The DC Connected Universe (The Batman 2 Delayed a Full Year to October 2026)

A new rumor is claiming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is undergoing rewrites at this stage of its production and they are said to be massive.

This information comes from noted DC scooper Syl Abdul, who previously scooped that Ben Affleck would be in Aquaman 2 before the story got out and that Henry Cavill filmed a Superman scene in August for Black Adam.

Abdul shared what he was told by his sources in a YouTube short saying there is a “major script rewrite” coming for the delayed sequel and “ramifications” for how the characters are going to be portrayed.

He added that the new Warner Bros. regime is trying to make the film better fit their vision for the DC cinematic universe which they are only beginning to retool. Still, changes are expected to be evident as soon as Black Adam.

At first, Abdul wasn’t terribly specific about what was meant by “rewrites” and what these could affect. It’s possible they might tone down the climate message and highly likely they will cut more of Mera’s presence in the film. That is, of course, depending on how much of her is left and if she is still being played by Amber Heard.

However, in Abdul’s extended commentary that included a roundtable discussion with Mikey Sutton of Geekosity, he explained the rewrites impact Affleck and could expand his role in Aquaman 2 to more than a cameo.

“Batfleck’s appearance in Aquaman 2 is not just some post-credit scene, or currently it’s not just some post-credit scene at all,” Abdul said in his analysis. “So there must be some sort of supporting role or cameo for Ben Affleck in Aquaman 2.”

Sutton dovetailed in his coverage of the scoop that “It would make more sense to have him appear as a supporting character. This gives the movie more connectivity with the rest of the DCEU [which will] get fans more excited.”

Sutton went on to say bringing Batfleck back is part of WB’s new ten-year plan for DC and further delaying Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom to next December has the benefit of accommodating more reshoots. “In other words, the tinkering continues.”

It is likewise rumored Affleck is replacing Michael Keaton, who was supposed to have a small role in two scenes, and that we could end up seeing more of Batfleck in The Flash than initially thought after the film went through reshoots.

WyldeMan wrote:That's absolutely perfect timing given Momoa's new haircut. 

They're gonna add a scene in which Arthur and Bruce get blackout drunk and Arthur wakes up with a new haircut.

Last I heard Lost Kingdom was supposed to be like a buddy road trip movie with Momoa and Patrick Wilson on the road but now they're just gonna add in a lot more Bruce? Sure why not.

Maybe after they're done replacing Hear they can also replace Black Manta's Yahya Abdul-Mateen II if he's too good for the franchise and if it's all "Clown work" then fire that fucker too.

Just replace them both with more daytime Batman! It'll make everything better!

joey con carne wrote:

WyldeMan wrote:They're gonna add a scene in which Arthur and Bruce get blackout drunk and Arthur wakes up with a new haircut.

Unfortunately, Ben Affleck doesn't know it's just supposed to be acting and he will actually blackout so hard production will be delayed because he's gonna have to go to rehab again.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom coming to a theater near you July 2024 which will be delayed til December 2024 for a Christmas release.

joey con carne wrote:By the time DC gets around to releasing these movies, everyone who was interested will have already lost interest.

Although, I do like your Batman and the Lost Kingdom idear.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Batman as a supporting character? lol It's no longer a reshoot, they're redoing the script.

Tyger wrote:Few movies can be hurt by adding more Batman, I don’t see the problem

EXCLUSIVE: Here is a resurrection of a DC character worth getting excited over. Warner Bros will develop another installment of the 2005 supernatural thriller Constantine, and the studio is re-teaming star Keanu Reeves and director Francis Lawrence, who made his helming debut on the original.

Akiva Goldsman will write the screenplay and produce the project through his Weed Road Pictures, alongside Bad Robot’s J.J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella.

When it opened 17 years ago the Reeves-starring pic based on the intricate DC character grossed over $200 million in 2005 box office dollars worldwide. It opened a world of potential, and fans have long been hot on a sequel. Reeves will reprise as supernatural exorcist and demonologist John Constantine, who in the original is dying but stays around to save his soul by keeping demons from hell from breaching earth. He also gets between a battle between the archangel Gabriel and Lucifer.

This deal was shepherded by Warner Bros Pictures Group co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy.

Lorenzo DiBonaventura and Erwin Stoff will executive produce the project.

Source: Deadline

The HBO Max development purge continues.

TVLine has confirmed that the streamer is not moving forward with its in-the-works series centered around the DC Comics character of John Constantine. Similarly, a standalone series about DC Comics’ Madame Xanadu has also been scrapped at HBO Max. Both projects — which hail from J.J. Abrams’ Warner Bros.-based Bad Robot — will be taken out to the marketplace in search of a new home.

