DC's Extended Universe of movies is one that keeps growing with each new installment. Though it may have started small with Man of Steel by introducing this cinematic endeavor's first superhero in Clark Kent, the universe exponentially bloomed to create a living, breathing tapestry of god-like beings fighting to protect the world. Superman arrived first, but he wouldn't be the last; far from it, in fact. Soon, Batman and Wonder Woman joined him, followed closely by Cyborg, Aquaman and The Flash, who are all set to appear in next month's Justice League. More and more villains propped up as well, including Joker, Harley Quinn, Doomsday and Lex Luthor.
RELATED: Broken Arrow: 15 Characters The Arrowverse Completely Neutered
And yet, the expansion of this universe hasn't stopped there. With each movie, we get a deepening of the world these characters live in. We hear about places we haven't seen, or people we haven't met yet. Seeds are planted for future movies, some that are planned, others that aren't yet. It's come to a point that there are almost as many comic book characters we haven't seen as there are that we have seen on-screen. Today, CBR scrutinizes every corner of the DCEU to list 15 characters that we know exist in the movie universe, but that we haven't seen yet.
15 SUPERGIRL
Kal-El isn't the only Kryptonian who survived his dying planet by coming to Earth. In fact, in Man of Steel, to learn more about his alien heritage, Clark Kent found his way on an old ship left by voyagers of Krypton long ago. There, he found a pod which housed the remains of a deceased alien, as well as another pod, which was left empty.
Fans began to theorize that this pod was a hint that Superman's cousin, Kara Zor-El, in fact existed in the movie universe, and those theories were actually proven true thanks to a comic book that tied into the Man of Steel story. This comic told of Kara's voyage from Krypton, until her ship crash-landed on Earth. This means that, although we haven't seen her yet, Supergirl is already a part of the DCEU.
14 NIGHTWING
Ever since Bruce Wayne was introduced in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, we had hints and teases as to his long career as a masked crime-fighter in Gotham City. And from what little we learned, he had, at one time or another, at least one partner in his crusade in the form of Robin. While we can't be sure which Robin was left dead by the Joker, most assumed that it was in fact Jason Todd.
However, we do know that there was a gravestone marked Richard Grayson seen in behind-the-scenes pictures, but that it ultimately didn't make the final cut of the movie. As it turns out, there has also been recent confirmation that there is a Nightwing movie currently in development, which means that, whether he is actually dead or he simply faked his death for his own protection, Richard Grayson is bound to surface in the DCEU.
13 BRAINIAC
Although most comic book fans are familiar with the city of Kandor as the capital of Krypton -- a city famous for being miniaturized and bottled by the villain Brainiac -- there was a time during which it was actually a colony on Krypton's moon, Wegthor. That moon would later be destroyed by an evil scientist by the name of Jax-Ur, who is actually a member of Zod's army in Man of Steel.
In the opening segments of the movie, you can actually see the destroyed moon in Krypton's skyline, which means that, if Kandor was on it, it would have already been bottled and “saved” by Brainiac. Besides, the tentacled World Engine weapon also featured Brainiac's logo at its heart, which would seem to hint that the character hails from Kryptonian technology. We might not have seen him yet, but the seeds are there.
12 BATGIRL
Barbara Gordon's existence in the DCEU is already a foregone conclusion. For one part, we have already seen her grizzled father Commissioner Jim Gordon in action in the Justice League trailers. And, on top of that, we also know that current Justice League director Joss Whedon had been tapped to direct a solo Batgirl movie.
Many hoped to see her in the extended cut of Batman v. Superman, but while that didn't happen, she is out there. The notion that Batman has been working alone for a while means that Barbara isn't Batgirl yet, which could lead to her solo movie being an origin story that sees Barbara strap on the bat-boots. However, an appearance alongside her father in Justice League may not be out of the question yet, especially considering which director is in charge of both movies.
