Marvel may own the cinematic world, but one area where DC reigns supreme is in animated full-length features. In producing these films, DC allows itself to stick closer to the source material while taking artistic liberties where and when it sees fit.
For the most part, their efforts have satisfied fans of DC characters and stories since the first film was released in 2007. DC’s animated slate shows no signs of slowing down, but despite their confirmed future releases, some fan-favorite storylines are notably missing, therefore, we present 5 DC Animated Movies That Are Coming Soon (& 5 We’d Like To See).
Updated on March 12th, 2020 by Richard Keller: The slate of DC animated movies continues to grow. We've seen the release of Wonder Woman: Bloodlines and Superman: Red Son as we entered a new decade. Soon enough, fans can enjoy the epic Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. We've added a few more movies coming soon and those we want to see.
10 COMING SOON: Batman: Death in the Family
Although he will be a part of other animated releases, a full-length solo Batman story is not scheduled for 2020. Instead, it will be part of a DC Showcase package. For those who don't recall, DC Showcase items were packaged with longer films and focused on characters like Green Arrow, Spectre, and Phantom Stranger. They have returned, and will be part of a package.
Highlighting that group will be an animated adaptation of the classic "Death in the Family" storyline from the late 1980s. The story has become infamous for two reasons. First, it featured the death of then-Robin Jason Todd. Second, Batman readers were the ones who voted to kill Jason off. We're not sure how the animated version will play out.
9 LIKE TO SEE: The Sinestro Corps War
The Sinestro Corps War was a pulse-pounding, senses-shattering battle between the Green Lantern Corps and the Sinestro Corps to decide what would rule the universe: willpower or fear. Particularly notable were the heavy hitters Sinestro had recruited to ensure his Corps’ victory: the Anti-Monitor, Superboy-Prime, the Parallax Entity, and Cyborg Superman.
The nature of the battles being intergalactic would prove visually stunning to animators, as would the opportunity to represent not only both Corps but a killer rogues gallery and the Justice League as well. With cool moments such as Batman receiving a yellow ring thrown in the mix, The Sinestro Corps War seems a no brainer to add to the DC animated slate.
8 COMING SOON: Batman: The Long Halloween
The DCAMU slate is saturated with Batman films, except for a seminal story arc that had yet to be adapted: The Long Halloween. A detective mystery set with the first few years of Batman's career, the epic depicts the year-long struggle between several groups. A weakened organized crime family as it contends with Batman, the disfigured "freaks" that make up his rogues gallery, and an encroaching GCPD and District Attorney Harvey Dent. There's also brand new serial killer targeting the mob's ranks, Holiday, who strikes on notable holidays of the month.
Good news, The Long Halloween is slated to become the next full-length Batman movie. It's scheduled to premiere in 2021, the same year that The Batman live-action film comes out. We only hope that it maintains the comic's baseline story and doesn't change things like Hush.
7 LIKE TO SEE: The Great Darkness Saga
Darkseid is big news these days. However, it was a long comeback. After he and his minions disappeared during the 1970s, they started to make inroads into comics like the Justice League. The culmination of Darkseid's reappearance was in a five-part Legion of Super-Heroes story titled "The Great Darkness Saga" by the powerhouse team of writer Paul Levitz and co-plotter/artist Keith Giffen.
It was a momentous story that combined mystery, mysticism, and pure space opera. It also showed why the Legion never seems to die. Since their appearance as a group has been limited in animated releases, perhaps it's time to get them on-board like DC did with the Titans.
6 COMING SOON: Justice League Dark: Apokolips War
Justice League Dark, Apokolips War is not only a direct sequel to the first Justice League Dark movie. It's also a culmination of the entire New 52 series of films that started with Justice League: War in 2014. In the end, we believe it's DC's version of Avengers: Endgame. Even the stakes are similar.
After Darkseid decimates Earth, the members of the Justice League, Justice League Dark, Teen Titans, and Suicide Squad join together to take the war back to Apocalypse and destroy the threat once and for all. While based on the "Darkseid War" stories that were the last gasp of the New 52 era in comics, this will have a much broader scope.
5 LIKE TO SEE: Robin: Hero Reborn
When Tim Drake assumed the mantle of Robin, the top brass at DC wanted to make sure readers accepted him, as the previous Boy Wonder was so despised, he had to be killed off in an infamous phone-in poll. However, before he joined Batman on the streets of Gotham, Drake received a solo limited series that chronicled his training at the hands of Lady Shiva.
Facing off against the deadly King Snake, Robin: Hero Reborn was an action-packed, coming of age adventure that took a laughable sidekick and presented him in a relatable and endearing light. Adapting this storyline as an animated feature would prove just as entertaining, and would bring to life an often overlooked part of the Batman mythos.
4 COMING SOON: Superman: Man of Tomorrow
Little detail has been released about the upcoming Superman: Man of Tomorrow film other than the title. Rumored to chronicle the early years of the Man of Steel’s career, hopefully, the writers will eschew the bucolic Kansas origin viewers have already become familiar with through the live-action films and 10 seasons of Smallville.
Instead, the focus should be on Clark Kent’s first year at the Daily Planet, his budding relationship with Lois Lane, and Superman’s early appearances in Metropolis. If the film follows trope and New 52 continuity, then perhaps Grant Morrison’s early run on Action Comics will be adapted, promising a superb and contemporary story of a well-intentioned but somewhat unseasoned alien running afoul of the U.S. military.
3 LIKE TO SEE: Kingdom Come
The gold standard of 'alternate future' stories, Kingdom Come posits a DC Universe where 'heroes' not afraid of murdering criminals have replaced the more traditional-minded Justice League in the superhero game. Superman, having long retired in disgust at the current state of affairs attempts a comeback, but with horrible results.
A partial reaction to the 'grim and gritty' anti-hero trend of the late '80s and '90s, this Elseworlds tale is part social commentary, part action thriller, and ALL engrossing. An avant-garde animation style would have to be adopted to do justice to Alex Ross' stunning artwork, but Kingdom Come would definitely thrill fans everywhere by finally being committed to film.
2 COMING SOON: DC Super-Pets
Over the 80-some years that Superman has been in existence, writers have periodically revealed that Kal-El wasn't the only survivor of his doomed planet. Although everybody knows his cousin, Kara Zor-El/Supergirl, some may not know that a veritable menagerie of animals also survived Krypton's explosion, including Krypto the dog, Streaky the cat, Comet the horse and Beppo the monkey.
All as similarly superpowered as Clark Kent's alter-ego, DC's animated Super-Pets will explore how truth, justice, and the neverending battle against vet visits will occur when Superman takes a long overdue vacation, leaving his well-trained critter criminal-busters in charge of Metropolis. Presumably aimed at younger audiences, parents and their children will undoubtedly love this light-hearted entry in the DC animated library.
1 LIKE TO SEE: Crisis on Infinite Earths
When it comes to reality-altering crossovers that reorder comic book continuities from scratch, the template will always be Crisis on Infinite Earths. Seeking to streamline their decades-old multiverse by coalescing it into a universe, DC teamed literal worlds of heroes against the awesome power of the Anti-Monitor, who sought to destroy all reality.
With the stakes this high, readers were treated to a cosmic-scoped story jam-packed with action, intrigue, and multiple shocking deaths. With the Arrowverse adapting story elements of this classic tale into its yearly TV series crossover, now would be the perfect time to offer fans an equally entertaining animated version truer to the source material.