DC Comics’ stories have given Hollywood some of its best movies, and some bona fide guilty pleasures. However, there are more abandoned and scrapped DC Comics movies than there are released ones. A lot more.
Whether it’s because of the filmmakers’ decision or circumstances out of their control, these DC movies never came to be. Some will sadly be nothing more than “What If?” dreams for fans, while others were dodged bullets.
44 Batman Vs. Godzilla
King Kong Vs. Godzilla writer Shinichi Sekizawa pitched a crossover between the ‘60s Batman and Godzilla, in a fight involving a giant BatMecha.
The crossover never went past a pitch.
43 Sgt. Rock, Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
From the late ‘80s up to roughly 2006, a movie for Sgt. Rock and Easy Company was developed. Many writers and directors came and went, but Schwarzenegger as Sgt. Rock was pretty much a constant.
42 Superman V
A fifth installment in the Christopher Reeves Superman series was planned, but was quickly cancelled after Superman IV: The Quest For Peace flopped. Instead, 2006's Superman Returns eventually became the spiritual fifth film in that franchise.
41 The Wachowskis' Plastic Man
The Matrix masterminds worked on Plastic Man from 1992 to 2009, though nothing came of it. Keanu Reeves was reportedly considered for the title role.
40 Catwoman Solo Film Starring Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer was set to return as Catwoman in a dark satirical movie. WB preferred Batman Forever’s family-friendly tone, and scrapped Burton’s pitch even though he was considered to direct.
39 Superman Reborn
WB attempted to capitalize on the success of “The Death Of Superman” with this adaptation. The script changed certain elements and depicted Superman as a christlike figure.
WB thought it was too thematically similar to Batman Forever, and passed on it after some rewrites.
38 Robin, Starring Chris O’Donnell
Chris O'Donnell's Robin was considered for his own movie, but after the failure of Batman & Robin, it was scrapped and the live-action Batman film franchise as a whole was put on ice for almost a decade.
37 Superman Lives
Kevin Smith’s rewritten Superman Reborn became infamous for the producer’s bizarre demands, like a giant spider fight. Nicolas Cage was cast as Superman, but the project never moved forward, later becoming the basis of a documentary.
36 Warner Bros’ Various Wonder Woman Attempts
Since 1996, Warner Bros. toiled on various Wonder Woman movies, most of which fell apart. Filmmakers came and went, and many actresses like Sandra Bullock, Lucy Lawless, and Catherine Zeta-Jones were considered for the title role.
35 Batman: Arkham
The original follow-up to Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero. Here, Batman chased Arkham Asylum’s entire patient roster after a breakout. Scrapped in favor of Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker, though its concept led to the successful Batman: Arkham games.
34 Boaz Yakin’s Batman Beyond
The Now You See Me screenwriter penned a test for a Batman movie reboot set in the future. He eventually lost interest and left the project.
33 A Sequel To Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker
A second Batman Beyond movie focused on Catwoman was planned, but cancelled following the controversies caused by Return Of The Joker.
32 Superman: Flyby
J.J. Abrams’ Superman reboot, featuring Krypton’s extensive history. Many were considered to direct, but the project was eventually abandoned and WB made Superman Returns instead. Interestingly, Henry Cavill auditioned in Flyby’s test footage.
31 Ben Grant’s Aquaman
WB gave the first-time writer a shot by letting him write an Aquaman script. Leonardo DiCaprio signed on the project, but nothing came of the movie afterwards.
30 Robert Smigel’s Green Lantern
The Hotel Transylvania co-writer infamously pitched a Green Lantern comedy starring Jack Black. Intense online backlash killed the project before shooting even began.
29 David S. Goyer’s The Flash
The Blade: Trinity writer and director pitched a Flash concept with Ryan Reynolds as Barry Allen. WB liked it, but didn’t move forward with it due to constantly shifting priorities.
28 The Batman Vs. Hush
The 2004 Batman cartoon was set to bring in Hush for its second feature-length movie, though it was scrapped after some consideration and development.
27 Hadley Davis’ Teenage Zatanna Film
WB hired the Ice Princess writer to pen a Zatanna movie, seeing the character as a teenager. Little else is known of this project.
26 George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal
The Mad Max mastermind was set to direct the long-gestating Mortal and even cast actors, but outside factors killed it. The Dark Knight also altered WB’s priorities and preferences.
25 Akiva Goldsman & Mark Verheiden’s Teen Titans
In 2007, Goldsman and Verheiden confirmed their work on a Teen Titans movie. Little else is known about this, though Goldsman changed his movie pitch into what became Titans.