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

Tyger wrote:I’ve always wanted them to give us variety. I’d really like to see a decent Robin and Batgirl at some point and that’ll never happen if it’s always early or late Batman.

Warner Bros. and DC Films' upcoming slate is moving forward without Ava DuVernay's New Gods and James Wan's Aquaman spinoff, The Trench.

"As part of our DC slate, some legacy development titles including New Gods and The Trench will not be moving forward," Warner Bros. and DC said in a statement. "We thank our partners Ava DuVernay, Tom King, James Wan and Peter Safran for their time and collaboration during this process and look forward to our continued partnership with them on other DC stories. The projects will remain in their skillful hands if they were to move forward in the future."

New Gods, which DuVernay has been developing as a directing vehicle with acclaimed comic book writer Tom King since 2018, would have brought to the screen the comic book characters created by the late and legendary artist Jack Kirby. DuVernay, however, remains in the DC fold and is currently working on the DC series Naomi for The CW.

The Trench, meanwhile, was to have been a horror-tinged project spinning out of Aquaman and focused on the group of deadly amphibious creatures seen in the $1 billion-grossing 2018 film. Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald had written the script, which Wan was developing as a producer with collaborator Peter Safran. Wan, too, remains in the DC fold as he is prepping to shoot Aquaman 2 for the studio later this year.

The projects are being shelved but like many comic characters, could come to life down the road. DC Films, led by president Walter Hamada, is leaving the door open to revisit these properties in the future, but insiders note that when it became clear the upcoming DC slate did not have a natural spot for New Gods or The Trench over the next few years, execs believed it was best not to leave the filmmakers hanging in development without a clear end in sight.

DC is currently building an interconnected slate in which projects will feed in and out of the big screen and the small, with films such as James Gunn's The Suicide Squad (Aug. 6) spinning off into the John Cena-led HBO Max series Peacemaker, and Matt Reeves' The Batman (March 4, 2022) spawning its own Gotham-police-department-focused show.

"Tom, I loved writing NEW GODS with you," DuVernay wrote on Twitter, along with a photo of herself with King. "I’m upset that the saga of Barda, Scott, Granny, Highfather and The Furies ends this way. Diving into Kirby’s Fourth World was the adventure of a lifetime. That can’t be taken away. Thank you for your friendship. And remember... #DarkseidIs"

With The Trench, sources say that the upcoming Aquaman sequel was considered enough, but Warners could come back to it down the line if there is thirst for more adventures set in the Atlantean kingdoms. It was also considered a possibility for streaming, but is more of a stand-alone story rather than having a strong tie-in to Aquaman or the rest of the DC universe.

New Gods, which would have been a sprawling tale, was complicated by the fact that its villain, Darkseid, just appeared as a major foil in Zack Snyder's Justice League and there was a desire to have space between the latter and any new appearances.

Except for The Batman, which is set on an alternate Earth known to geeks as Earth-2, DC is plotting its films and shows to share the same universe. Key to setting up its new status quo will be The Flash (Nov. 4, 2022), which will tackle the multiverse and is said to also lend clarity to the future of the Justice League with multiple Batmen, as well as Supergirl, appearing.

Other projects on the slate due out in 2022-23 include Warners' and New Line's Black Adam (July 29, 2022) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (June 2, 2023), as well as Warners' Blue Beetle, Batgirl, Supergirl, Green Lantern Corps and Static Shock.

Zatanna and a third Wonder Woman are also in development, while an upcoming Superman, from producer J.J. Abrams and screenwriter Ta-Nehisi Coates, is too early in development to say if it will be connected to the larger DC Universe or if, like The Batman, it will stand on its own.

When it was announced earlier this week that DC Comics adaptation New Gods and Aquaman spinoff The Trench had been canceled by Warner Bros., it instantly pricked up the ears of SnyderVerse conspiracy theorists around the internet. After all, director Ava DuVernay admitted a long time ago that Darkseid was a key part of the script she was writing alongside Tom King.

Therefore, hushed whisperings began making the rounds that the project might have been consigned to the scrapheap because there’s only room for one Darkseid, and we’ve just met him in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Of course, the truth is nowhere near as straightforward as that, with New Gods joining countless DC Films projects to be announced, only to be discarded long before getting in front of cameras was anywhere close to a realistic proposition.

We can now add New Gods and The Trench to the pile that’s already stacked high with the likes of Cyborg, Green Lantern Corps, Joker and Harley Quinn, Gotham City Sirens, Nightwing, Deathstroke, Ben Affleck’s The Batman, Will Smith’s Deadshot solo movie, Michael Bay’s Lobo, Plastic Man and, of course, Zack Snyder’s two Justice League sequels.

However, tipster Mikey Sutton is claiming that the cancellation of New Gods could leave the door open for the SnyderVerse to make a comeback on the big screen. According to him, WarnerMedia owners AT&T are the ones who binned it, and they’re keeping a close eye on the continued buzz surrounding HBO Max’s Justice League in the event that the positive word of mouth and huge amount of revenue generated by the project makes it a viable cinematic enterprise once again.

