entirely possible Lobo could stop by in the already filming Man of Tomorrow, whether in a cameo or another expanded supporting role, a la Supergirl. But it's tricky to say beyond that because, given James Gunn's laudable unwillingness to greenlight projects before scripts are ready, there are… Not a lot of projects greenlit.

One option? The in-development Wonder Woman reboot, which boasts Supergirl writer Ana Nogueira as screenwriter. While it would be a little weird to see Lobo only pop up as a supporting character in movies with a main, female character, given Nogueira already figured out a way to fuse Lobo into the story from comic book creators Tom King and Bilquis Evely, who is to say she couldn't do the same for Diana?

Lobo would also fit well in the already filmed Lanterns on HBO, given Lobo often tangles with the GLs in the comics. Or he could show up in whatever is following up on the prison planet plotline of Sanctuary from Season 2 of Peacemaker… We've already seen Lobo in jail once, and John Cena is yet another ex-pat from the Fast & Furious franchise Momoa could tangle with. Heck, they were supposed to be in a movie called Killer Vacation together, which we haven't heard a peep about since 2022. So this might be a way of finally getting the duo to team up.

Look, wherever Momoa goes as Lobo next, this is already a much more natural fit than Aquaman, and it's likely audiences will respond positively (regardless of the Supergirl movie's box office fate). So let’s make sure it isn't another decade before we get to see mo' Momoa in the role he was meant to play. Ya bastiches.

Supergirl is in theaters now. For more, dive into our spoiler-free Supergirl review, or catch up on the DCU to date with our guide on how to watch DC movies in order.

Peacemaker star Jennifer Holland has set the bar pretty high for Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.

"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 tells GamesRadar+ at a screening of Supergirl. "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'm just... 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."

Holland also added that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 might be her favorite Gunn movie... and with the implication that Man of Tomorrow might be even better than Guardians 3, I will absolutely be seated. No word yet if the actor will make an appearance as Emilia Harcourt in the Superman sequel, though that seems to be the rumor, given that we don't know if a third season of Peacemaker will happen.

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

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.

As a superhero movie-loving teenager, I had to be content with the fact that not many of my favorite films featured women in top billing. The closest I got during the early 2010s was Black Widow in Iron Man 2, who was a great hero, but felt very catered to the male gaze in that black catsuit…

Don't get me wrong, I still loved watching Iron Man, Captain America, and the Avengers movies. But something always felt missing: where was my version of a kick-ass hero? And where was one who wasn't in a skin-tight suit – and who wasn't constantly being asked in the press about losing weight to fit into said skin-tight suit, for that matter?

Things have started to shift in the past decade, with the release of Wonder Woman, Black Widow's standalone movie, Birds of Prey, and the Captain Marvel films. However, for me, nothing has quite captured my imagination in the way that the DCU's new Supergirl has.

Blasting onto the theater screen in a Blondie T-shirt to an incredible soundtrack, Milly Alcock's new take on Kara Zor-El has immediately become one of my favorite superheroes – and the fact she fronts such a female-led genre movie has healed something in my inner teenager.

Flawed and funny

Written by Ana Nogueira, Supergirl is based on Tom King's comic book run 'Woman of Tomorrow' and tells the story of a young girl called Ruthye whose whole family is killed by villain Krem. This sets her on a mission of revenge and she recruits Kara Zor-El along the way after her dog Krypto is caught in the crossfire and poisoned by Krem.

The premise sets up what those involved have called a "road movie", starring two women as the co-leads and focusing almost exclusively on their story. They're complex characters too, especially Alcock's Kara. Sick of living in the shadow of her "nerd" cousin Superman, we first meet her partying her life away on planets with red suns.

She doesn't have much figured out and she has a lot of trauma from her planet's destruction that she hasn't yet dealt with. As the movie's director Craig Gillespie told us in a recent interview, "She's complex, she's flawed, she's an anti-hero that's rebellious, and she's been through trauma – and that's bizarrely such human traits that you can recognize within yourself."

Alcock brings a lot of heart to the character, embodying all of these things pitch-perfectly, while also being, quite frankly, extremely cool. Not only does she have some awesome powers, but she's more often than not rocking up to a great soundtrack and proving to the many aliens she encounters that they're wrong to underestimate her.

Through her relationship with the young Ruthye, she also really grows throughout the film. Their dynamic forces her to recognise different character traits that she's been holding onto and allows her to navigate her own traumatic past a little better. By giving her someone to care for, she also relates a bit more to her well-meaning cousin, too, setting up a new dynamic with Clark Kent going forward in the DCU.

It's a complex arc and one that is handled thoroughly and satisfyingly by Alcock and Nogueira's script. There are male characters – most notably Matthias Schoenaerts' Krem and Jason Momoa's Lobo – but they are secondary to the story, and thankfully there is not even a whiff of a romantic storyline to be found in Supergirl.

