DC Extended Universe


The DC Extended Universe is an American media franchise and shared universe centering on a series of superhero films, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and based on characters that appear in American comic books by DC Comics. The shared universe, much like the original DC Universe in comic books and the television programs, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters. The films have been in production since 2011, and in that time, Warner Bros. has distributed eight films, with several others in various stages of development. It is the eleventh-highest-grossing film franchise of all time, having grossed over $5.48 billion at the global box office. Its highest-grossing film is Aquaman, which earned over $1.15 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing DC film to date.
The films are written and directed by a variety of individuals and feature large, often ensemble casts. Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, and Ray Fisher, among others, star in several films. However, unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the franchise has loosely connected story-lines, with greater autonomy for the filmmakers who create each individual film. The first film in the DCEU was Man of Steel, followed by , Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, and Birds of Prey. The franchise will continue with Wonder Woman 1984 in 2020; Zack Snyder's Justice League, The Suicide Squad, The Batman, and Black Adam in 2021; and The Flash, Shazam! 2, and Aquaman 2 in 2022.

Etymology

Upon announcement of the film series, the universe was commonly called the "DC Cinematic Universe" by fans and the media, in keeping with the naming convention of the already established Marvel Cinematic Universe. Keith Staskiewicz, writing for Entertainment Weekly, jokingly coined the term "DC Extended Universe™" in an article about on July 1, 2015. This term and the abbreviation DCEU quickly spread among the press and fans thinking of it as the official name of the franchise over the following years. According to Vulture writer Abraham Riesman, DC confirmed to him in September 2017 that the term was not used internally and they did not consider it official. In 2016, as part of DC Films Presents: Dawn of the Justice League, both Geoff Johns and Kevin Smith referred to the franchise's name as being the "Justice League Universe". During the DC Films panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2018, a video banner displayed the words "Welcome to the Worlds of DC", after showcasing some upcoming films. As a result, some media outlets interpreted this as DC officially naming their shared film universe as the "Worlds of DC". However, in March 2020, Jim Lee called the franchise the DC Extended Universe at C2E2. The franchise was officially titled DC Extended Universe when the WarnerMedia streaming service HBO Max launched the following May.