The Constantine reboot — which was first put into development back in Feb. 2021 — was slated to feature a diverse lead.

This was, of course, not going to be Constantine’s first time on the small screen. Welsh actor Matt Ryan portrayed the character on The CW’s Legends of Tomorrow, a role he carried over from NBC’s short-lived Constantine (2014–2015). On the big screen, Keanu Reeves played the title role in 2005’s Constantine, whose cast also included Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf and Tilda Swinton.

According to Variety, Warner Bros. is now planning a sequel to Constantine, with Reeves set to return. Abrams will serve as an EP on the follow-up.

Tyger wrote:Keanu's sequel streak continues

joey con carne wrote:Sweet. I enjoyed the first Constantine film. So when can we expect this one? 2028?

UltimateMarvel wrote:I also liked Constantine, I wanted a sequel even back then. I'm glad it's finally happening.

WyldeMan wrote:I watched Constantine on Netflix about a month ago for the first time since it came out. I gotta admit this sequel news seems surprising as that movie was rough...

I am still deeply amused by the fact that that the one actual British comic book character that everybody knows is going to again be played by an American when it's nearly always the other way around.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Matt Ryan's portrayal of the character is obviously more accurate but I don't think the movie was bad, I enjoyed it.

The last time Henry Cavill stood in front of a camera and played Superman was for 2017's Justice League. That was for those embarrassing reshoots that resulted in him appearing in the movie with a CG jawline, and the belief since then is that neither the actor nor Warner Bros. could come to an agreement about his future as the Man of Steel.

That's why we got a headless Superman cameo in Shazam! and little more than a silhouette in Peacemaker, but could Cavill be nearing a deal to return to the DCEU?

Following rumblings that Cavill will reprise the role for a cameo in this month's Black Adam, Devin Faraci, the disgraced former Editor-in-Chief of Birth. Movies. Death., claims (via The Direct) that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson deserves the credit for bringing Cavill back into the fold as Superman.

"Henry Cavill is appearing in 'Black Adam' in the post-credits scene...Henry Cavill has returned as Superman in 'Black Adam' because The Rock demanded it. He went hard, full-court press on Warner Bros., and made them go to Henry Cavill and they had to sign a new deal with Henry Cavill, including saying they were gonna develop a new 'Superman' movie."

"It was all because The Rock insisted," he concluded, reiterating what many online scoopers have been saying in recent days.

If this is true, it's huge. It would also mean that Superman has a concrete future in whatever comes next for the DCEU, cementing him as this shared world's Clark Kent. Johnson and Cavill are friends and share an agent in Dany Garcia, so The Rock would definitely have the sway at Warner Bros. to make his return a reality.

Now, all eyes will be on Black Adam to see what happens. Hopefully, news of a Man of Steel sequel is incoming, and it's exciting to think that Warner Bros. might be laying the groundwork for the long-awaited battle between Superman, Black Adam, and Shazam.

Black Adam arrives in theaters on October 21. Do you think Cavill's Superman is finally set to return?

UltimateMarvel wrote:Idiots! The Rock had to tell them, they couldn't figure it out themselves? If you lay down all the pieces, the answer is pretty obvious even before all this drama started with Amber and Ezra.

Dwayne Johnson has confirmed that he “absolutely” intends to make a Black Adam-Superman crossover film – going so far as to say that this prospect was “the whole point” of making his forthcoming DC antihero standalone pic.

Johnson’s comments came in a recent interview with CinemaBlend, in which he reiterated that “a new era in the DC Universe” is about to kick off. “What I meant by that was introducing a brand new character. It’s not a sequel, not an existing IP. It was…you know, Black Adam!” he said. “Two years ago the world had no idea who he was. We did, but not, you know, the rest of the mass out there. Introducing the JSA [Justice Society of America], introducing that new era of the DC universe.”

Johnson added that “listening to the fans” and “doing our best to give the fans what they want” will be a key component informing the DC Universe’s new era. “You can’t always give them what you want. But you’ll always know that we’re listening,” said the actor. “In this case…I have been listening and I’ve been wanting to address fans for years. Because I’ve been waiting for someone to step up and address the fans and say, ‘Hey, we hear you.’ So finally, after many months turned into many years, we ended up with what we ended up at. And the whole goal and intention now is to this new era, new time. Now let’s build out.”

