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This page covers the projects that were canceled, converted, or delayed to the DCEU.

Canceled projects[]

Harley Quinn vs The Joker[]

Harley and Joker dancing

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Joker (Jared Leto) in a dream sequence from Suicide Squad.

Harley Quinn vs The Joker was announced in July 2017, and likely would have included elements that were eventually used in Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), which lightly covered the breakup between the two. Glenn Ficarra and John Requa wrote the script and were set to go into production as the directors of the film after Birds of Prey's release. By the fall of 2018, a script was finished for the film, with writers Ficarra and Requa describing the project as a mixture of their previous works Bad Santa and This Is Us. The studio reportedly was happy with the results, but Ficarra and Requa were unsure if or when the film would even be made. By February 2019, the project had reportedly been canceled.[1]

Joker[]

Joker at Table

Joker (Jared Leto) in Suicide Squad.

A movie following Jared Leto's Joker was announced in June 2018, but like Harley Quinn vs The Joker, it was reported to have been canceled by February 2019. This is likely due, at least in part, to Todd Phillips' Joker project starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character without any ties to the DCEU, which came out later that year.[1]

Zack Snyder's Justice League sequels[]

DCEU architect Zack Snyder envisioned a five-film saga for the Justice League films, comprised of Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, Justice League, Part Two, and Justice League, Part Three. This saga would have followed the formation of the Justice League, the continued expansion of the DC Extended Universe, and the continuing battle against Darkseid and the various forces of Apokolips. There was a plan to release Justice League Part Two on July 12, 2019, which is speculated to have been a combined version of the final two films, but that never came to fruition due to the box office disappointment of Justice League. It was initially believed that Snyder's original vision could still be made thanks to Zack Snyder's Justice League success on Max. On March 22nd 2021, WB CEO Ann Sarnoff denied any intention to make any sequels, despite acknowledging the success of the director's cut.[2]

The Trench[]

On February 8, 2019, Warner Bros. announced that they were developing an Aquaman spin-off titled The Trench. Noah Gardner and Idan Fitzgerald were hired to write a horror-themed screenplay, while Aquaman director James Wan and Peter Safran were attached as producers to the project. The Trench is expected to be more modestly budgeted compared to other DC films, and will be set in the Kingdom of the Trench. None of the main cast members from Aquaman will be featured.[3] During a fan interaction on Twitter on March 20, 2020, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, writer of Aquaman and its sequel, revealed that the film would most likely take place between the first and second Aquaman films, though the details were still being worked out.[4] On April 1, 2021, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the film was officially cancelled by the studio.[5]

Wan later confirmed that Black Manta was to be the protagonist for the film in an Instagram comment.

The New Gods[]

Ava DuVernay

Ava DuVernay was the attached director to The New Gods.

In March 2018, Selma and A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay signed on to direct a New Gods film, after pitching the idea to Warner Bros. and DC. Screenwriter Kario Salem (Chasing Mavericks) was attached as screenwriter, and would work closely with DuVernay and help craft the narrative of the film.[6] While Variety reported that The New Gods would be a part of the already-established DC Extended Universe,[7] the report from Deadline that was released simultaneously stated that there was "no connection to the other DC worlds being exploited for film right now by Warner Bros", as part of studio boss Toby Emmerich and DC Films president Walter Hamada's "new approach to DC-based fare." In May 2019, it was announced Tom King would be writing up a new script for the film alongside DuVernay.[8] In January 2020, DuVernay assured that she was still writing the film's script with King, and that she had been "dreaming" of actors for the project, teasing that she may have been taking some notes on fan castings.[9] In May 2020, she confirmed All-Widow would appear in the film.[10]

While DuVernay has stated that Darkseid (as well as the Female Furies) would be in the film,[11] it was unlikely that it will be the same Darkseid that appeared in the DCEU. Darkseid actor Ray Porter had publicly supported the idea of his character being played by a different actor in DuVernay's New Gods. In a tweet by Porter in July 2020, he said: "I’ve been reading a lot of comments and I want to say that, while I appreciate a lot of what’s been said, [Ava DuVernay] is a brilliant filmmaker and should cast whoever she wants for her New Gods movie."[12] On April 1, 2021, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the film was officially cancelled by the studio, citing a crowded development slate with the other announced DC projects plus a desire to put space between the character Darkseid's recent appearance in Zack Snyder's Justice League. The same report stated that DC films was leaving the door open to return to these projects in the future.[5]

