Despite warnings of superhero hangover in Hollywood, there is no sign that comic book movies are slowing down anytime soon. This is great news for fans of the genre, as there are so many different types of superhero films in the works that there is something for every taste. Whether a person loves Marvel Comics, DC Comics or a mixture of the two, there are movies in the works that fit solidly into the shared universe dynamic that both Disney and Warner Bros. have specialized in and also movies that seem to sit just outside the norm, standing on their own.
What is great about being a fan of superhero comic books movies is the speculation surrounding what is coming and what might be on the horizon. There are just as many rumored movies on their way as there are films already in various stages of development. Also, in the ever-changing world of superhero flicks, there are also just as many movies going in and out of development, that it keeps the fans on their toes when it comes to keeping track of what is in the works and what is just rumored to ever hit a cinema near you. Here is a look at 10 superhero movies currently in development and 10 more that are rumored to go into development soon.
20 HARLEY QUINN (RUMORED)
DC Comics introduced Harley Quinn as a member of the team of bad guys forced to do good in Suicide Squad. Since that time, actress Margot Robbie has kept the rumor mill running strong with her hints that more Harley Quinn is coming soon to the DCEU. Outside of her rumored appearance in a Gotham City Sirens movie and a possible appearance in a Joker spin-off film, there are also rumors of a standalone starring Harley Quinn in the lead role.
The rumors started back in December 2017, when Robbie said that those two previously mentioned movies were in the works, but there is also a Harley Quinn movie for her coming as well. Robbie admitted that she was not supposed to talk about it to anyone, but Warner Bros. has been working on the movie for "a while now."
19 SILVER AND BLACK (IN DEVELOPMENT)
While the established female character of Harley Quinn is only rumored for three different movies, including a female-centric film in Gotham City Sirens, Sony is in full development of a female-centered movie of its own called Silver and Black. The one difference is that the characters in this movie have never been introduced into the film continuity yet, and Spider-Man is under Marvel's control for now.
Silver and Black features Spider-Man characters Black Cat and Silver Sable and looks to add villains straight out of the pages of Spider-Man comics as well, but without the web slinger's involvement. While Sony's Spider-Man properties looked in question with the character's move to Marvel, the Silver and Black movie proves otherwise as it starts filming on March 5 and has a release date of Feb. 8, 2019.
18 GAMBIT (RUMORED)
A few weeks ago, Gambit was a film in development. However, as is the norm for the lifespan of this troubled X-Men character's film, the movie is now in doubt. Channing Tatum is still locked down to play Gambit in the spin-off movie, replacing Taylor Kitsch, who played the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. However, there once again is no director.
Originally, Rupert Wyatt signed on to helm this superhero movie in 2015, but he dropped out, and Doug Liman replaced him. Liman then left the project in 2016 and Gore Verbinski stepped up to direct the film. However, Verbinski has now quit the project. Fox still wants to release Gambit in June 2019 but it has no director, and the Disney acquisition could finally put the final nail in the coffin of the Cajun X-Man.
17 AQUAMAN (IN DEVELOPMENT)
While a lot of people loved to bash Justice League, it was a departure from previous DCEU movies in that it was not afraid to have fun. Of all the fun moments in the movie, Jason Mamoa was able to cut loose and bring personality and fantastic charisma to a character who had become a joke over the years for DC Comics. It is no surprise that an Aquaman movie was pushed hard after this, and given the talent, it has a lot of promise.
Momoa looks to continue to bring fun and excitement to his portrayal of Aquaman and will get plenty of chances to shine thanks to director James Wan. A lot of information and photos hit the Internet recently from the Aquaman movie, and there will be much more coming this year as it prepares for its Dec. 21 release date. It remains the most prominent superhero movie to release during the holiday season in recent memory.
16 BATGIRL (RUMORED)
There is a lot up in the air at Warner Bros. when it comes to the Batman character and his corner of the DCEU. There is no telling if Ben Affleck will be back as Bruce Wayne, or whether Wayne will be Batman anymore in the future. There are also spin-offs, like Gotham City Sirens and the rumored DC Comics Batgirl movie, that has overtaken Batman in the news.
The news of a Batgirl movie exploded when none other than Joss Whedon was tapped to direct the movie. Whedon jumped from Marvel to DC Comics when he came in to help finish up Justice League. That led to Whedon possibly getting a chance to make a female-led superhero movie, something he has dreamed of since trying to pitch a Wonder Woman movie a few years back.
15 VENOM (IN DEVELOPMENT)
Fans got a big surprise in January when Venom director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) and star Tom Hardy sent in an exclusive video for fans at a Comic-Con in Brazil. It was the first real look at the actor playing Venom, on the site of the movie. He spoke about the movie to fans and, since then, more information has come to surface about the film as it is currently filming.
Venom will be based partially on the Lethal Protector storyline, will include Carnage and will feature multiple Symbiotes. The latest news is that the creation of the new Symbiotes will cause Venom to become an anti-hero and two characters straight from the comic storyline will appear in the film. There are also strong rumors now that Tom Holland will appear in the Venom movie as Peter Parker -- but not as Spider-Man. Venom hits theaters on Oct. 5.