11 PENGUIN
While we have heard mentions of Bruce Wayne's 20-plus years of caped crusading over the rooftops of Gotham City, we know surprisingly little of what has happened during that time. Thanks to the Suicide Squad movie, we know that Batman has had interactions with Joker, Harley Quinn and Deadshot -- but what about the rest of his extensive rogues gallery?
Actually, we did get the confirmation of another classic Batman villain in the latest Justice League trailer. After we see Steppenwolf start to attack the Earth, we then cut to Alfred saying, “One misses the days when one's biggest concerns were exploding wind-up penguins” to Bruce Wayne. This would confirm that Batman has had previous altercations with longtime villain The Penguin. While we have yet to see the Gotham villain, we do know he exists in this universe.
10 GREEN LANTERNS
The DCEU takes place in a vast universe that has already taken us to the far reaches of space thanks to Krypton, as well as brief glimpses of the planet Apokolips, which is bound to attack Earth next. This is only the beginning of the expansion of the cosmic side of this DC universe, and thanks to a line in the Justice League trailer, we now know that the Green Lanterns are actually a big part of it.
In fact, when we first hear Steppenwolf speak of his desire to attack the Earth, he describes why now is the perfect time to strike. While he says that there is no longer a Kryptonian to protect the planet, he also adds that there are “No Lanterns” to defend it either. This confirmation goes a long way to broaden the cosmic scope of the DCEU, and makes us wonder if Hal Jordan will arrive in Justice League?
9 MAN-BAT
While we have not seen as many Batman villains as we would have liked in the DCEU yet, we did get to see a few of them in action in Suicide Squad. Plus, Batman v. Superman has already given us a very brief glimpse at another member of Batman's rogues' gallery in the form of doctor Kirk Langstrom's alter ego, the fearsome Man-Bat.
In fact, in the movie, Bruce Wayne has a dream where he brings flowers to his parents' grave. There, he sees black blood dripping, and not long after, a giant bat creature tears through the cement, terrifying and monstrous, devilishly screeching at Bruce. While many fans assumed this was a manifestation of the fear over his own symbol (and what it means), others took this as a quick cameo of Man-Bat, which would hint at Bruce's previous confrontations with the monster.
8 LEX LUTHOR SR.
The Lex Luthor you have seen in Batman v. Superman -- the one responsible for orchestrating the confrontation between the two heroes and the creation of Doomsday, the manic, unhinged and not-so-psychotic criminal genius who contributed to Superman's death -- was not exactly the Lex Luthor fans know from the comics. But, as we came to learn, Lex Luthor also has a very dangerous father.
Lex Luthor, senior, though absentee -- perhaps maybe even believed dead -- does not have a physical presence in the film, but he does cast a very long shadow, one his son is desperate to climb out of. From what we have heard of Luthor Sr., he sounds very much like the one true Lex Luthor fans know from the comic books, and there is a very strong possibility that we could eventually see him pop-up.
7 REVERSE-FLASH
The Reverse-Flash is Barry Allen's nemesis, his very real opposite. Ever the cruel villain, Eobard Thawne traveled back in time and murdered Barry's mother, framing his father for the crime in the process, leaving Henry incarcerated and Barry all alone. While we have yet to see Barry Allen take on a leading role in the DCEU, we already know that his greatest villain exists in the universe.
In fact, in the Justice League trailer, we caught a brief glimpse of Barry having a heartfelt conversation with his father in prison, the two of them separated by glass. It's a very small hint, but one that has a lot of implications for Barry's universe. If his father is in prison, then his mother died at the hands of the Reverse-Flash. With a Flashpoint movie in the works also, we know that Eobard is coming. It's just a matter of time.
6 POISON IVY AND CATWOMAN
Poison Ivy has had a long history as a villain of Batman, one who terrorized Gotham City with her monstrous plants. But she also came into her own as somewhat of an anti-hero when she formed a new team alongside Catwoman and Harley Quinn: the Gotham City Sirens. Together, the trio operated by their own rules, and they delivered their own brand of justice in the city.