The Wonder Twins[]

On February 14, 2022, The Hollywood Reporter reported that HBO Max is in development of a Wonder Twins film. It will be written and directed by Adam Sztykiel and produced by Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey.[13] While the initial article didn't mention what continuity the film would be a part of, a news blog post by DC Comics confirmed that the film would be part of the DC Extended Universe.[14]

On April 15, 2022, The Wrap reported that KJ Apa and Isabel May had been cast for the lead roles as Zan and Jayna respectively.[15] Filming was scheduled to begin in summer 2022 in Atlanta.[16]

On May 18, 2022, it was announced by Warner Bros. that the film had been officially canceled during their Upfront presentation, due to the production budget being too high.[17]

Batgirl[]

Main article: Batgirl (film)

On 2 August, 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery cancelled the Batgirl film.

Standalone Man of Steel sequel[]

ZMan-Of-Steel-01

Henry Cavill as Superman

By October 2014, another Superman solo film starring Henry Cavill was in development at Warner Bros.,[18] though it had not been included with the previously announced slate for the DC Extended Universe. In August 2016, just months after the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it was reported that Warner Bros. had put "Man of Steel 2" in active development, which was confirmed weeks later by Henry Cavill's agent, Dany Garcia. In November, Amy Adams confirmed while promoting Arrival that work had begun on the screenplay.[19]

In September 2017, following the release and financial flop of Justice League, it was reported that Matthew Vaughn was in talks with DC to helm the sequel to Man of Steel. Vaughn had previously been in talks with Warner Bros. in 2010, and was in the mix to direct the Superman film that would later become Man of Steel before the Christopher Nolan/David S. Goyer rendition of the character was ultimately chosen. Speaking to MTV about his previous pitch to MTV, Vaughn said: "I think that’s the one thing not to do with Superman, trying to do the serious The Dark Knight version. Superman is about color and fun, or it should be, for me."[20] By March 2019, Vaughn confirmed in an interview with Polygon while promoting Rocketman that "Man of Steel 2" was no longer happening, and talks with the studio had ceased. However, the director said it would be "hard to say no" if he was offered to helm a new Superman film in the future.[21]

In 2019, it was reported that Michael B. Jordan had met sometime that year with Warner Brothers to pitch them on a particular vision for the Superman character.[22]

In February 2021, Deadline reported that a Superman reboot was in development at Warner Bros. and DC Films. The new project will be produced by J.J. Abrams under his Bad Robot banner, with Ta-Nehisi Coates writing the screenplay. Hannah Minghela is also attached to produce.[23] The project was described by media outlets as a "reboot" of the character, and The Hollywood Reporter later confirmed that the new film was looking to cast a black actor in the leading role. While they referred to the project as Superman being "made new once again," the outlet speculated that Coates and Abrams' Superman seemed to be "an expansion of the mythos" rather than a "replacement" for Cavill's iteration of the character, citing the co-existence of Robert Pattinson and Ben Affleck as Batman.[24] This could mean that the Superman film is being developed as part of a different Earth, similar to how The Batman was made separate from the continuity of the DC Extended Universe. However, Coates described being "invited into the DC Extended Universe" as an "honor" in an exclusive statement provided to the website Shadow and Act.[25] It is still unclear whether the film will have any ties with the DC Extended Universe, or if Henry Cavill will still involved in any way, as the initial report from Deadline claimed that Cavill was "eager to get back into the cape."[23] The Hollywood Reporter said that it was possible that the black Superman the film is looking to cast will not be Clark Kent, speculating that they could be looking to introduce another version of the character from the comics such as Calvin Ellis or Val-Zod.[24] In April 2021, director James Gunn revealed that when DC originally approached him in 2018, a Superman project was one of the things brought up for him to adapt.[26] In July 23, 2021, Collider reported that Michael B. Jordan's production company Outlier Society had hired a writer to develop Jordan's own Superman project focused on the Val Zod iteration of the character. In the same report it was mentioned that the project would take the form of a limited series for HBO Max and that Jordan may even star in it.[27] In October 26 of 2021, Deadline reported that writers Darnell Metayer and Josh Peters had been hired to write Jordan's Val Zod project, with Elizabeth Raposo and Stefano Agosto from Outlier Society acting as producers for the project alongside Jordan.[28]

A new Superman film was later confirmed to be in early development with Henry Cavill returning. This film would not be the reboot that some of the other announcements had been suggesting, instead taking place in the DC Extended Universe.[29] As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Writer Steven DeKnight reportedly penned a treatment in the fall of 2022. Warner executives were reportedly not excited about the treatment and gave notes on it. Development on the project reportedly ended however when James Gunn and Peter Safran were appointed as DC executives.[30] When asked about the topic, James Gunn clarified that, "[a Superman project] is a huge priority, if not the biggest priority."[31] James Gunn later revealed that they were going a new direction with a new Superman film set in the earlier stages of the character's life therefore it would not be played by Henry Cavill. Titled Superman, this film would be written and directed by James Gunn, with the titular role being played by David Corenswet.