14 THE BATMAN (RUMORED)
Making a Batman movie should not be this hard. The Tim Burton movies were excellent while the Joel Schumacher versions were more like feature-length commercials than films. The Christopher Nolan movies were fantastic, but fans were not as happy with the way Batman V Superman portrayed the character. With so much to pull from, Warner Bros. should know what fans want, but they aren't in a big hurry to get the next solo movie up on the big screen.
A great director is working on the film in Matt Reeves (War of the Planet of the Apes), but there is no word on whether Ben Affleck will return as Batman or if Warner Bros. will recast it. The Batman is "officially" in development, but until they find who will play Batman and the shooting and release dates are confirmed, it remains nothing more than a rumor.
13 HELLBOY (IN DEVELOPMENT)
Guillermo del Toro fans pleaded long and hard to get the third and final movie in his Hellboy series made. However, despite Del Toro and actor Ron Perlman both wanting to finish their story, a combination of studio pressure and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola conspired to end their involvement with the franchise after just two films. Instead, Lionsgate is rebooting the entire franchise.
While fans of Del Toro might be disappointed, the film is in good hands. Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers) is directing the movie, and David Harbour (Stranger Things) is starring as Hellboy this time around. Ian McShane is portraying Trevor Bruttenholm, and Milla Jovovich is on board as the villain, Nimue, the Blood Queen. The movie is in production and set for release on Jan. 11, 2019.
12 BLACK ADAM (RUMORED)
When Dwyane "The Rock" Johnson announced way back in 2007 that he was taking on the role of Black Adam for the DCEU, it caused a lot of excitement among fans. However, things changed a lot since the announcement, and the one-time appearance in a Shazam movie became a possible solo-film and then turned into Black Adam possibly debuting in Suicide Squad 2.
There is nothing but speculation about the introduction of Black Adam to the DCEU, but occasional comments by Johnson keep this rumored superhero movie alive. Shazam has a director and writer (Henry Gayden and David Sandberg respectively), and while that film is in active development right now at Warner Bros., Black Adam is still just an idea with an actor attached, waiting for someone to kickstart it officially.
11 SHAZAM (IN DEVELOPMENT)
While Black Adam seems to be the character with the most fan excitement surrounding his appearance, it is his nemesis, the heroic Shazam, who is getting a movie first. One of the longest-running superheroes in existence, the one-time Captain Marvel has been around since the classic Fawcett Comics, where he was one of the bestselling comic characters in the '40s.
It is an interesting character, a young boy who becomes a superhero with the powers of the Elder Gods but the mind of a child. Zachary Levi (Chuck) will portray Shazam in the movie, which starts filming in February and a release date set for April 5, 2019. There has been little news about a villain, although it won't be Black Adam, and could likely be an origin story. The orphanage will play a role, so there might be a chance for the Marvel family.
10 X-FORCE (RUMORED)
The possible fact that Disney is purchasing Fox's movie division will likely kill the chance of X-Force seeing the light of day. However, while that is a real danger, Fox refuses to stop planning out its X-Men movies as if Disney isn't going to come along and change everything when it takes over. New Mutants has finished filming, Deadpool 2 is arriving this year, and Dark Phoenix is coming as well.
The Deadpool 2 movie will feature Cable, which is a debut that was supposed to lead directly into the X-Force movie. Recent rumors from 2017 indicated that Ryan Reynolds was planning to co-write a script for the X-Force movie with Joe Carnahan and then Drew Goddard was also brought on to write a script as well. However, as with everything Fox-related, plans could change immediately when, and if, Disney takes over.
9 SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING 2 (IN DEVELOPMENT)
Tom Holland is keeping very busy since taking on the role of Spider-Man. Since Disney took control of the character, he appeared in Captain America: Civil War and Spider-man: Homecoming, and was front-and-center in the Avengers: Infinity War trailer. It also seems that Holland will appear as Peter Parker in the Venom movie.
With all that said, Holland also has a sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming in development, which at this time is rumored to come out right after the fourth Avengers movie. According to reports, once Avengers 4 ends in a world-changing battle, Disney wants to immediately put out a new Spider-Man movie so fans can see the new world from the eyes of one of the most innocent superheroes in the Marvel Universe. The film is set for a July 5, 2019, release date, two short months after Avengers 4.
8 GREEN LANTERN CORPS (RUMORED)
Very little in the DCEU is set in stone. While Justice League was a nice change when it comes to the fun-factor of DC movies, and Wonder Woman was a huge success, Warner Bros. seems unsure of what it wants to do with its superhero slate down the line. Aquaman is coming, as is Wonder Woman 2, but everything else is up in the air. Among those movies under consideration is Green Lantern Corps.
Initially, the Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern movie was supposed to help launch the DCEU along with Man of Steel. However, the disappointing critical reviews and box office doomed that from the start. The new rumors are that DC wants to make a movie about the entire Green Lantern Corps, with Hal Jordan still front-and-center with John Stewart in a buddy cop format.
