Roughly one year after Superman, the DC Universe is back in theaters this summer with Supergirl. After making an amusing and memorable cameo at the end of Superman, Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El is now front and center, cementing her place as one of the most important characters in the DCU moving forward. Unfortunately, Supergirl seems unlikely to match its predecessor’s success, with mixed reviews and an underwhelming opening weekend at the box office. Despite those disappointing results, Supergirl is poised to simply be a bump in the road for the DCU. Alcock is still a star as Kara (her performance is arguably the signature highlight of Supergirl), and DC Studios has plenty more projects on the way.
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These days, it isn’t enough to simply be a shared universe in movie theaters. With streaming services, studios have the ability to tell stories on TV as well, and DC is taking full advantage of that with its upcoming slate. Here are all of the DCU movies and TV shows that are releasing following Supergirl.
1) Lanterns (August 16th)
Fans don’t have much longer to wait before their next trip to the DCU. Arriving on HBO Max this summer is the TV series Lanterns, which marks the first time the Green Lantern IP has been the main focus of a live-action project since the ill-fated 2011 feature film. The series stars Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively, two human members of the Green Lantern Corp. who find themselves investigating a murder that took place in a small town. The veteran Hal is showing the younger John the ropes, setting the stage for a tense mentor/mentee dynamic.
Throughout its marketing campaign, Lanterns has proven to be quite divisive. Some people aren’t fully onboard with the show’s grounded, True Detective-inspired approach, while others think that’s a refreshing angle that helps the series stand out from other comic book adaptations. There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about Lanterns, so it will be interesting to see what the response is when the series finally debuts in a couple of months. James Gunn has teased that Lanterns “is really important in setting up things” in the DCU, so hopefully it turns out for the best.
2) Clayface (October 23rd)
Supergirl isn’t the only new DCU film audiences will see this year. October is when Clayface hits theaters. Directed by James Watkins, the film tells the story of Matt Hagen, an actor whose face is horribly disfigured after a traumatic accident. Desperate, he enlists the help of a scientist who transforms Matt’s body into clay, allowing him to mold himself into anything. Clayface marks a departure for the DCU in the sense that it’s a mid-budget ($40 million), R-rated body horror movie that’s aiming to be as gruesome and disturbing as possible. Clayface wasn’t originally part of DC Studios’ slate, but James Gunn gave it the green light when he was impressed by writer Mike Flanagan’s pitch.
Clayface doesn’t feature premier DC characters like Superman or Batman (despite taking place in Gotham City), but it’s still a significant release for the still-young DCU. If Clayface is successful, it opens the door for DC Studios to make more films like this — ones that take a chance by doing something unique in the realm of comic book adaptations. In the past, Gunn has spoken about his desire to embrace what makes the comics so special, telling a wide variety of stories that can be drastically different in tone. Clayface is the first real test on that front, so it would be great if it worked.
3) Man of Tomorrow (July 9, 2027)
Shortly after Superman became a hit last summer, James Gunn quickly announced plans for the follow-up. Arriving in theaters next summer is Man of Tomorrow, which boasts a catchy hook that’s already generating excitement. Archenemies Superman and Lex Luthor will be forced to set aside their differences and form an uneasy alliance to deal with the threat of the villainous Brainiac, one of the most iconic members of Superman’s rogues’ gallery who’s finally making his live-action debut. Gunn has teased that Man of Tomorrow is going to do a deep dive into Lex’s character, implying that the film’s title could be referring to either Luthor or Kal-El. Lex could feel as if he is the man of tomorrow who is best-equipped to save Earth from a dangerous foe, proving he is mightier than Superman.
Other than a showdown against Brainiac, much about the Man of Tomorrow plot is being kept under wraps (though set photos have confirmed the presence of Lex’s battle suit). While story details are unknown, it looks like Man of Tomorrow is going to play an integral role in fleshing out the DC Universe moving forward. It’s already been confirmed that Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart and Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El will be making appearances, so Superman won’t be the only hero running around. It’ll be interesting to see how Man of Tomorrow lays the groundwork for what’s to come while also telling its own self-contained story.
4) The Batman Part II (October 1, 2027)
It’s been a long time coming, but the sequel to Matt Reeves’ The Batman is finally off the ground. After multiple delays, The Batman Part II has started production ahead of its release date next fall. Once again, Reeves is calling the shots behind the camera, guiding a cast that’s a combination of returning faces from the first film (Robert Pattinson, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, Jeffrey Wright) and high-profile newcomers (Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Brian Tyree Henry). Ahead of rolling cameras, Reeves took to social media to confirm all the members of the ensemble, sparking a new wave of fan theories as viewers try to determine who everyone is playing.
As is the case with Man of Tomorrow, The Batman Part II plot details are under lock and key. In lieu of official information, there have been contrasting bits of speculation. The long-running rumor has been that Stan is portraying the latest on-screen iteration of Harvey Dent, with Johansson playing Dent’s wife Gilda and Charles Dance as Harvey’s father. However, more recent reports have suggested Stan is instead playing Victor Zsasz and Henry is onboard to be Dent. It’ll be interesting to see what’s confirmed when we get more looks at The Batman Part II, though it’ll likely be a while before a trailer is released.
5) Creature Commandos Season 2 (TBC)
Superman was the main event that kicked off the DC Universe’s film slate, but it didn’t mark the beginning of the new DCU canon. That honor fell to Creature Commandos, an animated series that premiered on HBO Max in December 2024. The show got the franchise off to a strong start, with the first season earning an impressive 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes (with much praise being given to James Gunn’s signature handling of outsider characters, heart and humor). Unsurprisingly, Creature Commandos was renewed for a second season, which is currently coming through the pipeline.