Black Adam sequel[]

On October 20, 2022, a Black Adam sequel was was being written by the team that wrote the 2022 film, but was never picked up for production. Producers Hiram Garcia, Beau Flynn, and Dwayne Johnson were expected to return to produce the film.[32] On December 20, 2022, Dwayne Johnson confirmed Black Adam would not be part of the near-future plans that James Gunn was developing and would be exploring other ways to utilize the character.

Green Lantern Corps[]

In July 2015, Warner Bros. announced at SDCC 2015 that the previously announced Green Lantern film would be titled Green Lantern Corps, with a release date scheduled for June 19, 2020.[33] In January 2017, it was reported that Goyer and Justin Rhodes would be writing the film's script and would also produce the film, with Geoff Johns and Jon Berg as executive producers.[34] In June 2018, Geoff Johns exited as president and chief creative officer of DC Entertainment, but was given a writing and producing deal with his new company Mad Ghost Productions to continue working with DC for years to come.[35] On Mad Ghost Productions' website, it was confirmed that the film would star Hal Jordan and John Stewart.[36] In July 2019, Christopher McQuarrie said that he had sent a written proposal for his own version of a Green Lantern film to Warner Bros. a year prior, before the release of Mission: Impossible – Fallout, which had ties to a Man of Steel sequel, but that he had moved onto other projects due to what he perceived as no progress on developing the film.[37] In November 2019, it was reported by Variety that Johns was expected to deliver his script to Warner Bros. by the end of the year, and that the film remained a priority.[38][39]

In October 2019, television producer Greg Berlanti, who was involved in several DC Comics-based series set in the Arrowverse and previously scripted the film Green Lantern (2011), was revealed to be developing a new, unrelated Green Lantern television series slated to debut on WarnerMedia's streaming service HBO Max.[40] In January 2020, Berlanti detailed the series, describing it as an anthology-style show depicting the stories of multiple Green Lantern Corps members on Earth, as well as the Sinestro Corps in space.[41] Seth-Grahame Smith and Green Lantern film co-screenwriter Marc Guggenheim were revealed as co-writers on the new series that October when HBO officially green lit the show for 10 initial episodes. The show would've featured numerous prominent Green Lanterns from the comics, including Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, Kilowog, Simon Baz and Alan Scott. However, the show's creative team were prohibited by DC from using either Hal Jordan or John Stewart due to their presence in the already in-development Green Lantern Corps film for the DCEU.[42] The following April, the show's plot was explicitly detailed, revealing its focus on Alan Scott's journey from an agent working for the FBI in the 1940's, to becoming Earth's first Green Lantern, as well as a story involving Guy Gardner in the 1980's. Actor Finn Wittrock had signed on to portray Gardner in the series shortly thereafter, while Jeremy Irvine had joined the series as Scott the following month.[43]

Plans for the series' future were altered following the completion of WarnerMedia's merger with Discovery Inc. to become Warner Bros. Discovery in April 2022, which saw new company CEO David Zaslav aiming to restructure DC Entertainment and begin a search for an equivalent producer to Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, who would oversee and spearhead a reorganized subsidiary for DC Comics-based media.[44] By October 2022, Seth-Grahame Smith officially left the project, which was by then being redeveloped to solely focus on John Stewart as the lead.[45] By the end of the month, James Gunn and Peter Safran were announced as the co-CEOs and chairmen of the newly restructured and christened DC Studios, beginning development on the initial eight-to-ten year plan for their slate of films and television series set in the new DC Universe (DCU) franchise.[46][47]

In January 2023, Gunn officially announced a new series for Max, Lanterns, as part of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters film and TV slate. The series will principally focus on Hal Jordan and John Stewart as its main protagonists as they investigate a mystery on Earth. Due to its dissociation from either Berlanti's Green Lantern show or the initial Green Lantern Corps film, it is reasonable to assume that both projects are cancelled.

