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Under the leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran, the newly-christened DC Universe seems poised to extend well beyond live-action feature films.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav recently held a global Zoom meeting for all company employees, during which he introduced newly-appointed DC Studios co-chairmen and CEOs Gunn and Safran. According to a report from Deadline, Zaslav mentioned during the meeting that "the plan is to build a bible for a cohesive DC universe, one that is overarching across live-action films, TV, animation, gaming and more."
Currently, the shared continuity formerly known as the DC Extended Universe consists of 11 live-action feature films: Man of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016), Wonder Woman (2017), Justice League (2017), Aquaman (2018), Shazam! (2019), Birds of Prey (2020), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), The Suicide Squad (2021) and Black Adam (2022). The franchise technically consists of 12 films, counting Zack Snyder's 2021 director's cut of Justice League. Coincidentally, it was Gunn who first brought the former DCEU to the small screen with his live-action HBO Max series Peacemaker, which premiered this past January as a spinoff of The Suicide Squad.
However, Warner Bros. and DC have still put out live-action feature films set outside this shared DCU, namely Joker (2019) and The Batman (2022), both of which are gearing up for sequels. DC also has a number of non-DCU television series -- both live-action and animated -- spread across broadcast networks and streaming platforms like The CW (e.g. Superman & Lois and The Flash), Cartoon Network (e.g. Teen Titans Go!), Netflix (e.g. The Sandman) and HBO Max (e.g. Harley Quinn, Titans and Doom Patrol). All the while, DC has continued to put out direct-to-video animated films based on its various properties.
In the realm of DC video games, the latest high-profile release was WB Games Montréal's Gotham Knights, which dropped last month. Meanwhile, Rocksteady is still working on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which is set to arrive in 2023 as a direct spinoff of the developer's Batman: Arkham games.
DC Is Under New Management
Last month, Gunn and Safran were named co-chairs and CEOs of the new DC Studios, which replaces DC Films at Warner Bros. Discovery following the exit of former chief Walter Hamada. This announcement followed WBD's months-long hunt for a Kevin Feige-esque figure to oversee DC's on-screen output moving forward.
"We're honored to be the stewards of these DC characters we've loved since we were children,” Gunn and Safran said at the time. "We look forward to collaborating with the most talented writers, directors, and actors in the world to create an integrated, multilayered universe that still allows for the individual expression of the artists involved. Our commitment to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Harley Quinn, and the rest of the DC stable of characters is only equaled by our commitment to the wonder of human possibility these characters represent. We're excited to invigorate the theatrical experience around the world as we tell some of the biggest, most beautiful, and grandest stories ever told."
Source: Deadline