Development

In 2002, Wolfgang Petersen was set to direct a Batman vs. Superman film from a script by Akiva Goldsman. Warner Bros. canceled development to focus on individual Superman and Batman projects after J. J. Abrams submitted another draft for Superman: Flyby. In February 2007, Warner Bros. hired husband and wife duo Michele and Kieran Mulroney to write a script for a Justice League film. Christian Bale, who starred as Batman in Batman Begins, was not approached to reprise the role, nor was Brandon Routh, who starred as Superman in Superman Returns. George Miller was hired to direct the film, reportedly titled Justice League Mortal, with Armie Hammer cast as Batman, D. J. Cotrona as Superman, Adam Brody as Flash, Santiago Cabrera as Aquaman, Common as Green Lantern, Megan Gale as Wonder Woman, Hugh Keays-Byrne as Martian Manhunter and Jay Baruchel as Maxwell Lord. The project was put on indefinite hold in January 2008, after failing to secure tax breaks for filming in Australia, as well as the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike preventing progress on the script.
In 2013, a reboot of the Superman franchise, Man of Steel, was set to lay the groundwork for future DC films. The film contained references to other characters in the DC Universe, so if it were a success, it could launch a shared universe. Days before Man of Steels release in June, it was reported that director Zack Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer would be returning for a sequel, which was being fast-tracked by Warner Bros. In July, at San Diego Comic-Con, it was revealed that the sequel would include Batman in a main role, establishing the shared universe. In October 2014, Warner Bros. announced a slate of ten DC films.
While the rival Marvel Cinematic Universe includes television productions, DC's crossover series is a shared continuity for films. Several television series featuring DC characters and storylines have their own shared continuity, known as the Arrowverse. DC's chief creative officer Geoff Johns explained DC's difference in approach to Marvel Studios and their cinematic universe, saying, "We look at it as the multiverse. We have our TV universe and our film universe, but they all co-exist. For us, creatively, it's about allowing everyone to make the best possible product, to tell the best story, to do the best world. Everyone has a vision and you really want to let the visions shine through... It's just a different approach." In June 2015, Warner Bros. president of creative development Greg Silverman expanded on DC's approach to their cinematic universe, saying, "We... take these beloved characters and put them in the hands of master filmmakers and make sure they all coordinate with each other. You'll see the difference when you see... the things that we are working on."
In May 2016, following criticism of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Warner Bros. established a DC Films division with Geoff Johns and Warner Bros. executive vice president Jon Berg as its heads, which oversees production to form a cohesive creative direction for the franchise. DC Films would not be fully autonomous, as Johns reported to DC president Diane Nelson and Berg reported to Silverman. Charles Roven was also moved from his day-by-day producer role on future DC films, which he had served since 2005's Batman Begins, to an administrative executive producer role. In December, Silverman was ousted from his role in Warner Bros., and Toby Emmerich was promoted to president and chief content officer, in his place. By January 2017, Johns and Berg reported to Emmerich. Following the financial and critical success of Wonder Woman in June 2017, Johns stated that moving forward the films will focus on the heart, humor, hope, heroics, and optimism of the characters. As a result of Justice League's underperformance at the box office, Berg left his position by January 2018 and became a production partner with Roy Lee. DC also sought to deemphasize the shared nature of their films, with Diane Nelson stating, "Our intention, certainly, moving forward is using the continuity to help make sure nothing is diverging in a way that doesn't make sense, but there's no insistence upon an overall storyline or interconnectivity in that universe... Moving forward, you'll see the DC movie universe being a universe, but one that comes from the heart of the filmmaker who's creating them."
In January 2018, Walter Hamada was appointed the President of DC Films and co-runner of the DCEU, replacing Berg. The following month, Chantal Nong was named Vice President of DC Films. The pair were hired to oversee the franchise with Johns, as the key production team managers. However, Johns stepped down from his executive roles at DC in June 2018. He created a production company, Mad Ghost Productions, to have a greater hands-on role in various DC media as a writer and producer. After the financial success of Aquaman, Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara said the upcoming slate of DC films would be focused on individual character stories instead of interconnectivity.

Released films

''Man of Steel'' (2013)

, who arrived on Earth years ago as an infant from Krypton, struggles with why he was sent to Earth. Raised by his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, Clark adopts the persona "Superman", and learns if his abilities are meant to maintain peace or conquer the world.
During story discussions for The Dark Knight Rises, David S. Goyer told Christopher Nolan his idea regarding how to present Superman in a modern context. Impressed with Goyer's concept, Nolan pitched the idea to the studio, who hired Nolan to produce and Goyer to write based on the financial and critical success of The Dark Knight. Zack Snyder was hired in October 2010 to direct the film. In January 2011, Henry Cavill was cast as Clark Kent / Superman. Other cast members included Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Michael Shannon as the villain General Zod, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, Russell Crowe as Jor-El, and Laurence Fishburne as Perry White. Principal photography began on August 1, 2011. Man of Steel released in North America on June 14, 2013.

''Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'' (2016)

-based vigilante Batman travels to Metropolis to preemptively combat Superman, fearing what would happen if the latter is kept unchecked, while another threat endangers humankind.
In June 2013, it was reported that Snyder and Goyer would be returning for a sequel to Man of Steel, which was being fast-tracked by Warner Bros. Nolan was involved in an advisory role as executive producer. In July, at the San Diego Comic-Con, Warner Bros. announced that Superman and Batman would meet for the first time in a cinematic format in the film, which would be the follow-up to Man of Steel and a reboot of the Batman film series. According to Snyder, the film took inspiration from the comic The Dark Knight Returns. Cavill, Adams, Lane, and Fishburne reprised their roles. In August, Ben Affleck was cast as Bruce Wayne / Batman. In December, Gal Gadot was cast as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman, marking the character's first appearance in a live-action theatrical film. Later in the month, Chris Terrio was hired to rewrite Goyer's script. In January 2014, the film was delayed from its July 17, 2015, release date to May 6, 2016, to give the filmmakers "time to realize fully their vision, given the complex visual nature of the story". Later that month, Jesse Eisenberg and Jeremy Irons joined the cast as Lex Luthor and Alfred Pennyworth, respectively. In May 2014, the film's title was revealed to be Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Initial filming occurred on October 19, 2013, at East Los Angeles College, before full principal photography began on May 21, 2014, in Detroit. Production also took place in Illinois, New Mexico, Africa and the South Pacific. After another date change, the film was released in North America on March 25, 2016.
The film is set 18 months after the events of Man of Steel. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice introduced Ezra Miller as Barry Allen / The Flash, Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry / Aquaman, Ray Fisher as Victor Stone / Cyborg, and Joe Morton as Dr. Silas Stone. The film also introduced Steppenwolf, who served as the main antagonist in Justice League, through a brief scene. The scene was not included in the film's theatrical release, but instead was revealed online by Warner Bros. on March 28, before being included in the Ultimate Edition home video release.