Lobo[]

In September 2009, Warner Bros. announced that a film centered around Lobo was in development. The film underwent direction by Guy Ritchie, followed by Brad Peyton at different stages in the project's progression.[48][49]

In 2016, after various iterations, Jason Fuchs was hired as screenwriter.[50] By February 2018, it was announced that Warner Bros. was courting Michael Bay to direct the film. Fuchs at that point was rewriting the script, as Bay advised some changes so that the budget can be lowered considerably.[51] Nothing has been said about the project since, so it is safe to say that the project is either on hold or cancelled.

Cyborg[]

Cyborg logo

Cyborg movie logo from DC Films Presents: The Rise of the Justice League

In April 2014, Ray Fisher was cast as Victor Stone/Cyborg in the upcoming film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In October 2014, Warner Bros. announced that Fisher would star in his own solo film, Cyborg, as part of the original slate of the DC Extended Universe, with a scheduled release date of April 3, 2020. That November, Fisher stated that the cast and production team for his film would be diverse. In August 2018, Morton expressed that he believed scenes involving Silas and Victor Stone that were cut from the theatrical cut of Justice League would be reworked into Cyborg, but said he did not know when production would begin. Around the same time, Fisher expressed interest in Snyder directing the film. By December 2018, the film had officially been delayed. In April 2020, Fisher confirmed that the project was still in development, though it remained on hold.

On December 30, 2020, Ray Fisher stated he would no longer play the role of Cyborg while president Walter Hamada was in charge of DC Films, calling him a liar and enabler.[52] However, in March 2021, following the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League, Fisher said that he would be a part of a Cyborg solo film if it was directed by Zack Snyder or Rick Famuyiwa. Famuyiwa, who is a leading black director in Hollywood, had previously been attached to direct The Flash before departing the project due to "creative differences" with Warner Bros.[53]

Gotham City Sirens[]

A film featuring the supervillain team, the Gotham City Sirens, was announced in May 2016. The announcement was followed by the news that David Ayer would be directing with a script completed by Geneva Robertson-Dworet in December, with the official title being Gotham City Sirens.[54] Then in August of the next year, it was confirmed that Jared Leto would reprise his role as the Joker. Another year later work was reportedly on hold to focus on Birds of Prey, but that the project would not be canceled. It seemed Gotham City Sirens may have lost its antagonist to Birds of Prey, though this was not officially confirmed. In April 2020, Cathy Yan stated she was plotting a Birds of Prey sequel featuring Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy (two of the three prominent members of the Gotham City Sirens); however, no official announcement had been made about a new project, nor whether it might set up the Gotham City Sirens or replace the previous film plans.

Deadshot[]

Deadshot first look

Will Smith's Deadshot.

In December 2016, The Hollywood Reporter noted that a solo film centered around Floyd Lawton/Deadshot starring Will Smith was in development following the character's debut in Suicide Squad.[54] Nearly two years later in September 2018, Will Smith confirmed he would reprise his role from the film and that the story was in development.[55]

In February 2019, it was reported by Variety that Smith would not reprise his role as Deadshot for James Gunn's Suicide Squad sequel due to scheduling conflicts.[56] A month later, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Idris Elba had joined the project and was in talks to replace Smith as Deadshot.[57] However, plans changed and Gunn decided to move away from the character with Elba instead playing a different role, as Gunn and his team did not want to disrespect Smith's portrayal from Suicide Squad by recasting the character, therefore leaving the door open for him to reprise the role in the future.[58] No plans have materialized for a return since then, and the status of Deadshot's solo film is still up in the air.

Deathstroke[]

Slade Wilson unmasked

Deathstroke (Joe Manganiello) as he appeared in the end-credits scene of Justice League.