Instead, the meat of the movie is all about its female leads, and even the subplots tackle feminist issues. There's a nasty underlying threat when the pair arrive on Bilquis where young girls are being trafficked as brides for the Brigands, giving extra weight to Kara and Ruthye's fight against Krem.

A new era

There's something to be said about the fact that the second film release in James Gunn and Peter Safran's hugely anticipated DCU is a female-led story. There have been little to no conversations about whether this is a risky strategy or what it could mean for the box office from the co-CEOs, as they have instead fully embraced the importance of women in the creation of their new superhero world.

Not only this, but the investment is already there in Alcock. Aside from her solo movie, she's already signed up for two more movies. As producer Lars P. Winther told The Hollywood Reporter: "So we have Man of Tomorrow, and we already know what the next movie’s going to be after that, and she’s a big part of that."

It feels like what Gunn and Safran are doing with the DCU is righting the wrongs that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had to claw its way out of in more recent years. Female-led stories and interesting female characters are being woven into this new universe right from the beginning, not as an afterthought.

This all makes me so excited for young superhero-loving women today who get to grow up feeling part of these universes right from the start. I hope that Supergirl's ascent heralds a new era for this on-screen and based on the upcoming slate for the DCU, which features a new story for Wonder Woman on the roster, it's looking positive.

Supergirl is out now. For more, check out our Supergirl review as well as our breakdown of how to watch the DC movies in order and all the upcoming DC movies and shows you need to know about.

The second movie in James Gunn's DCU Chapter One has now hit screens worldwide, but one film critic has revealed that he was shown a cut of Supergirl at a screen test at the start of the year that included more scenes that didn't make the cut.

Warning: the following contains a few spoilers, so turn back now if you haven't seen the film. But make sure to read our Supergirl review first.

"The cut wasn’t very different than the one I saw earlier this week. Besides more scenes on Krypton and an alternate opening, it was the same film," said The Film Frontier's Dan Marcus on Twitter. Krem had more of his backstory cut from the finished film, though."

In the final cut, we first meet Krem as a murderous pirate scavenging for goods and collecting young women as brides to sell on his home planet. However, the movie doesn't really explain why he is the way he is. But according to Marcus, the test screen cut shone a light on Krem's motives. "He talked about how he was abused as a child, but how that upbringing made him stronger," said Marcus. "He revealed he was going to do the same with Ruthye, threatening to make her his wife."

According to Marcus, the original movie "started with the destruction of Krypton," rather than Supergirl waking up in her ship, followed by the harrowing scene showing Krem murdering Ruthye's family. But not all is lost, as the new cut added two more scenes featuring David Corenswet’s Superman, which we think will be important in the future as Supergirl kind of sets up the Superman sequel, 2027's Man of Tomorrow.

However, it doesn't sound as though we missed out on much, as Marcus confirmed the cut he saw was only around 10-15 minutes longer than the final product, and still had no Supergirl post-credits scene. Despite saying the original opening was "better," he added, "The finished film didn’t feel that much different than the cut I saw in February."

So, why did DC cut the movie down even further when it would have still been under 2 hours to begin with? In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, director Craig Gillespie said, "I hate a long film. Because it’s this road trip between two women [Milly Alcock and Eve Ridley]... The more that we kept it lean and true to just their mission, the better the film was. There is a ticking clock in this."

Supergirl is out in theaters now. If you have already seen the film, you can find answers to any burning questions you may have in our guides to the Supergirl ending explained, Supergirl Easter eggs and cameos, and differences between Supergirl and the Woman of Tomorrow comic.

The reviews are in for Supergirl, and the new film is the first DCU movie to get a rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes.

That's a feat that took the MCU 13 years and 26 movies: it wasn't until 2021's Eternals that the Rotten Tomatoes score dipped below fresh.

Supergirl currently stands at a rotten score of 57% with 151 reviews. That might change if more reviews come in, of course, but it seems unlikely to cross the 60% fresh threshold, since most reviews are likely live by now (Supergirl previously moved up to a fresh score after debuting in the rotten zone, but dipped back down soon after).

Our own Supergirl review awards the movie 3.5 stars, and our verdict reads: "Superman's messier younger cousin in every way, Supergirl earns its Guardians of the Galaxy and Mad Max comparisons with a surprisingly dark (and sometimes downright gross) space adventure about revenge and finding your home."

Supergirl is only the second DCU movie, so this is an unfortunate milestone to hit so early. Superman stands at a healthier 83%, while Creature Commandos is at 95%, and Peacemaker season 2 is at 94%.

The film stars Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, who teams up with youngster Ruthye on a quest to save her dog Krypto after he is poisoned by the sadistic brigand Krem.