   “Sources explained that AT&T wants to keep the doors open for a cinematic Snyderverse should this momentum keep up,” says Sutton.

As always, we’re still miles away from finding out what the future truly holds for the SnyderVerse, but each passing day increases the chances of it being resurrected, even if only by the most incremental amount.

Source: Geekosity

UltimateMarvel wrote:This rollercoaster of news is funny. One second it's "there are no plans for more SnyderVerse movies" and the next it's "we're keeping the doors open" to who knows what's next.

WyldeMan wrote:It literally changes every god damned day but in the end, they're just going to flip Harvey Dent's coin.

Warner Bros. Animation, DC, and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment are returning to Gotham City for their next DC Universe Movie, but this isn't just any Batman movie. Batman: The Long Halloween is an adaptation of one of the most critically acclaimed Batman graphic novels of all time. IGN can exclusively debut the first trailer for this gritty animated DC movie.

The film is written by Tim Sheridan and directed by Chris Palmer, who previously collaborated on 2020's Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Producers are Jim Krieg (Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) and Kimberly S. Moreau (Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Butch Lukic (Justice Society: World War II, Superman: Man of Tomorrow) is Supervising Producer. Executive Producer is Michael Uslan. Sam Register is Executive Producer.

The Long Halloween -- originally published as a 13-issue limited series in 1996, written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Tim Sale -- is set shortly after the events of Batman: Year One, in a time when most of Batman's major rogues have been established but Robin has yet to join the Caped Crusader.

The series unfolds over the course of a year, as Batman, Gordon, and Dent take on the Falcone crime family and hunt down a serial murderer known as the Holiday Killer. The Long Halloween ranked highly in IGN's list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels.

It's unknown whether The Long Halloween is meant to take place in the same shared universe as Man of Tomorrow. However, given the creative team, the similar art style, and the fact that the story revolves around a younger, less experienced Batman, that connection certainly seems possible.

Here's the full cast of The Long Halloween, Part One:

   Jensen Ackles as Batman
   Naya Rivera as Catwoman
   Josh Duhamel as Two-Face
   Billy Burke as James Gordon
   Titus Welliver as Carmine Falcone
   David Dastmalchian as Calendar Man
   Troy Baker as Joker
   Amy Landecker as Barbara Gordon
   Julie Nathanson as Gilda Dent
   Jack Quaid as Alberto Falcone
   Fred Tatasciore as Solomon Grundy
   Alistair Duncan as Alfred Pennyworth.

UltimateMarvel wrote:From playing Red Hood to Batman. Nice! Guessing there will be a Part 2....

I did watch Man of Tomorrow and story was ok but I did like the animated and the voice actors did great. This definitely looks the same type of animation style.

UltimateMarvel wrote:

WyldeMan wrote:It literally changes every god damned day but in the end, they're just going to flip Harvey Dent's coin.

They have terrible communication within themselves. Everybody has different ideas for the future.

There’ve been a variety of tales circulating over the last week or so that claim the DCEU’s Black Adam is fighting the #RestoreTheSndyderVerse fight behind closed doors in an attempt to try and convince Warner Bros. that picking up from where Zack Snyder’s Justice League left off is in the best interest of all parties.

However, the world’s biggest movie star has yet to publicly address any of the rumors, despite his willingness to share plenty of information regarding his upcoming slate with his social media following, which numbers into the hundreds of millions. Tipster Mikey Sutton is now claiming, though, that the studio might find themselves having to bend to his demands, given Johnson’s status in the industry and reputation as a proven box office draw, with his continued involvement in the DCEU potentially worth billions.

“In the end, will AT&T allow WarnerMedia to tell The Rock he can’t do this? They can’t. The Rock is cash, and this is worth billions.”

One recurring theme of the SnyderVerse discourse has been the reported differences in opinion between WB and its owner AT&T, the latter of whom are said to be pushing for Justice League‘s many dangling plot threads to continue being pulled on. As things stand, we’re no closer to getting an answer, but in the broadest terms, Dwayne Johnson is a contracted DC Films talent who presumably signed a multi-picture deal to headline Black Adam, so it’s still unclear at this stage how much influence his contract gives him behind the scenes in regards to matters that happen outside of his own solo franchise.

A new report from tipster Mikey Sutton now claims that Johnson wants to either produce or executive produce a Man of Steel sequel, which would finally see Henry Cavill get that second standalone outing that the fans have been crying out for since the summer of 2013. The insider also notes that it’d only be released in theaters, despite the constant chatter of HBO Max acquiring the SnyderVerse. And on a purely business level, that would certainly make a decent amount of sense.

