Marvel director reboots DC: how the cinematic universe will change and what are the plans

The volatile DC Universe, which is constantly spinning in different directions and changed its dark tone to brightness and fun after the departure of Zack Snyder, has officially taken on a new shape. A few months after the appearance of fresh minds in the management of DC Studios and the announcement of the next reboot, the fans finally waited for the details – on the evening of January 31, a full-fledged update roadmap was presented with ideas for several years to come. The first chapter under the creative merger of recently inaugurated DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn, director of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for Marvel, and Peter Safran, producer of The Conjuring franchise, has been titled Gods and Monsters. (Gods and Monsters).

What changes will take place in the DC Universe

It wasn’t a big surprise, but the event confirmed fears that some of the actors who have played popular DC characters in recent years won’t be reprising their old roles in the new MCU. First of all, the cancellation concerns Henry Cavill – his incarnation of Superman is no longer of interest to the incoming DC managers. Also in his speech, James Gunn did not say anything about the future of Wonder Woman performed by Gal Gadot after the refusal of the third film, just as Ray Fisher’s Cyborg was completely forgotten. Only Ezra Miller (The Flash) and Jason Momoa (Aquaman) will remain from the cast of the film version of Justice League (DC’s first team film), despite scandalous antics and the risk of being fired. Ben Affleck’s Batman can also be completely forgotten, because a completely different film is now in development, but Robert Pattinson will continue to be the dark knight of Gotham within a separate world outside the main MCU. For the second solo film with him from Matt Reeves, they even suddenly announced the release date in theaters – October 3, 2025.

Some of the projects will continue to be released in the experimental DC Elsewords format, that is, without being dedicated to the central cinematic universe. For example, outside of it, along with Robert Pattinson’s Batman, there are still cartoons about Harley Quinn and the Teen Titans, the sequel to Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker and the upcoming film about the black Superman. The authors promise that the viewers of all such projects will be explained as clearly as possible that the actions take place in an alternative universe and are in no way connected with the key characters. At the same time, Peter Safran clarified that the DC reboot will mainly focus on one shared universe with a specific lineup of characters.

The first major project of the revived DC Universe will be a Superman movie, as in 2013 there was a start with Man of Steel. Nobody is going to adapt the character’s origin story for the tenth time, so the focus will shift to Superman’s attempts to find a balance between Kryptonian roots and human upbringing (it seems that we are talking about a younger image of Clark Kent). According to James Gunn, it is Superman who will once again breathe life into the DC Universe and act as a starting point, after which the upcoming projects, including those with the participation of past actors, will be closely linked in plot and flow into a consistent, canonical model. He will write the script himself and possibly direct the film.

Soft Reload will begin in The Flash

James Gunn and Peter Safran have managed to sync DC’s current projects with those in the pipeline in order to implement a soft restart. Thus, the filmed and upcoming films according to this chronology have not been canceled and will lay the foundation for a new cinematic universe, their release will take place as scheduled. The development of DC will be changed by the events of The Flash: in the film, Barry Allen will move in time, which will subsequently lead to global changes in his timeline. Premiere – June 16, 2023. Ezra Miller is “unlikely to reprise the role” in the new MCU after The Flash’s release, according to Deadline Hollywood sources. Previously, the actor held several meetings at the request of Warner Bros., apologized to the studio for inappropriate behavior and agreed to provide professional assistance.

“I think Peter and I got very lucky with the next four films. We are gearing up for the premiere of Shazam 2, which will lead to the Flash, which will completely change everything in the DC Universe. Then the Blue Beetle debuts, which could also be part of the new MCU. At the end of the year, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be released, which will lead to Superman, our first major project, ”commented James Gunn.

10 Pilot Projects for the New DC Universe

Under the strategy of James Gunn and Peter Safran, DC Studios will release two films and two series on the HBO Max streaming service per year. The duo are now assembling a writing team to further collaborate and prepare for the massive 10-year build of the DCEU. The approved actors will sign similar 10-year contracts for both feature films and related series. The company is currently negotiating with three directors from five announced films.

“I have loved DC since childhood. It is important for me that the vision of the director, the vision of the screenwriters and everyone involved in the project creates a unique, special story. The plot is king. I want to be true to these stories and look forward to giving you something new and different. Something you haven’t seen yet. Thank you!” — from James Gunn’s message to the fans.

Featured films

• “Superman: Legacy” (Superman: Legacy) – an atypical look at Superman, trying to combine the past of the Kryptonian family and life on Earth. Premiere July 11, 2025.
• “The Authority” – a film based on the comic book line of the same name about other superheroes with gray morals who think that the world is broken and believe that the most drastic measures will help fix the situation. Sequel to Superman: Legacy. An extremely important production for James Gunn, who has long been “sick” of the adaptation of The Authorities.
• “The Brave and the Bold” (The Brave and the Bold) The film will introduce a new Batman father working alongside teenage Robin and pave the way for the creation of the Bat-Family in a new MCU. The Robin mask will go to Damien Wayne, the son of Batman and Talia al Ghul. The project is inspired by Grant Morrison’s comics.
• “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow) – “epic” story about the life of Kara Zor-El, who grew up on a piece of Krypton after the destruction of the planet. The familiar Supergirl will be presented as a tormented character based on the latest Tom King comics.
• Swamp Thing is an unconventional dark horror thriller about the dark origins of a DC monster born from a swamp virus.

TV Series Announced

• “Monster Commandos” (Creature Commandos) is an animated series in which the head of the Suicide Squad, Amanda Waller (again), creates a strange team of black operatives from monstrous prisoners. The script for the first season was written by James Gunn and will consist of seven episodes. The project is already at the production stage.
• “Waller” (Waller) – A spin-off of The Peacemaker with John Cena, the story of Amanda Waller teaming up with members of the Peacemaker team. Viola Davis will return to the role. The script will be written by Crystal Henry (Watchmen) and Jeremy Carver (Supernatural, Doom Patrol).
• “Lanterns” (Lanterns) — “a quality show about intergalactic cops,” Green Lanterns John Stewart and Hal Jordan, who uncover a terrifying secret. Stylistically, the series is billed as “True Detective”. The plot will be directly related to the new cinematic universe.
• Paradise Lost – an analogue of the “Game of Thrones” about the political intrigues of the Amazons on the hiding island of Themyscira, where Wonder Woman was born and raised. The story will unfold before the birth of Diana Prince herself.
• “Booster Gold” (Booster Gold) – a comedy about the impostor syndrome. The series follows the adventures of an iconic comic book character, a charming misfit who decides to use the technology of the future to return to the present to pretend to be a superhero and be a crowd favorite.