But, the future still looks bright for Kara. She's confirmed to appear in Man of Tomorrow, a sort-of-sequel to Superman, and she has another confirmed appearance after that, too.

"So we have Man of Tomorrow, and we already know what the next movie's going to be after that, and she's a big part of that," executive producer Lars P. Winther shared recently.

Supergirl is in UK cinemas now and US theaters from June 26. For more, check out our guide on how to watch the DC movies in order.

Supergirl writer Ana Noguiera has revealed that DCU co-president James Gunn got involved with Superman's appearance in the new DC movie.

"He is protective of Superman," Noguiera confirmed, when asked by Brandon Davis if that was the case. "There is like a couple things in other moments where he was like, 'He wouldn't say that to her.' And I was like, 'Okay cool.' But, mostly we had the same idea."

It makes sense that Gunn would be protective over Kal-El, since he wrote and directed the 2025 film that launched the theatrical side of the DCU.

Superman appears briefly in Supergirl, and he'll next be seen in 2027's Man of Tomorrow. In that film, he'll be forced to team up with his nemesis Lex Luthor in a battle against Braniac.

Supergirl is also set to appear in Man of Tomorrow, and, by the sounds of things, she might be at odds with her cousin Superman.

"I do think that this Supergirl is apart because she's not so much like Superman. She's very, very different from her cousin, which puts them at odds, which is a big part of this movie, and then an even bigger part of Man of Tomorrow, which we're filming now," Gunn has previously teased of the movie.

Supergirl sees Kara Zor-El on a mission to save her dog Krypto from a deadly poison administered by the brigand Krem, while her young companion Ruthye seeks revenge on the same man for slaughtering her family.

The film is in UK cinemas now and US theaters this June 26. In the meantime, check out our Supergirl review for our spoiler-free verdict on the film, or our guides on all the upcoming DC movies and how to watch the DC movies in order.

Supergirl crash-landed in 2025's Superman, and now she's back with her own solo film: a suitably grittier, edgier, and rougher second entry in the DCU that puts Milly Alcock's Kara Zor-El on a quest through space to save her dog, Krypto, from a vicious poison.

The trouble begins when sadistic brigand Krem (a near-unrecognizable Matthias Schoenaerts) callously shoots Krypto with a poisoned dart, after slaughtering the family of Ruthye (Eve Ridley), setting the youngster on a revenge mission that leads to her path crossing with Kara's. Since we saw her reclaim Krypto in Superman, Kara has been drinking her way across the galaxy, enjoying the benefits of a red sun (which strips her of her powers), and ignoring calls from her cousin, one Clark Kent, urging her to return to Earth so she can find her feet on the planet.

But when Krypto is critically injured, Kara shifts into gear: the dog isn't just an adorable companion, but her only real link to the family she was forced to leave behind on her dead home planet of Krypton. What follows is a surprisingly dark – and often gross – adventure to save Krypto and stop Krem, with the bond between Ruthye and Kara, two young girls who lost their family too young, at its heart.

Girl of Steel

Tonally, Supergirl is very different to Superman. The DCU has been unafraid to mix it up with its projects, and that ethos continues here – Superman was all about hope and optimism, while Supergirl peels open the galaxy's seedy underbelly. In fact, a surprising amount of the plot revolves around young girls being abducted into sexual slavery, which brings Mad Max: Fury Road to mind (the girls are even called "the brides" by the brigands). Kara encounters more foes than friends on her quest, including tech pirates who hijack a space bus to rob everyone onboard and strip it for parts, and countless brawlers in bars.

There's also a certain gross-out element to the film: Krypto pees on a newspaper article about Superman, Kara and Ruthye eat popcorn that's actually the excrement of an alien creature, and at one point, Kara is forced to make herself chug milk and vomit when she inadvertently drinks poison.

While DC Studios co-president James Gunn doesn't direct – I, Tonya and Cruella's Craig Gillespie is at the helm – the film does recall Guardians of the Galaxy, too: the irreverent tone, messy protagonist, and frequent needle drops all seem to owe something to the Gunn MCU trilogy, though Supergirl has more bite to it.

Kara is indeed a mess, beginning the film as a mix of perpetually drunk or hungover, convinced it's not her problem to help Ruthye get her revenge. She hasn't truly embraced being Supergirl like Clark Kent has embraced being Superman, made most obvious by the fact her iconic suit is lying abandoned on the floor of her spaceship. As the film goes on, flashbacks to Krypton reveal that Kara is this way because she wasn't ready to leave her home. Consequently, she can't find her place on Earth, despite Clark's advice.