After all, the only movies Seven Bucks have produced that don’t star Johnson are Shazam! and its upcoming sequel Fury of the Gods, and the title hero is obviously the archenemy of The Rock’s Black Adam, while Superman made a non-Cavill cameo at the end of the first film. Johnson’s business partner and ex-wife Dany Garcia is also the The Witcher star’s manager, so there are definitely plenty of pieces already in play to make Man of Steel 2 a reality should Johnson’s offscreen investment in the DCEU match up with Sutton’s information.

Sutton writes that Johnson is pushing to get involved in the long-stalled Man of Steel sequel as a co-producer or executive producer. He wants the movie to be tied into his burgeoning Black Adam franchise, too, with it potentially leading into BA 2. As that sounds, this wouldn’t be another HBO Max exclusive, as The Rock apparently wants a full-on theatrical release.

The canon of the DCEU has been in a state of disarray for years, with Warner Bros. and DC Films constantly changing their approach to the mythology. It was initially launched as an interconnected universe with Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League taking place in the same timeline, while Wonder Woman‘s status as a prequel gave it a little more narrative leeway.

From there, several of the most recent installments have barely acknowledged those events at all, while Joker and The Batman have signaled a newfound desire to tell standalone stories. The most recent development is that the studio are once again keen to adopt the shared narrative model, but The Flash‘s impending introduction of the multiverse means that there’s no way to predict how the structural dominoes will fall until the movie lands in November of next year.

One recent recurring theme regarding the potential future of the SnyderVerse, though, has been Dwayne Johnson, with numerous reports positing that the Black Adam star is on board to mix it up with the characters last seen in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, despite WB making their stance clear that it’s not on the agenda. Tipster Mikey Sutton is now claiming that Johnson has no interest in the franchise’s multiversal adventures, with the world’s highest-paid actor intent to share the screen with the DCEU‘s canonical Justice League that the executives are so keen to move away from.

The Rock has little interest in Walter Hamada’s multiverse. His dream was to be onscreen with Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, and Gal Gadot. That Trinity. Snyder’s continuity.

As per Sutton’s latest report on The Rock’s involvement in the SnyderVerse saga, he wants to have the DCEU’s canonical trio of comic book icons and Black Adam appear in the same project, which was said to be one of his motivations for boarding the franchise in the first place. Obviously, Black Adam is his main driving force given that he’s been circling the title role since 2007, but the aforementioned trinity could easily come in a close second.

Naturally, separating rumors and speculation from fact has become increasingly difficult as the SnyderVerse continues to dominate the headlines, but given the overwhelming success of the Snyder Cut, the ball is very much in Warner Bros.’ court as to how they proceed from here.

Meanwhile, Rocky just stays ready....  

 

UltimateMarvel wrote:DAMN! His veins are bigger than the size of my fingers. lol He's ready to go.

If it means giving Henry multiple movies as Superman, I'm in.

Tyger wrote:Nobody’s gonna be telling that man no

The Flash Movie Sets Up a New Status Quo in the DCEU and Justice League

The Flash movie will reportedly reveal the future plans for the DC cinematic universe and "lend clarity" to the future of the Justice League. This revelation was buried within the recent report regarding the cancellation of both New Gods and The Trench, and while it remains a mystery how exactly The Flash will pave the way for the future, it is likely related to The Scarlet Speedster's exploration of the multiverse.

The report states that The Flash will set up DC's "new status quo," and help make sense of the studio's somewhat messy shared universe that revolves around their superhero ensemble Justice League. While not much has been officially revealed, it is expected that The Flash movie will take inspiration from the comic book arc The Flashpoint Paradox, which sees the Fastest Man Alive travel back in time in an attempt to save his mother, who was murdered during Barry Allen's childhood.

As is so often the case with these time travel misadventures, Barry's meddling finds him emerging in a much bleaker alternate universe in which the Amazons and Atlanteans are involved in an all-out war that has left the planet destroyed. This alternate version of the DC universe finds Bruce Wayne dead, killed at the hands of the same criminal who murders his parents in the original timeline, which leads to Thomas Wayne taking up the mantle of Batman, and applying his own, more violent tactics.

Though it is currently unknown how closely The Flash will follow the source material, it is worth noting that, following the Flashpoint arc, the DC universe was reset and rebranded as "The New 52". This is certainly an approach that the upcoming Flash movie could similarly take, essentially resetting the cinematic universe and thus allowing the studio to make whatever changes they deem necessary following the now scrapped SnyderVerse.

Another detail that has since been revealed regarding the DC cinematic universe is that director Matt Reeves' The Batman will be set on Earth-2, meaning that the DCEU will end up with several shared universes all happening at once, but separately from each other. DC currently have several projects in the pipeline, including Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Blue Beetle, Supergirl, Green Lantern Corps and Static Shock, as well as a Zatanna project, a third Wonder Woman movie, and J.J. Abrams and Ta-Nehisi Coates' Superman. How any of these will tie into each other is largely a mystery at this stage, but it should certainly prove interesting to see how the studio plans to bring it all together.

The Flash director Andy Muschietti has previously teased the scope of the movie saying that it "will take you to a place where the DC Universe hasn't gone before," so expect some major changes to the DCEU going forward.