7 CAPTAIN MARVEL (IN DEVELOPMENT)
Some images just leaked online showing Brie Larson in costume for the first time as Captain Marvel. It seemed strange at first since she was not wearing her blue, red and gold uniform but was instead decked out in grey and green, almost looking like Kree colors. There is no word on whether these images are from her solo movie or Avengers 4, but it proves that Captain Marvel is finally coming.
What is known so far about the Captain Marvel movie, which will be the first female-led Marvel comics film, is that Larson is Captain Marvel and the original Mar-Vell is also appearing (played by Jude Law). Also, the movie is a period piece, set in the '90s. This film is in active development and is set for a March 2019 release.
6 JUSTICE LEAGUE: DARK (RUMORED)
Guillermo del Toro can't seem to catch a break when it comes to comic book movies. Despite directing Blade 2, the best of the trilogy, and two entertaining Hellboy movies, he remains on the outside looking in. He wanted to finish his Hellboy trilogy but was pushed out the door. He also wanted to make a movie based on the mystical side of the DCEU with Justice League: Dark, but it looks like he won't make that film either. However, the movie is still rumored to be in the works.
Doug Liman replaced him, but he also left the project in 2017. From the sound of it, Swamp Thing will be part of the film if and when Warner Bros. starts it, as would Deadman, Constantine, Zatanna and Etrigan the Demon. The movie will reportedly have nothing to do with the Constantine television character. With that said, if Warner Bros. doesn't find a director to stick with it, this is a movie that may never see the big screen.
5 WONDER WOMAN 2 (IN DEVELOPMENT)
In probably the biggest no-brainer in comic book movies, Warner Bros. green-lit Wonder Woman 2 the moment that the first movie proved to be the biggest hit for the DC Comics since Christopher Nolan made his Dark Knight trilogy. Warner Bros. emptied the bank to pay Patty Jenkins to return as director, making her the highest paid female director in Hollywood. Gal Gadot is coming back as Wonder Woman, so the movie is definitely coming.
Much like Aquaman is getting the holiday release for the DCEU in 2018, Wonder Woman 2 will get the pre-Thanksgiving spot in 2019, with a Nov. 1, 2019, release. Rumors right now are that Wonder Woman 2 will take place in the '80s, keeping her separate from the other superheroes once again. There is a lot of mystery, but this is easily the most anticipated DCEU movie of the next few years.
4 FLASH: FLASHPOINT (RUMORED)
Much like Gambit at Fox and Justice League: Dark in the DCEU, Flash: Flashpoint can't seem to keep a director either. That is terrible news since the Flash movie plays such an essential role in possibly fixing the perceived problems with the DCEU. The biggest rumors indicate that Flashpoint can change anything it wants due to time travel and parallel dimensions, including perhaps changing who plays Batman.
Ezra Miller was a highlight of Justice League as a character, even though the special effects of his running could have used some work. With his dad in jail for a crime he didn't commit and Barry Allen getting a job with the police department, things set up perfectly for his standalone movie. However, Seth Grahame-Smith dropped out as director, and then Rick Famuyiwa dropped out as well. Now, Spider-Man: Homecoming writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are set to direct, but until filming starts, this is still a movie with an unsure future.
3 GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3 (IN DEVELOPMENT)
James Gunn admitted after he released Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 that he was already working on the script for the third movie in that franchise. Much like Joss Whedon with the first two Avengers movies, Gunn will work closely with Marvel to shepherd in the Marvel cosmic universe, and his third Guardians movie is likely where the seeds will officially start to grow.
Gunn did a Facebook chat with fans and said that he is developing the new cosmic universe that will start to bloom after the fourth Avengers movie ends the overarching shared world storyline that began with Iron Man. He went on to say that his work with this film will set up the next decade of Marvel movies, all in the cosmic universe. The movie will hit theaters in 2020.
2 BLACK WIDOW (RUMORED)
It seemed like a no-brainer that the first Marvel superhero movie to feature a female character in the lead would be the Black Widow. However, thanks to Ike Perlmutter's belief that fans didn't care about female superheroes, it never happened. Not only did DC beat Marvel to the punch with Wonder Woman, but now Marvel's first female-led superhero movie is Captain Marvel, a character that fans haven't even met yet in the MCU.
However, all isn't lost for the possibility of a Black Widow movie, and it is the most recent addition to hit the Marvel rumor's circuit for future superhero movies. Reporters recently asked Anthony and Joe Russo about a Black Widow movie, and they said it is coming and they are very happy about it. There is no word on the story or villain, or even when it is happening, but the Russo brothers added fuel to the fire with their answer.
1 AVENGERS 4 (IN DEVELOPMENT)
Easily, the biggest movie in development right now for the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the fourth Avengers movie. Initially, the film was titled Avengers: Infinity War 2, but that changed, and the new title is a huge secret. According to the Russo brothers, who directed both Infinity War and Avengers 4, the title of the movie is a spoiler for the upcoming third movie, which is exciting in and of itself.
The Avengers 4 movie will wrap up the story that started with Iron Man and continued through movies involving Captain America, Thor and The Incredible Hulk. Newcomers like Doctor Strange, Spider-Man and Black Panther will return, and Marvel has promised that everything fans know about the MCU will change after this huge movie hits on May 3, 2019.