When it comes to launching a cinematic universe, it's best not to reveal a release slate too far out in advance. After all, if there's one certainty in Hollywood, it's that nothing is ever set in stone.
After the success of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, Warner Bros. opted to go a new route in 2013. Man of Steel, the studio's first Superman movie since 2006's poorly received Superman Returns, was set to launch a cinematic universe intended to rival Marvel Studios' Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the film had mixed reviews, it still turned a profit for the studio, and was followed up in 2016 with Batman v Superman. That film, of course, introduced Ben Affleck's Batman and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman to the nascent DC Extended Universe, while also teasing Ezra Miller's Flash and Ray Fisher's Cyborg -- both of which were set to launch their own franchises.
Now, four years later, Warner Bros. has dramatically altered its original release slate significantly after a few misfires and one box office phenenomeon.
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In 2014, Warner Bros. finally put a rest to the rumors surrounding its secretive DC slate and dropped a press release that broke down its plans through 2020. Included on that slate, of course, were Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and Wonder Woman, all of which were all released as planned. Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad, while critical failures, still managed to perform well enough at the box office and gain some loyal fans. However, neither film came close to the success of 2017's Wonder Woman, which took in an astounding $821 million at the worldwide box office and led to the studio fast-tracking a sequel. More importantly, though, Diana's first solo movie signaled a major shift within the DC Extended Universe, one that is still being felt today.
Unfortunately, that film was followed up by Justice League, which was initially meant to be Justice League: Part One, the first of a two-part epic from director Zack Snyder who had established the feel of the DCEU early on. The Part One was eventually dropped from the title, and Snyder was forced to exit the project due to a personal tragedy late in filming, leaving the future of the DCEU in question. For a time, it appeared Joss Whedon (The Avengers) would play a big part in the universe's future, as he was brought in to finish the ensemble superhero film for Warner Bros. and Snyder. Bu as we now know, this would only be the first of many changes for DC's slate going forward.
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After a lackluster box office performance and mixed reviews from fans, Warner Bros. was forced to make some major changes behind the scenes. Snyder is no longer at the helm of the DCEU -- which may have recently landed a new name? -- and former DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson is out as well. This has left much of the prior slate's future up in the air outside of Aquaman and Shazam!, two films which have already completed production and are set to hit theaters relatively soon.
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It's been rumored that production will (finally) begin on The Flash in early 2019 following numerous delays due to multiple director shake-ups and script rewrites. However, comments from actress Kiersey Clemons, who will reprise her role as Iris West (though her scenes were all cut from Justice League), suggest filming will definitely kick off in February. "What I will say is that they get to approve every job that I do and so far I’m not doing Flash for the rest of the year," Clemons confirmed to Variety. "Let’s hope for 2019."
The movie is currently expected to hit theaters sometime in 2020, although that could very well change depending on any unexpected delays going forward.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Cyborg. Despite previously going on record to insist the film was still happening, Cyborg actor Ray Fisher seems to have given up hope. Unlike the other films that were announced as part of the 2014 slate, Cyborg is the only project that never had a writer attached, nor did it seem to have any directors rumored for the gig. Fisher, who has been very vocal about his love of playing Cyborg, was adamant for years about the film was very much happening and was still in development. However, it doesn't appear to be happening anymore, as Fisher has stated the project would be a "very, very expensive" one.
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Perhaps that's why the studio is now exploring producing other DC titles through a new, separate banner which will allow Warner Bros. to tell brand new stories featuring its iconic characters. The first film on the docket? The Joaquin Phoenix-led Joker, which is expected to enter production very, very soon. It would seem the box office success of the film will ultimately decide any other potential titles that would join the specially crafted banner, and with a much smaller budget than a Cyborg film, these features are a safer bet for Warner Bros. and DC.
In the end, these changes are not necessarily bad. Following the success of Wonder Woman, Warner Bros. has decided to turn at least part of its focus towards what it now knows works -- well made female-led films. The sequel to the box office smash, Wonder Woman 1984 is already well into production and set for a 2019 release, and Birds of Prey (starring Harley Quinn), Batgirl and Supergirl, are in development. But while a sequel to Justice League seems likely, the original 2019 release date is pretty much shot. It's safe to say that's a no-go, as the film has been removed from Warner Bros. upcoming DC slate for the time being.
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Green Lantern, which was originally meant to hit theaters in 2020, is currently being penned by Geoff Johns and has been re-named The Green Lantern Corps. Given that Johns still seems to be working on the screenplay, it seems doubtful the feature will make a 2020 release and instead will probably be pushed back at least one year. For fans that have been eagerly awaiting a new attempt at a Green Lantern film, it's unfortunate, however, as Warner Bros. has shown in recent months that it's willing to shuffle release dates in order to ensure quality, perhaps everyone should be looking at its delay as a good sign.
So, overall, how much has the initial release slate changed? Shockingly, not too much. Despite the undeniable changes, including constantly-shifting release dates, the slate announced by the studio in 2014 is actually valid through this year, with the exception of the Justice League sequel. It's the films beyond that, unfortunately, that have become a bit of a question mark.