After what seems like an eternity of back and forth, with so many director dropouts and stalls that you'd need to be as fast as The Scarlet Speedster to keep up, The Flash is finally happening, and is scheduled to hit screens on November 4th, 2022. Ezra Miller will reprise the title role alongside Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton as different iterations of Batman, Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, and The Young and the Restless star Sasha Calle who has signed on to play Supergirl. This comes to us courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter.

When he’s not shooting Black Adam and teasing his plans to run for president, Dwayne Johnson is apparently busy behind the scenes trying to restore the SnyderVerse. Reports have been swirling lately that say The Rock could be the one to rescue the original DCEU and prevent Warner Bros. from wiping out what Zack Snyder established in his movies. And according to the latest intel, Johnson’s plowing ahead with his intentions to bring the SnyderVerse stars back, despite WB’s plans for the exact opposite.

Mikey Sutton of Geekosity shared some new info on the situation today. Matching up with what we’ve heard before, the studio allegedly intends to reboot the DCEU with The Flash movie. For them, this is where the SnyderVerse will well and truly end. However, Johnson apparently plans to ignore this as he wants the original DCEU to continue in his own Black Adam franchise. “The Rock is ignoring all of Warner Bros.’ plans to end the SnyderVerse,” says Sutton.

Apparently, there’s a “private tug-of-war” going on between the actor and WB right now, but as you would figure, Johnson’s said to be the favorite to win this battle. Sutton’s source shared that the star is not going to bow down to the studio, as “The Rock is making Black Adam the way he always envisioned, and nobody will stand in his way.”

Geekosity also writes that SnyderVerse events will be referenced in Johnson’s film, which will link it to those movies from the off. Apparently, even Darkseid will get a mention. Shazam! likewise nodded to Snyder’s efforts in various ways, but these were mostly tongue-in-cheek. It seems The Rock is keen to take it a bit more seriously, though, and Sutton says that the future of the SnyderVerse in cinemas rests with Black Adam. 

Dwayne Johnson is currently shooting the movie, which also features Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo and Pierce Brosnan, ahead of its release in theaters on July 29th, 2022, and with any luck, we’ll learn more about his plans to keep the SnyderVerse in tact quite soon.

Source: Geekosity

Another day, another story surrounding the possibility of Dwayne Johnson riding to the rescue and single-handedly rescuing the SnyderVerse from the scrapheap. It’s become a recurring theme of the rumor mill over the last couple of weeks, and that’s only set to intensify now that Black Adam is finally in front of cameras.

As the world’s biggest and highest-paid movie star that’s also a powerful producer who controls a multimedia empire across film and television, not to mention one of the few names capable of selling a project to the masses based on nothing else but his presence, Johnson tends to get an awful lot of creative input when it comes to his big screen efforts. Typically he’s there every step of the way from conception and development to post-production and release, which is doubly true in the case of Black Adam seeing as he first signalled his intentions to play the role fourteen years ago.

According to tipster Mikey Sutton, in fact, the 48 year-old is making the cosmic comic book blockbuster the way he always wanted to, which reportedly includes references to the events of the SnyderVerse, despite Warner Bros. having made clear on a number of occasions that Zack Snyder’s Justice League drew a line under that particular era of the mythology.

   “According to insiders, The Rock is ignoring all of Warner Bros.’ plans to end the Snyderverse,” writes Geekosity. “A source said that: The Rock is making Black Adam the way he always envisioned, and nobody will stand in his way.”

Of course, when you’re The Rock you tend to get things your own way, but Black Adam has literally only been shooting since Friday, so it’s hard to say for sure whether or not these purported tales of disagreement between star and studio over what’s canon and what isn’t will cause any sort of friction the longer production carries on without the future of the SnyderVerse being clarified.

DC Films wants JJ Abrams to reboot and direct the next Justice League film. Moreover, the movie is planned to connect with JJ Abrams’ Superman movie with a multiverse setting.

As fans continue their social-media campaign to #RestoreTheSnyderverse, DC Films will proceed forward under the supervision of Walter Hamada.

And that path, theatrically, does not include the Snyderverse although The Rock intends to pursue his own map for the Black Adam franchise.

Ironically, for a company so spellbound by the multiverse, they seem to be caught in it.

On one hand, Hamada and his fellow executives at Warner Bros. want to kiss the Snyderverse goodbye and say hello to a somewhat disconnected future.

There is no shared narrative between most of these movies; however, the respective directors have the freedom to create HBO Max spin-offs set in the same universe as their films.

I said “most” for a reason.

Apparently, if JJ Abrams does direct the new Justice League movie, it will be set up by his Superman film.

His Man of Steel is rumored to be Calvin Ellis, who was inspired by President Obama; in other words, he won’t be Henry Cavill.

No line-up for this multiverse Justice League has been selected yet; it’s way too early.