''Suicide Squad'' (2016)

After the death of Superman, a secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions and rescue the world from a powerful threat, in exchange for clemency.
In February 2009, prior to the development of the DCEU, Warner Bros. was developing a Suicide Squad film, with Dan Lin producing and Justin Marks writing the script. In October 2014, Suicide Squad was announced by Warner Bros., with David Ayer confirmed as director. In December, it was revealed that Ayer would also be writing the screenplay. The main cast included Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jared Leto as the Joker, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Jay Hernandez as El Diablo, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc, Karen Fukuhara as Katana, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, and Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag. Tom Hardy was originally cast as Rick Flag, but dropped out due to scheduling issues with his film The Revenant. Principal photography commenced April 13, 2015, and took place in and around Toronto. Filming concluded August 28, 2015. Suicide Squad was released in North America on August 5, 2016.
The film is set after the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Affleck as Bruce Wayne / Batman and Miller as Barry Allen / The Flash made appearances in the film. In a mid-credits scene, Waller meets Wayne in a restaurant and hands him a dossier containing information on future members of the Justice League.

''Wonder Woman'' (2017)

, an Amazon warrior who also is the demigoddess daughter of the god Zeus, uses her talents and abilities in order to help humanity during World War I.
Israeli actress and model Gal Gadot was cast as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman in December 2013 and signed a three-picture deal which included a solo film. In October 2014, Wonder Woman was announced by Warner Bros. In November, Michelle MacLaren was confirmed to direct the film from a screenplay by Jason Fuchs. In April 2015, MacLaren left the project due to creative differences. Later that month, Patty Jenkins was announced as the new director of the film. In July, Chris Pine was cast as Steve Trevor. Other cast members include Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta, Robin Wright as General Antiope, Danny Huston as Erich Ludendorff, Elena Anaya as Doctor Poison, and David Thewlis as Ares. Filming began in November 2015, and was shot in the United Kingdom, France and Italy. Wonder Woman was released in North America on June 2, 2017.

''Justice League'' (2017)

Motivated by Superman's death at the hands of Doomsday, Batman and Wonder Woman assemble a team of metahumans to face a new catastrophic threat.
In June 2013, it was reported that Goyer would be writing Justice League as part of a three-film deal he signed for Man of Steel. In April 2014, it was announced that Snyder would return as director. The film was announced in October as Justice League Part One. In March 2016, it was confirmed that Chris Terrio had written the script, who said that the film would not be as tonally dark as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In June, Geoff Johns announced that the title had been changed to simply Justice League. Affleck, Cavill, Gadot, Momoa, Miller, Fisher, Irons, Lane, Adams, Eisenberg, Nielsen, Wright, and Morton reprised their respective roles from previous films. Ciarán Hinds provides the voice and performance capture for the villain Steppenwolf. Beginning on April 11, 2016, filming took place at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, in England, as well as locations around London and in Iceland. Filming concluded in October 2016. In May 2017, Snyder stepped down from his duties on the film due to his daughter's death; Joss Whedon filled his position on post-production, with additional scenes being written and directed by him. Though Whedon was not officially credited for his role as post-production director, he completed enough additional work for a screenwriting credit on the film. Justice League was released worldwide on November 17, 2017.
Justice League introduced various characters, including J. K. Simmons as James Gordon, Amber Heard as Mera, and Billy Crudup as Henry Allen. Additionally, Joe Manganiello as Slade Wilson / Deathstroke was also introduced in a post-credits scene, teasing an alliance between him and Lex Luthor. Kiersey Clemons as Iris West and Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko were to be introduced but their scenes were ultimately cut from the film.