But Kara does slowly begin to embrace her role as a protector, which involves getting back to a yellow sun and powering up. The film does a great job at making us understand Kara's pain, with the well-placed flashbacks giving context to some of her quirks, like her penchant for listening to music or her love for Krypto. Still, it feels like a long time until we see Kara truly using her powers, and even longer until she really lets loose without some kind of impairment, be that poison or Kryptonite.

The action is fun if a tad frenetic, and it's certainly satisfying to watch Kara stomp her way through bad guys. The bond between her and young Ruthye flourishes naturally, too, and it makes for an effective heart to the film: the duo has a lot in common, and they genuinely need each other on their journey, both practically and emotionally.

Ridley stands out as her perfectly precocious Ruthye, an earnest, balancing counterpoint to Kara's more cynical worldview. Alcock completely embodies Kara, too, whether that's the drunken, stumbling version of the Girl of Steel or the more determined, heroic version of her waiting in the wings, bringing the grit and sadness of a young girl forced to abandon her entire way of life for an alien land, as well as the sly humor of a 23-year-old trying to have a good time anyway.

This duo is more than enough to carry the film, so it's a little confusing why Jason Momoa's Lobo is included, in a change to Tom King and Bilquis Evely's source material. Momoa is plenty of fun as the cigar-chomping, growling anti-hero, but he's given a throwaway introduction and barely any plot relevance, which leaves him feeling like an entirely unnecessary addition to the film.

A cameo that does work, however, is David Corenswet's Superman. His screen time is very brief, but he is, once again, the quintessential Big Blue for those few minutes on screen, with his smiling optimism butting up against Kara's polar opposite attitude – a dynamic that seems ripe with potential for Man of Tomorrow and beyond.

Woman of Tomorrow

As the second DCU film, Supergirl feels somewhat oddly placed. More of a character study than a big blockbuster, the film does suffer from coming after last year's stellar Superman, which set the bar high for the new DC era. That film also felt like more of an event than its new younger sibling (or cousin); perhaps Supergirl will work well as a middle chapter between Superman and Man of Tomorrow, but that remains to be seen.

With Clayface coming later this year, though, the DCU is doubling down on its commitment to an eclectic mix of projects and tones, so Supergirl appears to be just one thread of a – hopefully – rich tapestry in the making.

Just like its protagonist, Supergirl is rough around the edges, but holds plenty of promise for the future. With two more DCU appearances confirmed, it seems this is only the beginning for Alcock's Kara. Up, up, and away…

While you wait for Supergirl, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows, or how to watch the DC movies in order.

Supergirl is set to star in her own movie very soon, but she'll also be returning in Man of Tomorrow, a sort-of-sequel to last summer's Superman.

Speaking at the Supergirl premiere, DC Studios co-president James Gunn has teased that Kara Zor-El's differences to her cousin Superman might cause some conflict in the upcoming film.

"I think it's very different. I think it's different in every way. It's based on a wonderful graphic novel by Tom King and Bilquis Evely. It's a Supergirl who's a hero like we've always known her, but she's haunted," Gunn told ExtraTV when asked how this take on Supergirl is different for the new DCU. "She's had a very, very, very difficult life, bringing up, on a chunk of rock outside of Krypton, and she's damaged because of it, and she's not really ready to accept the suit in a way that Superman was."

When the interviewer shared her thoughts that Milly Alcock's Supergirl is rougher than previous versions, Gunn explained: "I've liked a lot of the iterations of Supergirl. I think Helen Slater was great. All of them, really, have been great versions, but I do think that this Supergirl is apart because she's not so much like Superman. She's very, very different from her cousin, which puts them at odds, which is a big part of this movie, and then an even bigger part of Man of Tomorrow, which we're filming now."

Plus, Supergirl is going to have more than a cameo in the upcoming film. "Milly's got a big role in that one," Gunn teased.

Supergirl sees Alcock's Kara Zor-El go up against Matthias Schoenaerts's villainous Krem, after he poisons her dog Krypto. Man of Tomorrow, meanwhile, sees Supes and Lex Luthor forced to team up against Braniac. A set video has already shown Superman losing his cool with Lex, however, so it doesn't look like the partnership will be smooth sailing…

Supergirl arrives this June 26, while Man of Tomorrow hits theaters on July 9, 2027.

In the meantime, 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.

Soon, the second live-action movie in James Gunn's DCU will fly onto the big screen. But just because Supergirl introduces a new version of the Man of Steel's cousin, doesn't mean you have to go in blind.

Starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, the movie follows the young supe as she reluctantly joins forces with Jason Momoa's Lobo and sets off on an interstellar journey to seek justice against those who destroyed her home planet. The movie marks the second time we have seen Alcock suit as the hero after making a small cameo in last year's Superman, but will introduce a whole stack of new characters, too.