Nevertheless, sources said to expect members of the next generation of DC superheroes like Blue Beetle, Hourman, Zatanna, and Ellis.

DC Films is hoping to include Robert Pattinson’s Batman although his solo films will have no reference to this group.

Insiders reveal that the Justice League multiverse concept was inspired by writer Grant Morrison and artist Ivan Reis’ The Multiversity comic book.

That series called them Justice Incarnate.

Morrison created Ellis so there is a logical thread between JJ Abrams’ Superman and this project.

Furthermore, Morrison had previously worked on The Flash movie, which is now opening the doors to the multiverse.

His work is no longer being used but it seems like some ideas stuck.

On the other hand, The Rock has his own creative vision for the Justice League in the Black Adam films.

He wants to #RestoreTheSnyderverse.

This is indeed a company divided.

But hey, it’s the multiverse, right?

Who knows how many of these ideas will survive AT&T’s gravitational pull.

It feels like a lifetime ago that a video showing Ezra Miller choking out a female fan went viral, but it was only last year. There were plenty of reports circulating at the time that the altercation could have serious consequences for the actor’s standing in the industry and reputation, but the whole thing has long since blown over.

Indeed, while there was talk that he may end up getting dropped from both Fantastic Beasts 3 and The Flash for his transgression, that clearly hasn’t been the case. Not only is the third Wizarding World prequel in the can, but he filmed additional footage as the Scarlet Speedster for the epilogue of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, while Barry Allen’s solo debut is set to kick off production imminently to hit a November 2022 release date.

Despite weathering the storm, though, insider Daniel Richtman reports that the studio wants introduce alternate versions of the Flash in case they still need to get rid of the 28 year-old. Of course, if there was going to be any significant pushback to his last incident, they’d have booted him out of the role a long time ago, with Johnny Depp’s dismissal from Fantastic Beasts 3 making it clear that WB aren’t against the idea of firing a major star from a big part in a marquee property in the wake of negative publicity.

Miller has never publicly addressed the situation, something Richtman also claimed is set to be rectified in the near future, but The Flash is still poised to be Barry Allen’s big moment in the sun, so it would be a strange creative choice for the powers that be to consider sidelining him just when the project has finally managed to claw its way out of development hell.

Rusty wrote:Wait ... he choked a fan? What the fuck?

Rusty wrote:Hahaha holy fuck. He took that a little too far. What a dick.

Lucy Liu is officially a god.

The “Elementary” and “Why Women Kill” star has joined the DC Comics adaptation “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” as the villain Kalypso, the sister of Helen Mirren’s villainous character Hespera.

Along with Liu and Mirren, the core filmmaking team from 2019’s “Shazam!” is returning for the sequel, including Zachary Levi as the eponymous superhero Shazam!, and Asher Angel as his teenage alter ego Billy Batson. David F. Sandberg is returning to direct the film, from a screenplay by Henry Gayden. Peter Safran is producing with his shingle the Safran Company.

Like Mirren’s character Hespera, Liu’s Kalypso does not have an obvious counterpart in DC Comics. Both characters, however, are the daughters of the Greek god Atlas, who is one of the sources of Shazam’s powers: He holds the stamina of Atlas, as well as the power of Zeus, the strength of Hercules, the wisdom of Solomon, the speed of Mercury and the courage of Achilles.

Liu is no stranger to major franchises. After launching her career on “Ally McBeal,” Liu’s film career took off in 2000’s “Charlie’s Angels” and 2003’s “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.” She’s also starred in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” films, the Oscar-winning musical “Chicago” and was the voice of Viper in DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda” features. She’s also appeared on TNT’s “Southland” and in the Netflix romantic comedy “Set It Up.”

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” is scheduled to open on June 2, 2023.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Always a good idea to have a plan B. It might be time for Wally West.

The Flash movie is set to be the DCEU’s own multiversal event, following on from The CW’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” Just like that Arrowverse mega crossover, it’ll feature various familiar faces from across the DC multiverse, past and present. Of course, this won’t be the first time that Ezra Miller’s Scarlet Speedster has encountered heroes from other universes, as he appeared in his own cameo, opposite Grant Gustin’s Flash, in “Crisis.” And now, once again, we’re hearing that the film could return the favor and bring some Arrowverse characters to the big screen.

Mikey Sutton of Geekosity is reporting that The Flash will see Miller’s Barry Allen travel to the Arrowverse during his journey through the multiverse. It’s unknown how long he’ll remain there for, but it’s not necessarily a major part of the movie. The intention is just to tip the hat to the hugely popular TV franchise, further tying together the DCEU and the Arrowverse following Miller’s “Crisis” cameo. It’s also unclear which heroes could turn up, but as you’d expect, the intention is apparently to have Ezra come face to face with Grant Gustin once more.