Black Adam has long been presented in the DC Comics as a formidable foe of Superman, along with characters tied to the superhero Shazam. And this isn’t the first time Johnson has addressed Superman in relation to Black Adam. When asked which of the characters would win in a fight at Comic-Con 2022, the actor said “That depends on who is playing Superman,” though “pound for pound, they’re close.”

Johnson stars in Black Adam as the antihero of the same name who unleashes his unique form of justice on the world, nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods and imprisoned. Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari and Pierce Brosnan also star in the pic, which Jaume Collet-Serra directed from a script by Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani. It will be released in theaters by Warner Bros. on October 21.

WyldeMan wrote:With Affleck and Cavill locked down they could stabilize the DCEU going forward.

I read a few days back that the script for Wonder Woman 3 script is now done and decisions are being made on that front.

UltimateMarvel wrote:

WyldeMan wrote:With Affleck and Cavill locked down they could stabilize the DCEU going forward.

I read a few days back that the script for Wonder Woman 3 script is now done and decisions are being made on that front.

Nice! A third WW movie is needed.

UltimateMarvel wrote:  That sums up the DCEU perfectly.

An alleged leak may have revealed details of the post credits scene that will be tagged onto the end of the upcoming DC outing, Black Adam. And it brings a certain Man of Steel back into the fray. Revealing via social media courtesy of notable scooper MyTimeToShineHello, the final moments of Black Adam will reportedly tease a confrontation between Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Black Adam and Superman, played once again by Justice League star Henry Cavill.

Waller tells Black Adam he better not leave Khandaq. That it's his prison now. He says something like "Or what!? there’s no one on this planet that can stop me." and she says in that case she’ll get someone not from this planet to deal with him.

Out of the smoke and shadows you see a figure wearing a cape fly down, it's Cavill and he tells Adam it’s been a while since someone’s made the world this nervous and they should talk.

According to the scoop, the post credits scene will begin with Black Adam being issued a warning by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis). Of course, this warning from a mere human does not have the desired impact, with Waller resorting to bringing in the big guns. Thus, from the smoke emerges Henry Cavill’s Superman, an entrance that would no doubt result in all manner of cheering and applause.

The leaked details continue, revealing that the addition of Henry Cavill as Superman is a very late addition to Black Adam. Which would track with recent reports that Johnson himself demanded that Cavill make a comeback.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Now that's going to be a good fight. That's a fight that can only end in a draw.

(Updated with court documents) The Flash star Ezra Miller pleaded not guilty to felony burglary charges this morning in Vermont.

Allowed to appear remotely early Monday for the session in the criminal division of the Green Mountain State’s Superior Court, Miller was told to stay away from the neighbor whose home he entered earlier this year. Along with neighbor Isaac Winokur, Miller was also prohibited from interacting with another Vermont resident, Aiden Early, as conditions of their release (Read the conditions of release here).

Miller faces a maximum of 26 years behind bars as well as over $2,000 in fines if found guilty of the charges stemming from the spring incident which entailed stealing three bottles of liquor –gin, vodka and rum — from Winokur’s pantry. The next hearing in the case is set for January 13, 2023 and scheduled to last about three hours.

In a jovial and chipper mood Monday morning, the casually dressed actor will have to return to court per Superior Court Judge Kerry A. McDonald-Cady, virtually or in-person, at an determined future date for more proceedings in this matter. “Ezra would like to acknowledge the love and support they have received from their family and friends, who continue to be a vital presence in their ongoing mental health,” said in part a statement soon after today’s hearing from attorney Lisa B. Shelkrot.

With more than a few pennies potentially on the line for Warner Bros Pictures and the studio’s long-awaited, $200 million-budgeted The Flash flick out next year, the nonbinary-identifying Miller agreed to five overall conditions, the most pressing being that the actor “can’t have any contact with Isaac Winokur or Aiden Early, either by phone, in person, email, text, posting on social media” and “can’t abuse or harass them as well,” ordered McDonald-Cady.

“We agree to those conditions,” said Miller’s lawyer Skelkrot, who sat with the actor virtually in her Burlington, VT, office.

In response to those conditions, Miller told the judge, “I do understand.”

In an early August release now by all accounts scrubbed from the Vermont State Police website, the cops said: “As a result of an investigation that included surveillance videos and statements, probable cause was found to charge Ezra M. Miller with the offense of felony burglary into an unoccupied dwelling.” Claiming they were in the house that wasn’t theirs to look for ingredients for a recipe for their mother, the actor also was hit with a misdemeanor charge of petty larceny over a trio of stolen booze bottles.

Now, just over two months later, Miller said they were “suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment.”

