The DC Extended Universe forever seems to be destined to remain in disarray. One would think that after the disappointment of Justice League, Warner Bros. would be getting its act together, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
Despite a top-level shakeup in the film division, the studio still doesn't seem capable of settling on a definitive slate of movies. Last December, fans thought they had a lineup to look forward to, but just a month later this slate was rumored to be updated again, once more indicating a lack of steady vision.
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The failure to secure directors continuously plagues the studio and justifies fans' pessimism. Batgirl being reportedly eyed to enter production -- even after it wasn't listed on the last slate -- only for director Joss Whedon to pull out almost immediately after more or less summarizes how chaotic things are. These issues are also why so many announcements are taken with a pinch of salt, and why fans are often left wondering what's really going on with the DCEU.
Last December's list included Aquaman, Wonder Woman 2, Flashpoint, Suicide Squad 2, Shazam!, Batgirl, Green Lantern Corps, The Batman, and surprisingly, Justice League Dark -- updating the previous slate and omitting Cyborg, Deathstroke, Gotham City Sirens, Harley Quinn, Joker & Harley Quinn, Nightwing, and a Joker origin movie produced by Martin Scorsese.
Then came the reshuffle, just a month later. James Wan had finished shooting Aquaman by then (for which we're still awaiting the first trailer), and Shazam! is already underway with David Sandberg directing. The other movies that remained listed were Wonder Woman 2, unsurprisingly, as well as Suicide Squad 2, Flashpoint and The Batman, with Man of Steel 2 and Nightwing both resurfacing.
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Aquaman will debut on Dec. 21, as Jason Momoa continues Arthur Curry's journey as the king of Atlantis, while dealing with the likes of Mera (Amber Heard), her father, King Nereus (Dolph Lundgren) and Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen). Shazam! is set for an April 15, 2019 release and will focus on Billy Batson's magical alter-ego (played by Zachary Levi) fighting off Doctor Sivana (Mark Strong).
While plot details are scarce, Patty Jenkins is expected to start shooting Wonder Woman 2 this summer to meet a Nov. 1, 2019 release date, and Gavin O'Connor is looking at this fall to start filming Suicide Squad 2 for a 2019 release as well.
Flashpoint appears to be picking up steam yet again, with Spider-Man: Homecoming screenwriters John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein being tapped to direct, and Killer Frost, Captain Cold and Heatwave mentioned as possible villains. While no new release date has been set, fans are optimistic this movie will finally come to fruition, especially as Ezra Miller's Barry Allen/Flash was well-received in Justice League.
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Batgirl now appears poised to epitomize the sense of unpredictability Flashpoint once did in the wake of losing directors Seth Grahame-Smith and Rick Famuyiwa. To see Batgirl suddenly brought back into play only to then lose Whedon in the Internet news cycle's equivalent of the blink of an eye also reminds us of Justice League Dark, which stalled after directors Guillermo del Toro and Doug Liman exited. With these memories being evoked again, and hearing Whedon left because he couldn't find the right story, let's just say that Batgirl is shaping up to be the kind of DCEU disaster fans have become accustomed to.
There's also concern that another directorial issue could potentially be brewing with Nightwing director Chris McKay. He had to reassure fans that he's not quitting the movie after being linked to Dungeons & Dragons. While there's no release date for Nightwing, if McKay does end up taking on D&D (which would be due in 2021), it'd be tough to see his schedule allowing him to detail Dick Grayson's superhero evolution.
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This brings us to Matt Reeves' Batman flick, which has been anything but a smooth ride, and thus hasn't even left the creative docks. When Ben Affleck stepped away from the director's chair, Reeves took over but this quickly sparked a ton of drama. Reeves hinted at a standalone story, one that may not necessarily connect to the greater DCEU. This is a direction both he and the studio eventually walked back; however, concerns kept growing thanks to Reeves purging Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke from Affleck's script and reshaping the story into something new.
Then there's the never-ending speculation surrounding Affleck's future, and rumors that Jake Gyllenhaal could replace him. While this switch-out hasn't happened (yet), an air of skepticism has arisen once more after J.K. Simmons' (who plays the DCEU's Commissioner Jim Gordon) indicated that he too is out the loop with regards to Reeves' film. As a result, people are again wondering if Reeves' Batman will indeed be part of the DCEU, or if he's even going to direct the film at all.
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While not on the latest rumored slate, you have to note the villain-centric stories the DCEU has been looking at, particularly in light of a rumored Joker origin film starring Joaquin Phoenix. In the past, the studio was said to be interested in focusing on DC's villains -- which Justice League hinted at with Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) and Manganiello's Deathstroke -- but nothing materialized. However, the studio appears ready to explore dark territory again via this new Joker movie, which could also act as an Elseworlds story. That said, it's an unadvisable move at this point as it would be counterintuitive to the heroism that Wonder Woman carved out and which Warner Bros. tried to replicate in Justice League.
Last but not least, one project fans are happy to see on the list is the long-anticipated Man of Steel sequel. While plot details are completely unknown, fans are already salivating at the thought of seeing Henry Cavill's Superman continuing down his newfound inspirational path.
There's a lot of potential in Superman acting as a recruiter for the League, or as a hero exploring the galaxy in the wake of Steppenwolf's failed invasion. Given that the cosmic door has been blown open with the existence of Darkseid and the Green Lantern Corps now official, this could be the movie that truly builds on what Wonder Woman achieved while rectifying Zack Snyder's errors in his Superman films. Matthew Vaughn was reportedly circling the project and while we're likely still some way off from an official announcement on who'll helm this film, one thing's for sure -- that person will face immense pressure because it'll be a big component in helping the DCEU escape its nigh-permanent state of flux.