It sounds like it won’t just be the Flashes of two worlds meeting, though, as Sutton states that the studio is “considering” which other characters might fit in. Remember, Sasha Calle will be debuting as the DCEU’s Supergirl in the flick, so maybe WB could bring Melissa Benoist on board so that the two Girl of Steels can get to know each other. Alternatively, some Flash supporting characters may be slipped in, like Candice Patton’s Iris or Carlos Valdes’ Cisco.

The reason why WB is doing this, as per Geekosity, is because they’re looking to have a bit of the fans’ goodwill towards the Arrowverse – which actually predates the movie franchise by a year – rub off on the DCEU. Given all the controversy that the studio constantly courts, they’re said to want the speedster’s first solo film to have nothing but “positive vibes.”

Production is underway now, ahead of The Flash racing into theaters on November 4th, 2022.

Source: Geekosity

When Michael Keaton was announced to be returning as the Dark Knight for the first time since 1992’s Batman Returns in The Flash, speculation instantly kicked up a notch or ten that it could finally lead to a live-action adaptation of Batman Beyond. After all, the 69 year-old actor is the ideal age to play a retired Bruce Wayne, who takes young Terry McGinnis under his wing and provides him with the technology and training to become the new Caped Crusader.

We also know that Warner Bros. have no issues with having multiple Batman franchises existing simultaneously, with DC Films president Walter Hamada confirming that was set to be the plan moving forward, so there are already several pivotal pieces in place. At least there were, until Keaton recently cast doubt on his involvement in The Flash, which would present a pretty big obstacle for any projected Batman Beyond movie to overcome.

In any case, we’ve now heard from our sources – the same ones who told us Ben Affleck would be suiting up for the Scarlet Speedster’s solo debut long before it was confirmed – that Batman Beyond is being developed internally as a cross between a standard Bat-blockbuster and the neon-soaked visuals and dystopian stylings of Blade Runner, which is both a fascinating and hugely exciting combination.

According to our intel, the studio are even considering Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve to helm Batman Beyond, and not only is he well-versed in creating eye-popping futuristic cityscapes, but he’s clearly a favorite of WB having steered acclaimed atmospheric thriller Prisoners to critical and commercial success in 2013 before being handed $165 million to deliver Dune, which has already been inviting comparisons to Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings.

Michael Keaton was first announced to be returning to the DC universe last June, with Tim Burton’s Batman set to suit up for the first time in 30 years to play what was described as a substantial supporting role in The Flash. However, the actor recently cited his jam-packed schedule and COVID-19 concerns as a reason why it’s not a guarantee quite yet, even though the Scarlet Speedster’s solo debut is looking to launch headfirst into production before the end of this month.

That would be a fairly hefty roadblock to navigate given that Keaton is no doubt pivotal to the story, and rewriting the script so close to the start of shooting is a potential nightmare waiting to happen. Shortly after the 69 year-old cast doubt on his involvement, though, various rumors began circulating that said it was simply a negotiating tactic designed to wring some extra cash out of Warner Bros., while other reports claimed that Christian Bale was being considered as Plan B.

We’ve now heard from our own sources – the same ones who told us the Joker was getting a new look in Zack Snyder’s Justice League long before it was confirmed – that Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight is also being eyed for Batman Beyond should the Keaton deal fall through. While the project hasn’t been officially announced, most people are expecting it to happen given Keaton’s veteran status setting him up perfectly as the wizened mentor to the youthful exuberance of Terry McGinnis.

Of course, saying you want Christian Bale is a whole lot easier than actually getting him given that he’s never shown an inclination to return to Gotham City and he’s not motivated by money in the slightest. It would also require a refit of Batman Beyond‘s concept as well, given that the Academy Award winner is younger than Ben Affleck never mind Keaton, so the elderly Bruce Wayne would need to be significantly aged down. Still, we’re told that it’s an option WB is considering should Keaton ultimately pass on the opportunity.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Nice! That would be cool but I can see how the age thing would be a problem.

Didn't realize Timothy was going to play Terry.

As for Ezra Miller appearing in Arrowverse, it already happened on The Flash so I'm sure they'll reuse that same scene again while he's hopping through other multiverse like The Batman.

J.J. Abrams’ Superman Is Reportedly Inspired By President Obama

The news that J.J. Abrams is rebooting Superman for Warner Bros., which broke in late February, has continued to be a huge source of fascination for fans, with various reports following over the past couple of months which may reveal more about what the former Star Wars director has planned for the Man of Steel. One thing that seems pretty certain by this point is that the movie won’t star Clark Kent but will feature an African-American version of the Big Blue Boy Scout.

A common suggestion for who this could be is Calvin Ellis, the Superman of Earth-23 in the comics, and according to scooper Mikey Sutton of Geekosity, this is exactly who Abrams’ film will star. Sutton claims that WB might get the director to helm a Justice League reboot, too, and if he does, his Supes movie would sow the seeds for it. In his report about this, Sutton also reaffirms that the top contender for Abrams’ choice of protagonist is Ellis, who comic book readers will know was inspired by Barack Obama.