So, with this being the new Supergirl's first solo movie, do you need to do any DCU Chapter One homework before sitting down to watch the new movie? Well, kind of. Below, we break down which movies and TV shows you need to have seen before the big day, and a few extra titles to catch up on if you have time.

The DC movies and shows to watch before Supergirl

Superman

This won't come as a huge surprise, but it will be helpful to have seen Superman before going into Supergirl. Judging by the trailers, there doesn't seem to be a lot of crossover between the two movies, but Superman gives us an idea of the type of relationship the straight-edged hero has with his boundary-pushing cousin. Right at the end of Superman, Kara crash-lands on Earth to pick up her dog, Krypto. The supe was partying on nearby planets, while her canine had been causing trouble on Earth.

Straight away, we can see that Kara doesn't share the same moral compass as her older kin. But we have a feeling she might buck up her ideas in her titular movie, as she is forced to step up and protect what she loves most. David Coresnwet's Superman will make an appearance in the new movie, as the Supergirl trailer shows him checking up on his cousin and giving her some stern advice.

Superman also gives us the chance to get to know Krypto before Supergirl. The new movie goes back to when the pup was first given to Kara, as well as giving us a deeper look at his relationship with his even more chaotic owner.

Optional viewing

Past Supergirl movies and TV shows

When James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios, they completely wiped the slate clean, starting afresh with new actors and storylines. So, you really don't have to have seen any DC project before 2025's Superman. But if you would like to get to know other versions of Supergirl and perhaps compare them to Alcock's take on the hero, you can start with the first solo Supergirl movie released in 1984, starring Helen Slater.

Before Alcock, the last star to take flight as the hero was Sasha Calle in the 2023 movie The Flash. Calle was supposed to take on her own solo movie after that, but the project was scrapped when Gunn arrived. However, Supergirl writer Ana Nogueira, who was also writing the DCEU Supergirl movie, says that the two movies are "completely different," and that "nothing carried over from the DCEU project to the DCU movie.

In terms of television, we have seen many iterations of the young supe over the years. However, the most notable is CBS's Supergirl series, which ran from 2015 to 2025 as part of the Arrowverse. The show follows Melissa Benoist's Supergirl as she flees the newly destroyed Krypton and lands on Earth to protect National City. However, we don't see the new film following the same premise. The DCU's Supergirl is mostly set in space, and Alcock's hero has vengeance on her mind, leaving being an Earthly hero to her cousin.

Supergirl hits cinemas on June 26 in the US and on June 25 in the UK. For more, check out our guide on how to watch DC movies in order, and keep up with upcoming DC movies and shows.

A Jimmy Olsen TV show is on the way as part of the DCU – but it turns out it existed before the DCU was even a thing.

On Instagram, Gunn wrote in response to a fan asking if it was true that the Jimmy show had been turned into a Gorilla Grodd show: "It didn't become anything. It is what it's always been, including pitching it as part of the package before I even started at DC."

In a separate post on Threads, Gunn confirmed the show would combine both characters: "It's both a Jimmy Olsen AND a Gorilla Grodd show. And it's one of my favorite projects. We start filming soon."

Back in 2025, it was reported by Variety that the show would be titled DC Crime and would be a true crime-style documentary series presented by Jimmy, with Gorilla Grodd as the focus of the first season. However, Gunn debunked the title on Threads: "Just FYI there has never been a project titled "DC Crime" in development, not even as a working title. I don't know where that came from but it's weird."

In the DCU, Jimmy Olsen is played by Skyler Gisondo, and the "reluctant rizz god" was a breakout hit from Superman.

We'll see Jimmy Olsen again in next year's Superman: Man of Tomorrow, which sees Supes forced to team up with Lex Luthor against Braniac.

Next up for DC is Supergirl, which arrives this June 26. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows.

As the upcoming Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow continues filming, the leaked set pictures keep flooding in, featuring a deep-cut weapon hiding in the background.

The first image, which has since been posted on Reddit, shows David Corenswet suited up as Superman, but it looks like he has just been in a fight of sorts, as the hero has patches of his suit burned, revealing his skin underneath. The rest of the images shed a bit more light on the situation, and it looks like the injuries were caused by none other than Superman baddie Lex Luthor, wearing his green and purple Warsuit, and holding a rather peculiar-looking gun.

However, that gun is rather special. It is the Nuclear Kryptonite Ray-Gun. First introduced in DC Comics in 1962, the Nuclear Kryptonite Ray-Gun was created to harm Superman, targeting his biggest weaknesses with its Green Kryptonite rays. The gun was invented by Lex Luthor, who drew up plans for the weapon in a 1961 comic.