In October 2017, a film centered around Slade Wilson / Deathstroke was in development, with Gareth Evans attached as screenwriter and director and Joe Manganiello set to reprise his role from Justice League. Later that month, Warner Bros. greenlit the film after Evans impressed executives with his story pitch, which he described as dark and unforgiving, similar to Korean noir films.[59] However, over a year later in October 2018, Evans stated that he was yet to be attached to the project contractually.[60] In April 2020, Evans announced that the project had been delayed, and that he was no longer actively involved with its development. The filmmaker revealed that the story that was developed was intended to be an origin story.[61] In March 2021, Deathstroke actor Joe Manganiello revealed that executive changes within Warner Brothers that happened in late 2017 to early 2018 had led to removing priority from a potential $40 million-budget Deathstroke movie.[62]

Supergirl[]

On August 6, 2018, it was announced that Oren Uziel had been hired to write the screenplay for a Supergirl film.[63] Soon after, it was reported that Warner Bros. wanted a female director to direct the film, following a trend at DC to hire more female directors for their film projects going forward,[64] and then in September 2018, CBR reported that the film would be an origin story set in the 1970s, but that the time period could change as the project develops.[65] On May 6, 2020, it was reported by Screen Rant that the film had been put "on hold", most likely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

On April 1, 2021, The Hollywood Reporter mentioned that Supergirl was part of Warner Bros.' 2022—2023 release slate.[5]

On August 3, 2022, Rolling Stone reported that the Supergirl film was still currently in development but would likely be shelved in the wake of the shelving of the Batgirl film. Rolling Stone also asserted that the film would have spun off from The Flash film.[66]

On January 31, 2023, James Gunn announced as part of his and Peter Safran Slate as Co-CEOs of the new DC Studios a Supergirl movie called Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

Crisis on Infinite Earths[]

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, former DC Films head Walter Hamada was previously working on a crossover film that would have been built upon easter eggs and connections from upcoming DCEU projects. The film would reportedly have been inspired by the Crisis on Infinite Earths comic and would have seen Henry Cavill returning to the role of Superman.[30]

Batman Beyond[]

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, writer Christina Hodson had already started writing a Batman Beyond film. Her pitch, which had reportedly excited executives at Warner Brothers, was reported to involve Michael Keaton's Batman and Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman in a story which would see their romance continuing. Hodson was still reportedly writing for the film until two weeks after the appointment of James Gunn and Peter Safran as co-heads of DC Studios, at which point she was told to halt all writing for the project.[30]On an episode of Fat Man Beyond discussing The Flash, Kevin Smith brought up that a Batman Beyond movie was still a possibility if The Flash was to do well at the box office.

Wonder Woman 3[]

On December 8, 2022, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the film would not be moving forward[67], with director Patty Jenkins supposedly having been informed shortly beforehand. According to Deadline, Warner Brothers CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy had shown concerns over Patty Jenkins' pitch, with newly-appointed DC Comics CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran also weighing in with their own notes. Despite being given the opportunity to submit a different pitch, Patty Jenkins decided to leave after expressing her desire to stand firm with her current vision for the character. On December 14, 2022, Patty Jenkins posted a statement on Twitter, refuting the idea that she had walked away from production. According to her, she had no power to move production for the film forward due to necessary changes that were being enacted at DC at that point. Jenkins also affirmed that she had been open to considering anything asked of her for the film.

On August 2, 2023, ComicBook.com released an interview with Gal Gadot where she revealed that recent talks with James Gunn and Peter Safran seemed to indicate that the three of them would collaborate in developing Wonder Woman 3. Gadot made similar comments on at least two separate interviews completed prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike, where she quoted the words stated to her by Gunn and Safran.

However, on August 10, 2023, Collider.com and Variety reported that the film is not in development, citing anonymous sources that stated that no such promises from Gunn and Safran had been supposedly made to Gadot despite her quotes in recent interviews.[68]

Nightwing[]

In February 2017, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Chris McKay had been in negotiations with WB to direct a solo Nightwing film, with Bill Dubuque (The Accountant) writing the script. In the article, it was said that the film "joins Warner Bros.' growing DC Extended Universe as the studio focuses on mining some of DC's most beloved characters for new films." McKay had directed The Lego Batman Movie, which had been released less than two weeks prior to the announcement and featured Dick Grayson's Robin, voiced by Michael Cera. From this, many believed that the film would feature the character of Dick Grayson, the original Robin from the comics that later took the alias of Nightwing. However, this would contradict established canon as in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in which the suit of the late Dick Grayson is shown after having been killed by Joker and Harley Quinn years before the events of the film.

News about the film was very quiet for almost two years, with the failure of Justice League and the reshaping of DC Films having happened in between. In late October 2018, Chris McKay replied to a tweet suggesting that the Nightwing movie was no more, to which he replied: "No. You’re going to have to wait tho. Keep hope alive. To paraphrase Dick Grayson: Nightwing lives. Always." In June 18 of 2021, Chris McKay revealed additional details about the film, including the fact that the project was planned to have had something below a $100 million budget. According to McKay, as of that date, Warner Brothers had not yet conclusively given him any indication that the project would be halted permanently, thus making him hopeful that the project would be reprioritized at some point in the future.

