After failing to match Marvel with its own beloved comic book cinematic universe, Warner Bros. Discovery opted to start over. The DCEU wrapped up with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and the new DC Universe will kick off in 2025 with James Gunn’s Superman. Meanwhile, DC Studios co-chairmen James Gunn and Peter Safran have already shared their plans for the first chapter of the DCU, including release dates for movies and shows.
DCU Chapter 1 – Gods and Monsters release dates
Creature Commandos | December 2024
- Showrunner: James Gunn
- Cast: Frank Grillo, Maria Bakalova, Indira Varma, Zoe Chao, Alan Tudyk, David Harbour, Sean Gunn, Steve Agee, Viola Davis
When Gunn announced the projects that would make up Chapter 1, he also shared that he had already written every episode of the animated series Creature Commandos. This monster-heavy team is made up of Rick Flag Sr., Nina Mazursky, Doctor Phosphorus, Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, G.I. Robot, and Weasel.
Gunn says that the series picks up directly after the events of Peacemaker season 1, “which leaves Waller with her hands tied operationally, meaning that she’s no longer able to get away with putting human lives on the line to carry out her clandestine morally questionable missions.” So, she rounds up a bunch of monsters to do her bidding instead.
Waller | 2024
- Director: TBA
- Cast: Viola Davis, Steve Agee, Danielle Brooks
Viola Davis reprises her role as Amanda Waller in a live-action series set between Peacemaker seasons 1 and 2. She looks to be one of the few DCEU characters who will transition seamlessly into the DCU after previously appearing in both Suicide Squad movies and Black Adam. She will team up with members of Team Peacemaker in her latest mission.
Superman | July 11, 2025
- Director: James Gunn
- Cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Milly Alcock, Isabela Merced, Nathan Fillion, Nicholas Hoult, Skyler Gisondo, Wendell Pierce, Mikaela Hoover, Edi Gathegi
Superman: Legacy is being heralded as “the true beginning of the DCU.” James Gunn will write and direct this Superman reboot. It isn’t an origin story, but instead follows Clark Kent “balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing.”
Lanterns | TBD
- Showrunner: Chris Mundy
- Cast: TBA
Two Green Lanterns are better than one. At least, that’s what the HBO series Lanterns posits, as Hal Jordan and John Stewart team up to solve a “True Detective-style mystery.” Gunn says that the ancient horror that the Lanterns discover on Earth will lead into the overarching plot of the DCU. It sounds like this show will be key to understanding the bigger story.
Here’s HBO’s official logline: “The series follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”
The Authority | TBD
- Director: TBA
- Cast: TBA
This superhero team initially had no connection to the larger DC universe, but Gunn plans to integrate The Authority into the DCU right away. While they want to save the world just like their DC superhero counterparts, they don’t mind killing people, toppling governments, or even taking control themselves in order to reshape the world as they see fit.
Paradise Lost | TBD
- Director: TBA
- Cast: TBA
Gunn and Safran describe Paradise Lost as “a Game of Thrones-type story about Themyscira,” which is the home of the Amazons and the birthplace of Wonder Woman. The Max show takes place before the birth of Diana Prince (aka Wonder Woman) and covers the origin of Paradise Island along with all of the political turmoil that shaped its society.
The Brave and the Bold | TBD
- Director: Andy Muschietti
- Cast: TBA
Along with a new Superman, the DCU will also get a new Batman. But The Brave and the Bold will center on Damian Wayne, Batman’s son, who eventually becomes Robin. The movie will be based on Grant Morrison’s 2010 run of Batman comics. Safran adds that other members of the Bat-Family will feature heavily as well.
Booster Gold | TBD
- Director: TBA
- Cast: TBA
When it comes to lovable losers in comics, Booster Gold is near the top of the list. Mike Carter isn’t really a superhero at all, but rather a 25th-century former football star who comes back in time and uses future technology to convince everyone he’s a hero. Much like Peacemaker, this Max series should lean heavily into the comedy.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow | TBD
- Director: Craig Gillespie
- Cast: Milly Alcock
Based on Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s comic of the same name, Supergirl: World of Tomorrow follows the titular cousin of Superman, who spent the first 14 years of her life on a broken piece of Krypton after the planet was destroyed. Gunn describes her as “a much harsher and more f*cked up Supergirl than you’ve been used to thus far.”
Swamp Thing | TBD
- Director: James Mangold
- Cast: TBA
Finally, closing out Chapter One of the DCU is Swamp Thing. This dark horror movie will unravel the origins of the monster known as Swamp Thing. Unfortunately, that’s all that DC Studios has shared about this mysterious project as of late 2023.
DC Elseworlds release dates
While the DC Extended Universe and its version of the Justice League are no more, DC Studios isn’t totally scrapping everything that came before the new DC Universe. Anything that doesn’t fit directly into the larger cinematic universe will be known as DC Elseworlds.
Here are all of the upcoming DC shows and movies that will exist outside of the DCU:
Teen Titans Go! season 9 | TBD
The long-running animated series Teen Titans Go! is currently airing its eighth season, and given all of the success it has seen since premiering in 2013, it’s no wonder DC is keeping it around. In addition to the eight seasons on Cartoon Network, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies hit theaters in 2018. Expect more seasons in the coming years.
Harley Quinn season 5 | 2024
While Harley Quinn is an animated series like Teen Titans Go!, it’s a significantly more edgy and mature series intended for adults. In this series, Harley Quinn has recently broken up with the Joker and is taking time to rediscover herself alongside her best friend, Poison Ivy, and a host of other villains. After four critically acclaimed seasons and a holiday special on Max, the show is set to return for a fifth season at some point in 2024.
The Penguin | September 2024
Colin Farrell will step into the big suit as the Penguin once again in this Max original series. The Penguin is an eight-episode limited series that kicks off a week after the events of The Batman, as Oz Cobblepot (Farrell) begins his ascent in the criminal underworld of Gotham City. Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) will battle him for control after her father’s death.
Joker: Folie à Deux | Oct. 4, 2024
- Director: Todd Phillips
- Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Zazie Beetz
After the original movie made over $1 billion worldwide, it was inevitable that Joker would get a sequel. Director Todd Phillips appears set on pushing the envelope even further this time with an R-rated musical thriller that will add Lady Gaga to the cast. Lady Gaga plays Dr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn, a psychiatrist assigned to treat Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), but as is usually the case with Harley, she ends up falling in love with him.
Superman & Lois season 4 | Oct. 17, 2024
Originally planned as a spinoff of The CW’s Arrowverse shows, Superman & Lois ended up being its own thing when those shows wound down. In the series, Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) and Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) return to Smallville with their sons, but they can’t escape the villains. The series will end with season 4, which should arrive in 2024.
The Batman – Part II | Oct. 3, 2025
- Director: Matt Reeves
- Cast: Robert Pattinson
The Batman (Robert Pattinson) saved many lives in the first movie, but Gotham City is in a sorry state after the flood caused by Riddler’s bombs. We have a sneaking suspicion Batman’s rogues gallery is going to try to take advantage of this situation in The Batman – Part II. It might not be a part of the DCU, but this is a universe worth building on.