What is most exciting is that this is the first time the gun has appeared on screen. The weapon did appear in the DC animated series Justice League Action, built by Luthor to destroy Superman, but it has never been brought to life in live-action. There was mention of a weapon that could destroy Superman in both Smallville and Superman & Lois, but we never saw the actual Nuclear Kryptonite Ray-Gun with our eyes.

By the looks of the leaked images, it seems as though Nicholas Hoult's DCU villain Luthor could have built the weapon in the upcoming sequel, too, as it echoes the style of his warsuit. However, we don't think the duo will be at odds for long, as the movie will see Luthor and Clark Kent join forces against a new enemy, Braniac. Man of Tomorrow is part of James Gunn's DCU Chapter One, which continues next month with Supergirl.

For more, check out our guide on how to watch the DC movies in order, and keep up with new superhero movies heading your way.

More Man of Tomorrow leaks are here, and this team Superman is laying the superpowered smackdown on Lex Luthor.

The clip, which you can see below, comes from James Nobbe on Facebook and features David Corenswet's Kryptonian pummelling Nicholas Hoult's bald supervillain. Ironically, it looks like the '1A' move from Superman's evil clone in the 2025 original. Not even Lex's warsuit is saving him here.

James Gunn, though, will likely be none too pleased at how someone has managed to sneak a video from set – especially as this appears to come at a climactic moment in the Superman sequel.

Previously, there had been a glimpse of Brainiac's lines in the movie, with the intergalactic collector demanding Lex Luthor and, failing that, promising to raze Metropolis to the ground.

The director and DC Studios boss, though, has revealed a sprinkling of more official looks at Man of Tomorrow.

Already, we have a brief taste of Brainiac's logo and an image showing off Lex Luthor's warsuit – which is completely practical.

"[Nicholas Hoult] can move incredibly well. It's unbelievably mobile," Gunn revealed in a post on his favorite social media platform Threads.

Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow arrives next July and features Lars Eidinger as Brainiac alongside a host of familiar DC names, including David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan, Isabela Merced, and Aaron Pierre.

Supergirl is next up in the DCU later in June, with Clayface following on October 23.

For more, check out the latest on DCU Chapter One. Then read our guide on how to watch the DC movies in order – including the previous DCEU slate.

James Gunn has confirmed when the upcoming Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow is set, giving us some much-needed clarity on the DCU timeline.

When a fan asked the DC Studio head, "How long after Superman (2025) will Man of Tomorrow take place?" Gunn replied on Instagram Threads, "Basically real time." He later clarified, "Real time like summer 2027," meaning the time between the two movies hitting the big screen in Summer 2025 and Summer 2027 is more or less the same amount of time that has passed in Metropolis.

This pretty much falls in line with how the DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters timeline has panned out so far. Each title released so far seems to take place after its predecessor. The live-action portion of the new DCU kicked off with the first Superman movie, followed by Peacemaker season 2, which we know is set about one month after. Next up is Supergirl, where it gets a little confusing as the Supergirl trailer includes shots of Krypto as a puppy, younger than he was in the 2025 movie Superman, as the film will feature flashbacks.

However, back in March, Gunn confirmed via Threads that Supergirl will take place "between Superman and Man of Tomorrow." Hopefully, Supergirl fills in some gaps between the first and second Superman movies, as we are wondering what the Man of Steel has been up to since we saw him last. Alas, the time jump does explain the change in the relationship between Superman and Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor, as the sequel will see the pair join forces against a new enemy.

The last time we saw Luthor, he was being put into the back of a police car after Superman uncovered his evil plans. But in the sequel, it seems as though the Luthor Corp head will have a change of heart as a new villain, Braniac, comes on the scene. As filming continues on Man of Tomorrow, Gunn treated fans to the first look at Luthor in his Warsuit, which looks pretty comic-book accurate. Set pictures of David Corenswet's Superman have also been leaked, featuring a few tweaks to the hero's get-up.

Man of Tomorrow releases in theaters on July 9, 2027. For more on the DCU, check out our guide to the other upcoming DC movies and shows, or get up to speed with our rundown on how to watch the DC movies in order.

Superman follow-up Man of Tomorrow is currently filming, and James Gunn has dropped the first official photo from the new movie – a shot of Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor in a comics-accurate purple and green Warsuit.

The image features Lex standing in some sort of sandy void, and is labelled a 'fit check' by Gunn, meaning this is more likely to be a candid moment from a costume fitting than a frame from the movie itself. But, even still, it's impressive to think that a screen-accurate version of Lex's chunky Warsuit exists, and will seemingly be worn by Hoult in the movie. Let's hope it's easy to get out of for toilet breaks. Check out the image below.

When Gunn announced Man of Tomorrow back in September 2025, he did so with a series of comic artist-illustrated images of Lex in his famous Warsuit, alongside David Corenswet's Superman. So it's no surprise that the Warsuit will be part of the movie, but it wasn't known the extent to which the suit would be a practical build, until now.