Created in 2009 by Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnk, Ellis is not just the Superman of his Earth but also the President of the United States. He was a very timely character back in the day, given his creation during the Obama administration, but would he be a good choice to lead his own movie in the 2020s?

Well, Michael B. Jordan has revealed he’d want to play him, and it’s become clear that he’s the favorite to headline Abrams’ reboot. That said, other intel has pointed to it being based around a different character, as Giant Freakin Robot’s claimed that writer Ta-Nehisi Coates has devised a completely original hero for the screen. There’s some conflicting information going around at the moment, then, which may tell us that WB is still formulating their plans for Abrams’ reboot. Whichever character does end up inhabiting the cape and cowl next, though, it sounds like we can prepare for a bold, revisionist Superman movie.

Source: Geekosity

While promoting his Amazon Prime film Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse in late April, Michael B. Jordan put a Kryptonite pin in any rumors that he might suit up as Warner Bros.’ next Superman. “I’m flattered that people have me in that conversation,” Jordan told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s definitely a compliment, but I’m just watching on this one.”

With that, a whole new guessing game has kicked off centered on who will play the Man of Steel. And arguably more pressing: Who will direct? Sources say J.J. Abrams, who is producing the film, is not among the many possibilities being considered. When Warners announced in February that celebrated author Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing the screenplay and Abrams is producing, it did not address the matter of helming. But insiders say Warners and DC are committed to hiring a Black director to tackle what will be the first cinematic incarnation of Superman featuring a Black actor, with one source adding that putting Abrams at the helm would be “tone-deaf.”

In a fitting twist, the director search is pitting DC against none other than Marvel. As Warners looks to fill its Superman vacancy, Marvel is on the hunt for a Blade helmer and is combing through the same list. But the question will come down to what kind of filmmaker Bad Robot and Warners want: an up-and-comer who can be backed by Abrams, who knows his way around tentpoles and franchises? Or an established filmmaker like a Barry Jenkins or a Ryan Coogler?

The former list can include Creed II’s Steven Caple Jr., J.D. Dillard, Regina King — who got raves for her drama One Night in Miami — and Shaka King, who is popular at Warners thanks to best picture Oscar nominee Judas and the Black Messiah. Some potential directors have met with both studios for both films, even as one agent said the process was “phenomenally early.” Meanwhile, Coogler may be a nonstarter for either assignment given that he will be occupied with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which releases July 8, 2022.

Coates isn’t expected to deliver his Superman script until mid-December. Likewise, Marvel isn’t rushing with Blade, whose start date was pushed from this September to July 2022, so that the studio can spend time working on the Stacy Osei-Kuffour-penned script.

While the next Superman will likely land with a name director, the star could be a relative unknown, as was the case when Brandon Routh suited up for Bryan Singer’s 2006 Superman Returns and Henry Cavill donned the cape for Zack Snyder’s 2013 Man of Steel. Neither Superman Returns nor Man of Steel lived up to outsized expectations, with the former earning $391 million worldwide and the latter taking in $668 million. By contrast, James Wan’s Aquaman nabbed $1.15 billion in 2018 and Todd Phillips’ Joker scored $1.07 billion (and multiple Oscars).

But establishing a new tone with the launch of the next Superman franchise is key to Warner Bros.’ DC film future. As such, little will remain of the so-called Snyderverse vision, which enjoyed its last hurrah with Snyder’s four-hour Justice League bowing on HBO Max in March. Among his hand-picked stars that remain are Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Jason Momoa (Aquaman) and Ezra Miller (The Flash).

DC sees its upcoming Flash movie, which began production in April in London, as its way forward in this post-Snyder world. With the inclusion of such characters as Supergirl (Sasha Calle) and Michael Keaton’s Batman, one thing Flash does is set up DC with a multiverse that allows for many of these incarnations and story universes to co-exist and have superheroes interact. So far, every movie and TV show, with the exception of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson and set for release in March, HBO Max’s spinoff Gotham PD, and Joker and its planned sequel, will take place in the same universe.

The Superman film appears to be moving onto its own track and won’t be part of the universe, as of now. Sources tell THR that Coates is crafting a Kal-El in the vein of the original Superman comics and will have the protagonist hail from Krypton and come to Earth. While the story is currently being crafted and many details could change, one option under consideration is for the film to be a 20th century period piece.

Diversity and representation remain key drivers of the DC universe moving forward. Warners is developing a Latino Blue Beetle movie with Angel Manuel Soto attached to direct, and HBO Max is casting for a gay Green Lantern character for an upcoming series. And The CW’s Arrowverse is about to get its second Black female superhero series with Ava DuVernay’s Naomi (Batwoman also features a Black lead, Javicia Leslie) just as Black Lightning is about to wrap its final season.

As for Abrams, who inked a $500 million deal with WarnerMedia in September 2019, he will still wield plenty of influence in the DC universe. With Snyder gone, the Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens director now will have perhaps the largest footprint as he oversees the Justice League Dark Universe for film and TV. Among the rumored projects is a Constantine reboot for HBO MaxX. At a minimum, Abrams should be raising hell at DC with the Hellblazer protagonist.