On August 22, 2023, Umberto Gonzalez confirmed that the film was considered "dead".[69]

The Flash sequel[]

On October 17, 2022, The Hollywood Reported announced that a script for a sequel to The Flash had already been writen by writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick.[70] The sequel would have been greenlit if The Flash was a success. After the colosal failure of The Flash, is mostly likely that the sequel will never happen. It is unknown if the script will be revealed to the public someday.

Converted projects[]

The following were almost part of the DCEU, but were later converted into separate projects.

Green Lantern[]

GL2011

The Green Lanterns from the 2011 film.

The 2011 film starring Ryan Reynolds was intended to launch DC's cinematic universe, but poor reception caused Warner Bros to put some distance between it and Man of Steel, instead allowing the latter to be the first entry into the DCEU. Man of Steel, a Green Lantern sequel, and a Flash film were all underway at the time, all intended to connect to a greater universe, but the Green Lantern sequel was cancelled and the Flash project entered development hell, where it remained for an entire decade.[71]

Krypton[]

Krypton was a live-action television series for Syfy network developed by David S. Goyer (who also wrote Man of Steel), running for two seasons from 2018. There is evidence that Goyer originally started producing the series as a prequel to Man of Steel, but along the way it was separated from the existing universe. There is nothing conclusive, but there are a number of interviews wherein Goyer speaks of Krypton as a continuation of his work on Man of Steel, confirming such details as the events of Krypton taking place two-hundred years before those of Man of Steel.[72]

KryptonSyfy

Krypton from Syfy.

Krypton largely maintains a similar aesthetic for the planet as Man of Steel's Krypton, as well as shared technology that differs from more traditional depictions of Krypton. The command keys used in both series are the same size and shape, and used the same ways. While the two versions initially appeared to use the same metallic material in early promotional content for the series, Krypton later changed its command key to a translucent blue material, perhaps to separate the two. There are articles confirming the early promotional material also shared the Man of Steel logo, though both the command key and logo have since been removed and replaced with the slightly different versions that can be seen in the trailers that remain available. Krypton also carried over the use of genesis chambers from Man of Steel, which introduced them to Superman lore.

David Ayer's Suicide Squad[]

Katana Evil

Katana is taken over by Enchantress.

The Ayer cut of Suicide Squad, sometimes referred to as David Ayer's Suicide Squad due to its production parallels with Zack Snyder's Justice League (and lack of an official name for itself), is an alternate cut of the film, edited directly by David Ayer. The theatrical version was put together with parts of Ayer's film, as well as parts over which Ayer confirms he did not have control over. The only major difference is the Joker's presence during the final battle, with most of the changes setting the tone and feel apart from the theatrical version. There are no official plans to release the Ayer cut, but fans remain hopeful, especially since Ayer's confirmation that the remaining work is mostly on VFX, making the project a viable possibility for a release on Max.[73]

On March 22, 2021, in an interview with Variety, Ann Sarnoff, the head of Warner Bros. stated that they would not be developing David Ayer's cut.[74]

On November 7, 2022, James Gunn, the new co-head of DC Studios, acknowledged the fan support for the release of the Ayer Cut, stating that he and his fellow co-head Peter Safran were keeping their options open to suggestions going forward.[75]

The Batman[]

The Batman - first look 2

Robert Pattinson's Batman.

Released in 2022, The Batman is a project that went through a great many changes during its production, ultimately becoming an entirely different project than originally intended. The original project was to be directed, written, produced by, and star Ben Affleck, featuring Deathstroke as the primary villain, but due to various studio changes, Ben Affleck left the project. Matt Reeves was pulled in to direct the movie, and wrote a new story, set in a different point of Batman's career with a different set of villains. While the original project was confirmed to be intended for the DCEU in 2017, the new project was finally confirmed to be the start of a new universe in July 2020.[76]

Having currently split from the DCEU, The Batman content has been separated into its own wiki at The Batman Universe.

However, in December 14, 2022, Variety reported that a source had revealed that DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran were currently exploring the possibility of integrating The Batman's continuity into the wider continuity of the DCEU.[77] James Gunn later debunked the claim, stating that the claim was entirely untrue.[78]

Previously converted projects[]

These are projects that had previously been converted into something else, but were reinstated, resulting in two projects.