''Zack Snyder's Justice League'' (2021)

The divisive reaction towards the final highlighted cut of Justice League, with Zack Snyder leaving directorial duties and the final cut of the film in the hands of Joss Whedon, has led to an argument comparing the situation to the one experienced by the film Superman II. Both Justice League and Superman II feature a director that was replaced, for different reasons, before completion of a film, which led to a second director coming in and making substantial changes to the tone of each film. Although the reasoning behind each director's departure differs, Richard Donner was able to complete his in 2005. In the belief that Snyder had shot enough material for a finished film, a campaign for a "Snyder Cut" was started to allow Snyder to receive a similar treatment to Donner. Arguments are made that Snyder's vision would be more cohesive to the previous films than the actual theatrical cut, which Snyder has refused to see. Warner Bros. initially remained silent regarding any intention of making a "Snyder Cut".
In March 2019, Snyder confirmed his original cut does exist, and stated that it is up to Warner Bros. to release it. Despite this, in November, an insider claimed that Warner Bros. is unlikely to release Snyder's version of Justice League in theaters or on HBO Max, calling it a "pipe dream". In December, however, Snyder posted a photo in his Vero account, which showed boxes with tapes labeled "Z.S. J.L Director's cut", and with the caption "Is it real? Does it exist? Of course it does." On May 20, 2020, Snyder officially announced that HBO Max will be releasing his cut of Justice League on their service in 2021. The cut will cost $20–30+ million to complete the special effects, musical score, and editing, and will be either a four-hour film version or six-part television miniseries of Snyder's original vision of the film. It was also revealed that Cavill, Affleck, Gadot, Momoa, Fisher and Miller would be returning to help complete the project.

''Aquaman'' (2018)

, a half-Atlantean assistant lighthouse keeper, sets out to lead the underwater kingdom of Atlantis against his half-brother, King Orm, who seeks to unite the seven underwater kingdoms against the surface world.
In June 2014, Jason Momoa was cast as Arthur Curry / Aquaman. By August, Will Beall and Kurt Johnstad were writing competing scripts for the character's solo film. Aquaman was announced in October. In June 2015, James Wan was hired as director, as well as to oversee the screenplay by Johnstad. In November 2015, David Leslie Johnson was hired to write a new script. In July 2016, Beall returned to write the script, based on a story treatment by Wan and Geoff Johns. Johnson worked on a rewrite of Beall's script with Wan and producer Peter Safran. In December 2016, Patrick Wilson was cast as Orm / Ocean Master, the half-brother of Aquaman and the main antagonist of the film. In January 2017, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was cast in the role of villain Black Manta. Heard reprised her role as Mera from Justice League. Other cast members include Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko, Temuera Morrison as Aquaman's father Tom Curry, Nicole Kidman as Aquaman's mother Queen Atlanna, and Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus. Principal photography began on May 2, 2017, in Queensland, Australia, and wrapped on October 21, 2017. Aquaman was released in North America on December 21, 2018.
The film is set after the events of Justice League.

''Shazam!'' (2019)