The Warsuit allows Lex to go toe-to-toe with Supes, making him as strong as a Kryptonian in hand-to-hand combat. Though given Lex and Superman are set to form something of an enemies-to-friends alliance in Man of Tomorrow to take down an even bigger, Braniac-shaped threat, you'd hope that in-fighting between the pair will be kept to a minimum, for Metropolis' sake.

King of Threads, James Gunn, may be in the middle of production, but that hasn't stopped him taking to his social network of choice of late. Just last week, he explained the philosophical reason why Superman and Braniac "have beef" in the comics, which may be a big hint about what to expect from Man of Tomorrow.

Though not a straight sequel to Superman (according to Gunn), much of the cast from the first film is returning, including Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and the entire Justice Gang. We also know that Green Lantern John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) will pop up, as will newbie Adria Arjona, though we still don't know if she's playing Maxima or Wonder Woman.

Man of Tomorrow releases in theaters on July 9, 2027. For more, For more on the DCU, check out our guide to the other upcoming DC movies and shows, or get up to speed with our rundown on how to watch the DC movies in order.

James Gunn has explained why Superman and Braniac don't get along, and it could be setting up a pretty interesting premise for Supes sequel Man of Tomorrow.

Braniac will be the bad guy in the DC film, which will also see Supes and his arch-nemesis Lex Luthor forced to team up.

"Brainiac is what happens when intelligence loses ALL connection to humanity. And Superman is as human as anyone, so… I get why they have beef," Gunn wrote on Twitter. "Brainiac made his comic debut on this day in ACTION COMICS #242."

Superman makes a big speech about his own humanity to Lex Luthor during the Superman ending, so it looks like this will be a theme that carries into the quasi-sequel. Whether Lex acknowledges his foe's humanity or not remains to be seen, however…

Gunn has also previously teased that he has drawn heavily from the comics to bring Braniac to the screen. "Fun story but not really, no," he said when asked if Panic in the Sky, which features Braniac as the main villain, would be adapted in Man of Tomorrow. "More specifically: I read almost every Brainiac story to put Brainiac in MoT together and used bits and pieces I thought worked best. But PitS wasn't a key influence on the story."

David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult will return as Superman and Lex Luthor respectively, while Lars Eidinger is Braniac. The rest of the cast includes Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, Aaron Pierre as Jon Stewart, and Matthew Lillard as a mystery character.

Man of Tomorrow arrives on July 9, 2027. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows for everything else that's on the way, including Supergirl and Lanterns.

The DC rumour mill has been churning around who is directing the upcoming Teen Titans movie, but studio boss James Gunn has stepped in to debunk the claims.

A number of platforms have been reporting that Euphoria creator Sam Levinson is in talks to direct DC's Teen Titans movie. "According to an insider, Sam Levinson (Euphoria) is in negotiations to direct the Teen Titans movie," wrote Geek Nation, and popular DC fan account GunnVerse later shared the news on Instagram.

However, Gunn has shut the rumors down. When asked about Levinson's involvement on Instagram Threads, Gunn replied, "No, it's not true. Not talking to any directors quite yet," adding, "This 'insider' isn't inside much," referring to Geek Nation's apparent inside scoop.

This isn't the first time Gunn has had to address rumours on his own social platforms. Just last year, Gunn took to Threads to let fans know, "Anything you've heard about that movie [Teen Titans] is made up or a guess. No one in the world knows anything about the concept for the story except four people."

However, fans are taking Gunn's statement as a win, as if the DC boss is talking about the project, it must still be happening. In fact, this is the first we have heard about the movie in months. The Teen Titans feature was announced in 2024, with Supergirl scribe attached to write the script. The movie has had few updates since, and is yet to find its director or cast.

It is not clear which version of the group the movie will focus on. Throughout time, Teen Titans has welcomed many heroes, including Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and more. However, the Cartoon Network animated series Teen Titans Go!, which has so far run for eight seasons, and its '00s predecessor, the Teen Titans animated series, both follow Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire. However, with decades of DC comics to sift through, Gunn has his pick of the litter.

Although it might be a while until we hear more about Teen Titans, Gunn's DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters is in full swing. Following on from last year's Superman, this year we will see Milly Alcock's Supergirl take flight in her own titular movie this summer, and a certain gloopy Batman villain will haunt the streets in the new horror movie Clayface, which will hit the big screen just in time for Halloween. On the small screen, we also have Lanterns to look forward to.

For more, check our list of all the upcoming DC movies, or check out our guide on how to watch the DC movies in order.

Supergirl hits screens in exactly one month, and to mark the milestone, studio Warner Bros has released a new promo teasing a major Superman moment from the new DCU movie.