Creature Commandos Season 2 does not have an official release date as of this writing. Showrunner Dean Lorey has said “they put it on a fast track,” indicating that the project is a priority for DC Studios and Warner Bros. However, it’s important to keep in mind that animation can be a lengthy process, and after Creature Commandos Season 1 was well-received, the last thing anyone wants to do is rush Season 2 out the door. Conceivably, new episodes could arrive later this year, or perhaps fans will have to wait until 2027. Knowing that the next season is actively being worked on is encouraging nonetheless.
6) The Brave and the Bold (TBC)
The Batman Part II isn’t the only new Batman movie DC Studios is working on. Matt Reeves’ Batman Epic Crime Saga takes place in its own continuity that’s separate from the DCU, so Gunn and Co. are giving the shared universe its own Dark Knight with The Brave and the Bold, directed by Andy Muschietti. In the past, Gunn has admitted Batman is a problem he needs to figure out, but DC Studios might have cracked the code. The Brave and the Bold should differentiate itself from Reeves’ films by placing more of an emphasis on the Bat Family. The story is believed to revolve around Bruce Wayne connecting with his son Damian, though Gunn has cautioned things might have changed.
Besides the identity of the actor who will play the DCU’s Batman, the biggest question regarding The Brave and the Bold is the release date. Gunn has said he doesn’t want it to come out in the same calendar year as The Batman Part II, so a 2027 release would have been out of the question even if the project was ready to move forward. One would imagine Gunn would want to keep The Brave and the Bold separated from Reeves’ third Batman film as well, so perhaps it could come out in 2028 or 2029, depending on how things progress behind the scenes.
7) Wonder Woman Reboot (TBC)
Superman has been the face of the DCU so far, but he (hopefully) will soon be joined by the other two members of DC’s Trinity. In addition to The Brave and the Bold, there’s a new Wonder Woman movie in development. A director hasn’t been attached yet, but Supergirl writer Ana Nogueira is onboard to pen the script. Gunn has confirmed casting won’t begin until the screenplay is complete (which is standard practice for DC Studios), but fans shouldn’t expect to see Gal Gadot back in any capacity. This will be a fresh start for Wonder Woman on the big screen.
Like The Brave and the Bold, this new Wonder Woman film doesn’t have a release date yet. That will depend on the development of the script. If it comes together quickly, then Wonder Woman could be moved up the priority list, but if it takes Nogueira a while to crack the story, the film could be pushed on the back burner to give her additional time. Man of Tomorrow is the only upcoming DCU movie officially scheduled on the release calendar, so it’ll be interesting to see when DC Studios unveils more of its slate.
8) Other Animated DC Shows & Movies
In addition to the bevy of live-action projects DC has in the works, they’re also developing several animated series, some of which were only recently announced during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in late June. Besides the return of Creature Commandos, arguably the biggest show on the slate is Mister Miracle, an adult animated series that adapts Tom King’s famous comic book storyline. It’s here where the DCU’s version of Darkseid will be unveiled, confirming that DC isn’t looking to copy the old Marvel Studios playbook by building up to a showdown against Darkseid in the live-action movies.
On the film side, the main attraction is an adaptation of Batman: Knightfall. Check out a list of more upcoming animated shows and movies in the space below:
- Mister Miracle (undated)
- Absolute Batman (undated)
- Krypto (undated)
- Joker: Laugh Riot (undated)
- Batman: Knightfall (coming soon)
- My Adventures with Green Lantern (undated)
- Starfire (undated)
- Super Powers (undated)
- Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2 (July 31st)
- Dynamic Duo (June 30, 2028)
9) Other Upcoming DC Live-Action TV Shows
With Peacemaker and Lanterns already under its belt, DC Studios has more live-action TV shows in various stages of development. None of these projects have confirmed release dates, however, as Gunn and Co. figure out the best way to iron out the slate moving forward. Since Gunn made the original announcement of the Gods and Monsters slate three years ago, a lot has changed, so some projects have been pushed back. It sounds like the one that’s further along is the untitled Jimmy Olsen/Gorilla Grodd series, which Peter Safran has confirmed will shoot this year.
There’s no telling when any of these could hit the screen, or if they’ll even see the light of day, depending on how things go during development. Check out the list of upcoming live-action DC shows in the space below:
- Untitled Jimmy Olsen/Gorilla Grodd series
- Booster Gold
- Untitled Blue Beetle series
- Waller
- Paradise Lost
10) Other Upcoming DC Live-Action Movies
DC Studios is focusing on more than just the Trinity for its film slate. However, similar to the upcoming TV shows, all of these in-development movies do not have release dates yet. Some of them have even been put on hold due to behind-the-scenes issues (like Sgt. Rock, which had Colin Farrell and Luca Guadagnino attached at one point). It remains to be seen if any of these will actually happen (like everything, it depends on the script), but there are reports out there that have said all of these movies are being worked on.
There have been reports suggesting DC Studios is only targeting 1-2 film releases per year in an effort to favor quality over quantity. Assuming that’s still the plan, fans may have to wait a few years at least to see a few of these. Here’s a list of undated DC live-action movies:
- Sgt. Rock (on hold)
- The Authority (on hold)
- Untitled Bane and Deathstroke film
- Untitled Teen Titans film
- Swamp Thing
- The Batman Part III
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