While not completely erasing the near crash and burn of the last year for Miller, nor their second-degree assault arrest in Hawaii in April, today’s outcome continues to prolong agita for the David Zaslav-run Warner Bros Discovery as it looks to lock in a long-term plan to reset and effectively monetize its DC properties, with The Flash a gleaming jewel in the crown. Lacking much wiggle room with a film that features Miller in almost every shot, the months of behind-the-scenes efforts by corporate bigwigs, Miller’s agency CAA, family and friends have tried to get the actor the help they’ve needed.

Certainly the dust-ups, and other questionable actions from the Aloha State to Vermont to Iceland to Germany and more by a seemingly frayed and spirally Miller had put WB on the back foot in a human and PR nightmare. With their treatment program continuing and some L.A.-set Flash reshoots under their belt in the past few weeks, Miller also had a successful sit-down earlier this fall with Warner Bros. motion picture chairs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy to apologize for all the legal and media spotlight their behavior has caused. Still, as basically finished The Flash lurches toward a late June 23 release date, Issa Rae uttered publicly what many have said OTR about how Miller and Hollywood’s actions should have long escaped the bounds of tolerable.

Naming names, Rap Sh!t creator Rae recently told Elle magazine: “The stuff that’s happening with Ezra Miller is, to me, a microcosm of Hollywood. There’s this person who’s a repeat offender, who’s been behaving atrociously, and as opposed to shutting them down and shutting the production down, there’s an effort to save the movie and them. That is a clear example of the lengths that Hollywood will go to to save itself and to protect offenders. So, don’t do that, and women may be able to thrive. They won’t have to live in fear of keeping silent because it’ll ruin their careers. It’s just a constant pattern of abuse that’ll only persist if Hollywood continues to insist on being this way.”

With Miller in mind, Rae went on to say of Tinseltown, “It’s literally the worst industry when it comes to punishing people for misdeeds and actions, because money will always reign supreme.”

Even though the viral video of Miller apparently choking a female patron of a Reykjavik bar in the spring never led to either an arrest or charges, the actor was hauled in twice in Hawaii during the past 12 months. In addition to the Hawaii and Vermont charges, 30-year-old Miller also has faced allegations of sexual abuse. There was also the matter of the temporary harassment prevention order they were subject to earlier this year from a 12-year-old and a mother in Greenfield, MA after they claimed the actor menaced them.

Perhaps most damningly, the parents of now 18-year-old Tokata Iron Eyes filed for a protection order against Miller in June of this year. The parents accused the actor of grooming and brainwashing the minor when she was as young as 12 and plying her with alcohol and drugs such as pot and LSD in 2021. Disputing her parents claims of Miller’s “cult-like and psychologically manipulative, controlling behavior,” Tokata pushed back in June in Miller’s defense. “My father and his allegations hold no weight and are frankly transphobic and based in the notion that I am somehow incapable of coherent thought or opposing opinions to those of my own kindred worrying about my well-being,” she said in a statement on social media.

Today’s hearing in Vermont originally was set for September 26 but was pushed back late this summer. Delayed on numerous occasions since it was first announced in 2014 for director issues and the Covid pandemic among others, The Flash movie is on the track for a June 23 release, for now.

“Black Adam” is rated PG-13 for “sequences of strong violence, intense action and some language,” but it turns out the first several cuts of the film were even more violent. Producers Beau Flynn and Hiram Garcia confirmed to Collider that “Black Adam” originally earned an R rating, and it took “four rounds” of cuts for the MPA to agree to lower the rating to the team’s desired PG-13. The crew always knew it wanted “Black Adam” to push the limits of PG-13 violence considering the title character’s comic book roots.

“We really wanted to make sure that we honored the character of Black Adam,” Garcia said. “One of the things he’s known for is his aggression and violence, and to do a Black Adam movie that didn’t have that just wouldn’t have been authentic. So we always went into this knowing that we were going to push it as far as we did.”

Flynn added, “It took four rounds [with the MPA], and [the movie] just got the PG-13, I think, maybe four or five weeks ago.”

How much of the film needed to be cut? “We did have to make a lot of edits, actually,” Flynn said. According to the producer, the original cut of the film had Dwayne Johnson’s title character violently killing up to 10 different people. The production scaled that number down to around five to secure a PG-13 rating.

“There are some great moments when Black Adam is in the fly bike chase sequence and drops one of the gang soldiers,” Flynn said. “Then there’s this great moment where the truck bounces over the body. But those are moments that you need and remember in these movies, you know what I mean? You can’t play it safe, and you have to go for it. And I think we have four or five of those. At one point we had about ten, and we were able to find some compromise with the MPA on that.”