By speaking "Shazam", Billy Batson, a 14-year-old foster child, can turn into an adult superhero, courtesy of an ancient wizard. He attempts to master his powers and defeat the evil forces controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.
In August 2014, Dwayne Johnson announced his attachment to a project about the superhero Shazam, formerly known as Captain Marvel. In September, Johnson was revealed to be portraying the antihero Black Adam, Shazam's nemesis in the film, with Darren Lemke set to write the script. In October, Warner Bros. announced Shazam as a film in its upcoming slate. By January 2017, Henry Gayden was working on the script. In July, it was confirmed that David F. Sandberg would direct Shazam!, and that Johnson would no longer appear, instead starring in a Black Adam solo film. Pre-production began in August. By October, Zachary Levi was cast as Shazam, and in November, Asher Angel was cast as Shazam's child-age alter ego, Billy Batson. The film's primary villain is Doctor Sivana, with Mark Strong in the role. Other cast members include Jack Dylan Grazer, Grace Fulton, Jovan Armand, Ian Chen, and Faithe Herman as Batson's foster siblings, Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans as Batson's foster parents, and Djimon Hounsou as the wizard Shazam, who gives Batson his powers. The film began principal photography in Toronto on January 29, 2018, and wrapped on May 11, 2018, with most of the filming taking place at Pinewood Toronto Studios, among other locations around the city. Shazam! was released in North America on April 5, 2019.
The film is set after the events of Justice League. The villain Mister Mind is introduced in a mid-credits scene.

''Birds of Prey'' (2020)

Since the events of Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn has left the Joker. When Cassandra Cain, a young girl, comes across a diamond belonging to crime lord Black Mask, Harley joins forces with Black Canary, Huntress, and Renee Montoya to help protect her.
By November 2016, Birds of Prey, based on the female superhero team of the same name, was in development with Christina Hodson signed on as screenwriter. By April 2018, Warner Bros. selected Cathy Yan as director, with Margot Robbie, Sue Kroll, and Bryan Unkless serving as producers. Robbie reprised her role as Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad. The film is the first theatrical R-rated installment in the franchise and has a smaller budget than most of the other films. In addition to Robbie's starring role, the team roster also includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Black Canary, Renee Montoya, and Cassandra Cain, respectively. Black Mask serves as the film's primary antagonist with Ewan McGregor portraying the character, and Chris Messina portraying Victor Zsasz. The film began pre-production in late July 2018. Principal photography commenced on January 15, 2019, in Los Angeles, and lasted until April 15, 2019. In November 2018, Robbie revealed the full title of the film as Birds of Prey . Birds of Prey held its world premiere in London on January 29, 2020, and was released on February 7, 2020. A week into its release, the title of the film was changed to Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey to give "moviegoers a better understanding of what Birds of Prey is about."
The film is set after the events of Suicide Squad.

Future films

''Wonder Woman 1984'' (2020)

Diana Prince comes into conflict with the Soviet Union during the Cold War in the 1980s and finds two formidable foes in the form of the Cheetah and Maxwell Lord.
By June 2017, Geoff Johns and Patty Jenkins had begun work on the story treatment for a Wonder Woman sequel. By July, Johns was working on the script. That same month, the sequel was officially announced at San Diego Comic-Con. Gadot will reprise her role as Wonder Woman. By September, Jenkins signed a deal to return as director, and brought on David Callaham to pen the script with her and Johns. The film takes place in the 1980s during the Cold War. Jenkins said the film, like its predecessor, will be a love story, but with a new love interest. Pre-production had begun by early December 2017. In March 2018, Kristen Wiig was cast to portray the film's primary antagonist, Barbara Ann Minerva / Cheetah, and Pedro Pascal was cast as Maxwell Lord. Production began on June 13, 2018, around the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. Other filming locations include the Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in the United Kingdom and the islands of Tenerife and Fuerteventura in Spain. Wonder Woman 1984 is scheduled to be released on October 2, 2020. Its release was delayed from an original June 5, 2020, date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

''The Suicide Squad'' (2021)

In March 2016, a Suicide Squad sequel was announced to be in development, with Ayer returning as director. Adam Cozad was hired to write the script by March 2017. By July 2017, a new story treatment was written by Zak Penn. In September 2017, Gavin O'Connor was hired as director after Ayer dropped out, as well as co-screenwriter with David Bar Katz and Todd Stashwick. The final draft of the script was completed by September 2018. The next month, O'Connor left the project as Warner Bros. believed the script was too similar to Birds of Prey. In January 2019, the film was re-titled The Suicide Squad, with James Gunn directing, from a new script he wrote. Gunn chose the project over various other films Warner Bros. had in development, including a Superman film. In March, Idris Elba joined the cast. He was initially hired to replace Smith as Deadshot, who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, but it was later decided that Elba would play a new character so Smith could return in the future. Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, and Viola Davis will reprise their roles from the first film, while David Dastmalchian, Steve Agee, Michael Rooker, Peter Capaldi, Taika Waititi, Alice Braga, Sean Gunn, Juan Diego Botto, Storm Reid, Pete Davidson, Nathan Fillion, Flula Borg, John Cena, and Joaquín Cosío, among others, will join the cast. Production began on September 20, 2019, at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Atlanta, with additional filming following in Panama, for a scheduled release date of August 6, 2021.