Unconfirmed canon[]

The projects contained here are those whose canon is currently unknown, but may be part of the DCEU.

Blackhawk[]

In April 2018, it was announced that Steven Spielberg would be producing a film based the character Blackhawk. Spielberg had confirmed that he would begin work on the project until after Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and West Side Story. David Koepp was set to write.[79]

Saïd Taghmaoui posted a photo of himself next to the titular character about a year and a half later, although there was never any confirmation that he had been cast.

In March of 2022, writer David Koepp offered more updates on the film. He clarified that ongoing management changes within Warner Brothers had made them wary of pushing the film into development, choosing instead to wait. Koepp remained hopeful about either Spielberg or another talented director shepherding the estimated $200 million project. Koepp also clarified that the script had actually been written as a standalone film that wouldn't be immediately set in the DC Extended Universe due to its time setting. Koepp however noted that they were open to the possibility of a future crossover with the DCEU if there was a demand.[80]

Strange Adventures[]

In October 2019, Max announced that it would be creating a one-hour drama anthology series that would "feature characters from across the DC canon". It was to be executive produced by Greg Berlanti and would feature at least one episode written by Eric Carrasco and Kevin Smith. In 2022, Kevin Smith confirmed that the series had been cancelled. He also revealed additional details about his and Carrasco's episode which would have focused on a story where Perry White and Jimmy Olsen would have been taken to Bizzarroworld by Bizarro.[81]

Plastic Man[]

On December 7, 2018, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that an action-adventure film based on Plastic Man was being produced, with writer Amanda Idoko attached to pen the script, and Bob Shaye as the film's executive producer. At the time, the project was in its early stages, and the film had not yet begun to find a director.[82] On December 4, 2020, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Cat Vasko has been attached to pen the script for "a female-centric" Plastic Man movie.[83]

Metal Men[]

On December 3, 2021, it was revealed by The Hollywood Reporter that Ron Clements, John Musker and Celeste Ballard were writing an animated film adaptation of the Metal Men comics. Clements and Musker would also serve as producers on the project while also looking to possibly direct the film. Craig Peck and Allison Abbate would serve as producers on the project.[84]

In a meeting with Warner Brothers CEO David Zaslav about the planned future of the DC Universe projects, DC Studios co-head James Gunn mentioned that he had a penchant for such characters like the Metal Men.[85]

Static Shock[]

Static Shock logo

Static Shock logo.

On August 22, 2020, it was announced at DC FanDome that a Static Shock movie was officially in development. The project will be a collaboration between DC Films, Warner Bros. and Milestone Media.[86] By October of the same year, Michael B. Jordan joined the production team as co-producer alongside Reginald Hudlin.[13]

On March 26, 2021, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Randy McKinnon had been hired to pen the script for the feature film.[87]

On October 17, 2021, during the DC Fandome event, Denys Cowan and Reggie Hudlin confirmed that the project was still ongoing with Randy McKinnon and Michael B. Jordan involved.[88]

Aqualad[]

On April 8, 2022, Variety revealed that Max was developing an Aqualad dramedy series based upon the YA Graphic novel You Brought Me the Ocean. The series would focus on Jackson "Jake" Hyde, a gay teenager living in New Mexico who has a strange attraction to water and is also falling in love with his high school swim captain, Kenny Liu. Charlize Theron, A.J. Dix, Beth Kono, and Andrew Haas were onboard as executive producers.[89]

Hourman[]

On March 17, 2021, a live action film based on Hourman was revealed to be in development. Gavin James And Neil Widener are writing for the Chernin Entertainment production. Canonicity has yet to be revealed.[90]

Constantine 2[]

On February 7, 2023, Entertainment Weekly reported that the sequel to the 2005 Constantine film was still in the works, even amidst the announced plans by DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn. It is currently unknown what continuity this project is planned to be part of, apart from the first Constantine film.[91] It was later announced that Akiva Goldsman would be writing for the film as part of a new deal with Warner Bros. Goldsman confirmed that he would be working with director Francis Lawrence and collaborating with J.J. Abrams in some capacity.[92] On November 21, 2023, The Hollywood Reporter released an interview with Francis Lawrence where he revealed that the film was still in the very start of its writing process due to the recently-concluded Writer's Strike, and that writing work on it would likely resume after the Thanksgiving season.[93]

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