Bruce Timm’s Dark Knight is rising.

HBO Max and Cartoon Network have given a straight-to-series order to Batman: Caped Crusader, an animated reimagining of the Batman mythology by way of Batman: The Animated Series‘ own Bruce Timm, with J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves also serving as EPs (for good measure).

Reeves of course has been busy directing The Batman, the big screen’s next live-action take on the Dark Knight (now played by Robert Pattinson), while Abrams — in addition to of course numerous Star Trek and Star Wars projects, plus TV’s Lost and Alias — is an EP on HBO Max’s in-development Justice League Dark series and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ rumored Superman movie project.

“We are beyond excited to be working together to bring this character back, to tell engrossing new stories in Gotham City,” Timm, Abrams and Reeves said in a joint statement. “The series will be thrilling, cinematic and evocative of Batman’s noir roots, while diving deeper into the psychology of these iconic characters. We cannot wait to share this new world.”

Batman Caped Crusader“It is always fun to feed the insatiable appetite fans have for all things Batman,” Tom Ascheim, President, Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics said in a statement. “Batman: Caped Crusader will entertain first time and die-hard fans alike and, with such an impressive creative team in place, we know we have another future Batman classic in the making.”

Utilizing state-of-the-art animation techniques and technologies, the creative partnership between WB Animation and Timm/Abrams/Reeves promises to “reinvent Batman and his iconic rogue’s gallery with sophisticated storytelling, nuanced characters and intense action sequences all set in a visually striking world.”

Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series “was a masterpiece that shaped the perception of the character for an entire generation of fans,” notes Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios. “It is in that spirit that we are bringing together three master storytellers in J.J., Matt and Bruce – each with their own intuitive understanding and affection for the character – to create a new series that will continue in the same groundbreaking legacy.”

The Rock is ready to roll. Dwayne Johnson has tweeted out that his eagerly awaited new film Black Adam has wrapped.

“That a wrap on BLACK ADAM Incredible journey. Hardest undertaking of my entire career physically & mentally. Worth every second. Boundless gratitude to my 1,000+ crew members, actors and director, Jaume Collet-Serra. The hierarchy of power in DC Universe is changing.”

The Black Adam story is complicated. Thousands of years before Billy Batson became Captain Marvel, the wizard Shazam selected another for the role. Teth-Adam, aka “Mighty Adam,” was a hero at first. But then absolute power corrupted absolutely. He became Black Adam, and was exiled by Shazam.

Now returned to earth and our time, he’s seen the error of his ways, and he’s trying to clear his name.

Black Adam also stars Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, and Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate.

Current schedule has Black Adam hitting theaters on July 29, 2022.

Jaume Collet-Serra, who also directed Johnson alongside Emily Blunt in Disney’s Jungle Cruise, will direct. Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia of Seven Bucks Productions are producing Black Adam with Beau Flynn of FlynnPictureCo. FlynnPictureCo’s Scott Sheldon will serve as EP.

Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani wrote the latest draft. Adam Sztykiel wrote the previous draft.

After testing actresses this week, Warner Bros And DC Films looks to have found their Batgirl. Sources tell Deadline Leslie Grace has been tapped to play Barbara Gordon in the studios’ Batgirl.

The studio was already super high on the rising star following her breakout role in In the Heights, and sources say her audition sealed the deal as the choice.

The studio had no comment.

The film will bow on HBO Max, marking one of the first major DC properties to debut exclusively on the streamer. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah will direct the pic from a script by Christina Hodson. Kristin Burr is producing.

While plot details are under wraps, it is known that Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Commissioner Gordon, will be the character behind the cape in this version. Gordon is the most established version of the Batgirl character and was first introduced in 1961 as Betty Kane.

Grace was among a final group of actresses being tested for the role that included Isabella Merced, Zoey Deutch and Haley Lu Richardson as Deadline first reported.

J.K. Simmons In Talks To Reprise Commissioner Gordon Role In ‘Batgirl’

Whiplash Oscar winner J.K. Simmons is in negotiations to come back as Commissioner Gordon in Warner Bros’ and HBO Max’s DC movie Batgirl. Simmons previously played the role in Zack Snyder’s 2017 movie Justice League.

Simmons will star opposite In the Heights actress Leslie Grace, who won the title role in the upcoming movie being directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.

Christina Hodson, who penned Birds of Prey and the upcoming The Flash, wrote Batgirl, with plot details under wraps. Kristin Burr is producing.

Batgirl is set for a 2022 release on HBO Max.

UltimateMarvel wrote:LOL That answers my question.

WyldeMan wrote:And yet we still couldn't get a proper redheaded Barbara Gordon. 

UltimateMarvel wrote:

WyldeMan wrote:And yet we still couldn't get a proper redheaded Barbara Gordon. 

........until next month on Titans.