''The Batman'' (2021)

In October 2014, a Batman standalone film was announced by Warner Bros. By 2016, Ben Affleck was set to star in, produce, direct, and write the project. Affleck co-wrote the script with Geoff Johns, and Chris Terrio turned in a rewrite. The film was on track to shoot in early 2017, until Affleck stepped down as director that January. Affleck initially cited his intentions being to more specifically focus on starring as Batman, later acknowledging that after various attempts to get the script where he wanted it, it simply became "time to let someone else have a shot at it". In February 2017, Warner Bros. announced the title as The Batman and that Matt Reeves would direct and co-produce the film. In July 2017, Reeves confirmed that the script was being rewritten; the final draft was completed by January 2019. Reeves reworked the story to focus on Batman earlier on in his career as a vigilante; stating that the film will be character-driven and stylistically noir, and will explore the detective aspect of the character to a greater extent than previous films. In January 2019, Affleck confirmed he will not reprise his role as Batman for this film or any future project. In May 2019, Warner Bros. screen-tested Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult as Batman, after which Pattinson was cast in the role, that will be a new take on the character departing from the previous version. Between October and December 2019, castings included Jeffrey Wright, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, John Turturro, Jayme Lawson, and Peter Sarsgaard. The Batman is intended to be the first installment from Reeves in a trilogy of films, centered around the character. Principal photography began on January 27, 2020, in London, England, for a scheduled release date of October 1, 2021.

''Black Adam'' (2021)

In September 2014, after being considered to play Shazam and Lobo, Dwayne Johnson was cast as Black Adam. The character was intended to be introduced in Shazam!, but by January 2017 the film's production studios had chosen to divide the narrative to focus on Black Adam's origin. Johnson, who is also attached as producer, has stated the two characters will cross paths in a future film. Other DC characters, including the Justice Society of America, will factor into the plot of Black Adam. In October 2017, Adam Sztykiel was hired to write the script. Co-producer Hiram Garcia stated the film will be gritty and violent, similar to the comics. In June 2019, Jaume Collet-Serra was announced as director for the film, with Beau Flynn, Johnson, Hiram Garcia, Dany Garcia, and Scott Sheldon attached as producers. In July 2020, Noah Centineo was cast as Atom Smasher. Principal photography is expected to begin in early 2021, for a scheduled release date of December 22, 2021.

''The Flash'' (2022)

By July 2013, Greg Berlanti was developing a film that centered around Barry Allen / The Flash. In October 2014, The Flash was announced with a scheduled 2018 release date. The initial script was drafted by Berlanti, Geoff Johns, Chris Brancato, Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim. By April 2015, a story treatment was being written by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Over the next two years, Seth Grahame-Smith and Rick Famuyiwa had individually dropped out as director due to creative differences with the studio. In January 2017, Joby Harold was hired to do a page-one rewrite of the script, which previously had drafts written by Grahame-Smith and Famuyiwa. In July 2017, the title for the film was changed to Flashpoint, based on the comic book storyline, of the same name. Dan Mazeau was brought on as co-writer. In March 2018, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein were hired to co-direct. The tone of the film is expected to be similar to Back to the Future. Ezra Miller revealed that the plot will involve the Speed Force multiverse. In March 2019, following creative differences with the co-directors' work on the script, Miller was hired to co-write a new draft in collaboration with Grant Morrison. By July 2019, Daley and Goldstein had left the project, while Andy Muschietti and Christina Hodson were hired to replace them as director and screenwriter, respectively. Barbara Muschietti and Michael Disco will serve as producers. In January 2020, Muschietti reaffirmed the film will include elements from the Flashpoint comic book arc. In June 2020, it was reported that Michael Keaton was in early negotiations to star as Bruce Wayne / Batman, a role he previously played in Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns. Filming is expected to begin in 2021, for a scheduled released date of June 3, 2022.

