In a somewhat hilarious turn of events, MCU alum James Gunn has “killed” the DCEU right after landing Warner Bros.’ “Kevin Feige” job. Well, he had an accomplice in Peter Safran, the other person Warner hired to turn the DCEU ship around. Reports claim Gunn, Safran, and Warner leadership canceled the planned Wonder Woman 3, and other DCEU movies might have similar fates.
The list includes Man of Steel 2, which would have seen Henry Cavill return to his Superman role, and a sequel to Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam. Jason Momoa will not play Aquaman after the current sequel, slated for December 25th, 2023, either. This could be great news for the DCEU, which has needed a proper makeover for quite some time.
The current universe has to be burnt to the ground for something more exciting to emerge from its ashes. Something that might one day rival the best days of Marvel’s MCU.
Gunn and Safran are reportedly working on a somewhat secret plan to relaunch the DCEU. The two high-ranking Warner execs will present their ideas to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav next week. The CEO already made waves for canceling other DCEU superhero movies, as Zaslav is looking to reorganize Warner’s IP under a new film and TV division.
Gunn and Safran’s plans might not include continuing any of the DCEU stories we have witnessed so far in the Snyderverse, as it’s often called. It’s not even clear whether the actors and actresses playing DC superheroes in these movies will return for similar or different roles in the future.
But The Hollywood Reporter has heard from multiple sources that Patty Jenkins Warner Woman 3 is not moving forward. Gunn, Safran, and Warner Bros. Pictures co-chairs and co-CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy canceled the project. Apparently, the sequel does not fit with the new DCEU plan, whatever that might be.
Puzzlingly, Gal Gadot tweeted around the same time that she was grateful for having played Wonder Woman. “Can’t wait to share her next chapter with you,” she teased. But it’s unclear whether Gadot will return in any form to the DC Universe.
But it’s not just Wonder Woman 3 that got the axe. Warner will not go forward with any new Man of Steel, Black Adam, or Aquaman sequels. What’s puzzling in all of this is that Henry Cavill recently announced that he would return to his Superman role. The actor had an unnecessary cameo in Black Adam, teasing Superman’s return.
As for Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam, it’s not a must-watch DCEU movie, sadly. And it might have a hard time breaking even at the box office.
Momoa will still star in Aquaman 2, but then he might be done with the role. However, Gunn and Safran might keep the actor around for a new character. The Hollywood Reporter says that Momoa could play Lobo, a lesser-known DC superhero.
While Gunn and Safran want to bring some clarity to the DC universe, scrapping Wonder Woman 3 and other Snyderverse-related sequels isn’t enough. Warner will still launch a few DCEU movies based on that universe as Gunn and Safran chart a new course.
In addition to Aquaman 2, we’ll see Flash (June 16th, 2022), Shazam! Fury of the Gods (March 17th, 2023) and Blue Beetle (August 18th, 2023) in theaters next year.
More puzzling is the purported decision not to touch the new Matt Reeves Batman universe of stories. Apparently, those stories will not collide with whatever the new Warner execs are working on.