“Black Adam” opens in theaters on Oct. 21, courtesy of Warner Bros.

UltimateMarvel wrote:I hope we can get an extended version when it comes out on BD.

UltimateMarvel wrote:I hope we can get an extended version when it comes out on BD.

Rusty wrote:

UltimateMarvel wrote:I hope we can get an extended version when it comes out on BD.

That's the beauty of physical media. Very rarely does a streaming service offer the extended/uncut version of a film (at least here in Oz).

Much of the weeks leading up to the release of “Black Adam” has been dominated by Dwayne Johnson touting his eponymous comic book character’s future fight against Superman. Johnson has all but confirmed that his “Black Adam” movie will reintroduce Henry Cavill as Superman after he took on the role in films such as “Man of Steal,” “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Justice League.” But “Black Adam” producer Hiram Garcia recently told CinemaBlend (via Collider) that a Superman vs. Black Adam fight won’t just be defined by just a “one-off” movie.

“It’s never been about a one off or just about a fight,” said Garcia, who has been Dwayne Johnson’s longtime producing partner on films such as “Jumanji,” “Hobbs & Shaw” and more.

“No, it’s about so much more than that,” Garcia added. “We really want to craft a long-form of storytelling and show that these two characters exist in the same universe and are going to have to deal with each other often, either on the same or opposite sides. Hopefully they’re going to clash at some point, but it’s not just about a ‘one fight’ situation. That was never our dream. That does not reward the fans. Fans want to feel a journey between these guys knowing that these guys exist in the same universe.”

Dwayne Johnson told CinemaBlend earlier this month that “the whole point” of bringing Black Adam to the big screen in his own standalone movie is so that one day he can make a Black Adam vs. Superman movie. Johnson stressed that “I have been listening and I’ve been wanting to address fans for years” regarding the desire to have Black Adam and Superman fight on the big screen.

“I’ve been waiting for someone to step up and address the fans and say, ‘Hey, we hear you,’” Johnson added. “So finally, after many months turned into many years, we ended up with what we ended up at. And the whole goal and intention now is to this new era, new time. Now let’s build out.”

Johnson’s “Black Adam” movie also stars Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari and Pierce Brosnan. The film opens in theaters Oct. 21 from Warner Bros.

Source: Variety

UltimateMarvel wrote:He was great in 1917. No complaints from me.

After years of speculation, Henry Cavill is making it official: he is back as Superman.

The actor shared a video confirming his commitment to play the DC hero in future films after returning for the mid-credits scene in Black Adam, which was released over the weekend and marked his first time in the role since 2017’s Justice League.

“I wanted to make it official — I am back as Superman,” Cavill said in a video. He thanked the fans, “most of all. Thank you for your support and for your patience.” He added that what audiences saw in Black Adam is a “very small taste” of things to come.

Though there are no writers or director attached, the intention is for Cavill to star in at least one solo Superman movie, his first since 2013’s Man of Steel. Other movie appearances could potentially follow as DC Films gets an overhaul under new Warners film bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy.

The Instagram video had been in the works for weeks, with the timing eyed for after Black Adam’s opening weekend, when a good chunk of the audience would see his return. The timing also protected the movie’s theatrical experience.

The journey to get Cavill back in the cape was fraught.  Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson and his team initially were denied the cameo idea by then-DC film boss Walter Hamada, who had his own plans for Superman. But Johnson, whose manager Dany Garcia also reps Cavill, went around Hamada’s back to De Luca and Abdy, who began their jobs in July and who gave the idea the thumbs up.

Still, it was even unclear if a deal to get Cavill in the movie could be worked out. The Black Adam team initially filmed Superman with a body double, and test screened the scene without showing the character’s face. Then last month, Cavill filmed his end of things in London after the deal was closed.

Cavill wants fans to have fun with the image and video, with Instagram creators and fans encouraged to remix the video, audio and photo assets on their IG Reels. Cavill’s favorites will be posted on his Destinations channel in the coming days.

Cavill has had a long journey with Superman. Zack Snyder cast him in the role in 2010 during a process that saw him don late actor Christopher Reeve’s costume. Cavill first played Superman in Snyder’s Man of Steel and reprised the role for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017). In 2018, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that his future as the character was in doubt amid a creative overhaul at DC.

Cavill, however, over the years has tentatively spoken of being open to a return. He told THR in 2021: “As I always say, ‘The cape is still in the closet.’”

Source: THR

UltimateMarvel wrote:Thank the gods! Is that too much to ask for? I can't believe it was Walter Hamada behind that decision, glad he's fucking gone.