''Shazam! 2'' (2022)

A sequel to Shazam! entered development in April 2019, with Henry Gayden returning as screenwriter. Director David F. Sandberg and producer Peter Safran are also expected to return. Zachary Levi will reprise his role as the titular superhero, with Michelle Borth reprising her role as Lady Shazam, as a part of her five-picture contract. Zachary Levi stated that production is expected to begin sometime in mid-2020, for a scheduled release date of November 4, 2022.

''Aquaman 2'' (2022)

In October 2018, James Wan stated that Aquaman intentionally left room for a followup. By December, high pre-release ticket sales and positive reception for Aquaman had convinced Warner Bros. to begin developing a sequel. In January 2019, Warner Bros. confirmed development, with intentions for Wan to return as director. The following month, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, co-writer of the first film, signed on as screenwriter. In March, Safran said the film will explore the other Seven Kingdoms of Atlantis. Jason Momoa will have a larger creative role in the sequel, having written the story while on-set the first film, and pitched the "mapped out" story to Warner Bros., who were receptive. Patrick Wilson and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will reprise their roles as Orm Marius / Ocean Master and David Kane / Black Manta, respectively. Production is expected to begin in early 2021, for a scheduled released date of December 16, 2022.

Other projects in development

Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Films have a variety of DC films in varying stages of development:
In July 2020, HBO Max began developing a spin-off police procedural drama television series that would be written by Matt Reeves and Terence Winter and centered on the Gotham City police department, sharing continuity with The Batman. It is unclear if actors such as Jeffrey Wright and Robert Pattinson would reprise their roles for the series.

Expanded setting

In October 2014, Johns explained that DC's approach to their films and television series would be different to Marvel Studios' cinematic universe, stating that their film universe and TV universes would be kept separate within a multiverse to allow "everyone to make the best possible product, to tell the best story, to do the best world." Geoff Johns and Jon Berg were appointed by the studio to co-run the DC Films division and oversee creative decisions, production and story arcs in order to create a cohesive overarching plot within the films. Johns left his position in June 2018 to start his own studio where he will take on a greater hands-on role with film media as a producer and screenwriter. However, he remained with the studio as a co-chairman. Berg was replaced by Walter Hamada as the president of DC Films in January 2018. After the successful release of Wonder Woman, DC Films decided to deemphasize the shared nature of the franchise.

Arrowverse

The DC Extended Universe was retroactively established to have connections to The CW's Arrowverse continuity via the concept of a multiverse, during Part 4 of the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover. Ezra Miller reprised his role as Barry Allen in a cameo appearance alongside Grant Gustin's version of the same character. During their conversation, Miller's Barry Allen gets the idea to call himself "The Flash" from his alternate self and even mentions "Victor". However, despite his cameo, the episode does not confirm the designated Earth for the DCEU characters.

Timeline

In the DCEU, most events of the film never actually make their exact years known. Man of Steel took place after the events of Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984, which are set earlier in the timeline. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice happened 18 months after the events of Man of Steel, which follows the consequences and the emergence of aliens and metahumans such as Superman. The film concludes with the death of Superman, which was emphasized in the following ensemble films of Suicide Squad and Justice League. Suicide Squad occurred shortly after Batman v Superman. Sometime later, the events of Justice League happened which feature Superman's resurrection and the subsequent formation of the Justice League. It was followed by Aquaman, which Jason Momoa confirmed took place right after Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Aquaman was followed by Shazam!, which occurred on the Christmas season of 2018. Afterwards, the events of Birds of Prey happened, followed by The Suicide Squad, confirmed to take place in 2021.

Recurring cast and characters

Reception

Box office performance

Critical and public response

Additional crew and production details

Music

Film soundtracks

Singles

Other media

Short films

Novels

Tie-in comics

Graphic novels

Tie-in video games