Now, while we have only seen Harley Quinn in action so far in Suicide Squad, there has already been confirmation that Warner Bros. and DC are developing a Gotham City Sirens movie, with Suicide Squad helmer David Ayer at one time attached to direct. With an aged Batman already at work in Gotham, it only makes sense that Selina Kyle and Ivy are also out there.
5 CAPTAIN COLD
Barry Allen hasn't even truly begun his crime-fighting career as The Flash that he has already fought a few of his villainous rogues. Not only did we see him clash with Captain Boomerang in Suicide Squad, we also recently had confirmation, thanks to a nifty Justice League image, that the very popular Flash villain Captain Cold might exist in the DCEU.
In fact, in said picture, we see Barry Allen in his own private lab/lair, the one already glimpsed in the movie's trailers. Surrounded by various pieces of equipment and many computer screens, we can see, on one particular screen, that Barry is working on the “Cold Resistance” of his costume. Testing this particular weakness seems very specific, and goes a long way to confirm that Captain Cold is stalking the Central City streets.
4 BLACK ADAM
It's been a few years already, but Dwayne Johnson was cast as Black Adam to bring the powerful villain to life on the big screen. While at first the actor was supposed to star in the Shazam movie, that plan has since been dropped. Now, Shazam is currently in production, but it won't feature Captain Marvel's nemesis. Instead, we are left to wonder where Black Adam will appear.
Along with Henry Cavill, both actors have teased a particular showdown between their respective characters. It seems all but certain that Superman and Black Adam will eventually throw down, whether that may be in Justice League or another movie altogether. But one thing is certain, and that is that, with Dwayne Johnson already cast in the role, Black Adam does exist in the DCEU.
3 THE RIDDLER
Riddle us this. Which Batman villain prowls the streets and back alleys of Gotham, leaving riddles, clues, death and destruction in his wake, with nothing but a signature – a symbol – as his calling card? Why yes, The Riddler is the right answer. And, if you were among a select, eagle-eyed view, then you saw a tease that Edward Nygma actually did exist in Batman v. Superman.
In fact, when Batman sets his trap to fight and ensnare Superman in an abandoned Gotham City warehouse, there is a lot of graffiti adorning the walls and columns surrounding him. And one of them is particularly highlighted, almost to make sure it couldn't be missed: a spray-painted question mark, the style of which definitely calls back to the Riddler's calling card. It's an Easter egg – a hint – worthy of the villain himself.
2 DEATHSTROKE
DC fans were sent in a joyous frenzy when Ben Affleck shared footage of an actor (or stunt performer) in the iconic Deathstroke costume for a screen test aboard Batman's Flying Fox. Theories quickly began to fly left and right, with people wondering if the mercenary would appear in a small capacity in Justice League or Ben Affleck's solo Batman movie.
Fuel was then added to the fire when actor Joe Manganiello was cast as Slade Wilson, seemingly confirming that the character would appear in the next Batman film. While these plans may have changed since then (we're not even sure if Manganiello is still onboard), it doesn't change the fact that Deathstroke is a part of this extended universe of movies. Besides, there's still a possibility that we will see him in action in Justice League.
1 DARKSEID
Darkseid is. He is the leader of the forces of the planet Apokolips. He is the ultimate evil in the universe and one of the biggest and baddest villains in the entire DC universe. We have already seen his Parademons in action, first in Batman v. Superman – in a sequence that also showed us his Omega symbol – and again in the Justice League trailers, where we see the creatures led by Steppenwolf.
Not only is Steppenwolf the leader of the invasion of Earth and Apokolips' military general, he is also the uncle of Darkseid. We don't yet know if the ultimate villain will appear to fight the Justice League, but at least we know, beyond a doubt, that Darkseid exists in the DCEU. And he just might be its biggest threat.
Which character are you most excited to see finally hit the screen? Let us know in the comments!