In the new 15-second TV spot, which you can watch below, we appear to see the moment when Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) meets her Kryptonian cousin, Kal-El (David Corenswet), for the first time after arriving on Earth. Cradling adorable puppy Krypto in her arms, and wearing a funky spacesuit, Supes pops the top off the Kryptonian capsule that Kara presumably uses to flee their dying home planet.

Pretty neat, huh? But that's not all. A new TBS sneak peek has also revealed another key Superman moment (hopefully they've saved some for the actual movie…). In this one, we see Kal-El hand Kara her familiar red and blue suit. "I know it's pretty colorful," Superman says. "But that's just so everyone knows we're good." A corny line? Sure, but perfectly in keeping with the DCU's take on Superman.

Superman's appearance in Supergirl was confirmed back in December by none other than Supergirl star Alcock, who revealed that her first day on set was opposite David Corenswet, for a scene almost entirely in Kryptonian. Supergirl, of course, is the second movie in James Gunn's DCU, following last summer's Superman, and sees party girl Kara Zor-El on a mission to save a gravely ill Krypto.

Recently, Gunn confirmed what we all suspected: that Supergirl will take place after she retrieves Krypto from Kal-El during the events of Superman, but before Man of Tomorrow. We also learned from DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran that Supergirl will officially return in that Superman sort-of-sequel, alongside Aaron Pierre's Green Lantern John Stewart and Andor's Adria Arjona, who may be playing Maxima.

Supergirl kicks off a big year for DCU: Chapter One, with HBO's Lanterns, and horror feature Clayface to follow in 2026. Next year is the main event, however, with both Man of Tomorrow and Elseworlds title The Batman 2 set to release.

Supergirl releases in theaters on June 26. For more, check our list of all the upcoming DC movies, or check out our guide on how to watch the DC movies in order.

It looks like DC villains are finally getting their time to shine, as DC Studios is reportedly moving forward with the Deathstroke and Bane movie, and a Peacemaker season 2 director is reportedly at the top of the list to helm the project.

Greg Mottola, best known for directing Superbad, Paul, and two episodes of DC's Peacemaker series, is said to be the front-runner to potentially direct DC's untitled Deathstroke and Bane feature, as reported by Deadline. As well as Mottola, there are other filmmakers in the mix, too.

The untitled Deathstroke and Bane movie was first teased in September 2024 after James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios. The movie does not yet have an official script, but the initial screenplay was reportedly written by Moon Knight's Matthew Orton.

DC has yet to tease any details surrounding the proposed project, but based on the working title, we can guess that it will mainly focus on the two Batman villains. First introduced to DC comics in the early '90s, Bane is a fan-favorite Batman villain, whose use of Venom gives him superhuman strength.

As for Deathstroke, the former Army soldier was turned into a supervillian when he was injected with a supersoldier serum that granted him superman strength, durability, speed, and reflexes. He made his debut in the '80s and has since battled Teen Titans, Batman, Green Arrow, and the Justice League. Deathstroke has been brought to life on screen a handful of times, including the Titans live-action series, and in Justice League, where he was briefly played by Joe Manganiello. Bane was notably played by Tom Hardy in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises.

The new project is expected to be part of Gunn's DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, which focuses on a string of DC heroes and villains in their respective solo adventures. This year, we will see Milly Alcock's Supergirl join forces with Jason Momoa's Lobo in the titular movie. Then, just in time for Halloween, Batman's goopiest adversary will be brought to life by Tom Rhys Harries in Clayface.

The Deathstroke and Bane movie does not yet have a release date. For more, check out our guide on how to watch the DC movies in order, and keep up with upcoming DC movies and shows heading your way.

James Gunn has confirmed Lanterns is set to premiere on August 16 on HBO Max. The show is the next in DC Studios heads' Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU Chapter One and arrives just after Supergirl's cinematic release in June.

The release date had already been rumored after a new trailer was released yesterday on DC's YouTube channel. In it the August date was confirmed but it was quickly pulled offline. It seems someone might have jumped the gun on the announcement as it's now back up, complete with the August 16 date confirmed at the end.

Alongside the date announcement, Gunn shared a new image from the show as well. This shows a close up of a ring colliding with the actual green lantern. "Beware my power, Green Lantern's light," Gunn captioned the image.

Created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, Lanterns follows intergalactic peacekeepers, the Green Lanterns. This series focuses on two of the peacekeeping corps, seasoned Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), as they investigate a murder in Nebraska.

Billed as having a bit of a True Detective vibe, showrunner Mundy previously described it as being "as much of a buddy cop show as a superhero show." He told Men's Health: "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? That push and pull between those two characters is really important."

For more on all things DC, check out our guides to all the upcoming DC movies and shows, as well as our breakdown of how to watch the DC movies in order.