As the DC Universe rounds into shape following Superman‘s strong box office performance, fans now know how many new DC movies they can expect to see in theaters each year. The number might be smaller than what some people were expecting. In a letter to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders (via Deadline), CEO David Zaslav provided a breakdown of what the company’s annual theatrical slate will look like moving forward. WBD hopes to release between 12-14 new movies “across its four key labels,” only 1-2 of which will be DC Studios productions.
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Superman, the first theatrical DCU title, is also DC Studios’ lone big-screen release of the year. Looking ahead to 2026, Supergirl and Clayface are the two movies on the slate. 2027 will see the premiere of the long-awaited The Batman Part II, which is finally gearing up to start production after enduring numerous delays. Though The Batman Part II is set in a continuity separate from the mainline DCU, it still counts as a DC Studios project.
No DC films have been officially added to the calendar beyond The Batman Part II, but there are several movies in various stages of development. The Batman-centric feature The Brave and the Bold and a new Wonder Woman film are currently being written. In his letter, Zaslav also shared that DC Studios co-head and Superman director James Gunn is busy writing “the next movie in the Super family,” though he didn’t have details about what that movie could entail.
Gunn has noted that it will likely be several years before audiences see key Justice League members join the DCU. He does not want The Brave and the Bold to open in the same calendar year as The Batman Part II. Gunn is also planning on having Aquaman and the Flash sit on the sidelines for a bit after both of those characters headlined solo movies in 2023. He’s routinely debunked rumors purporting DC Studios is in the process of casting the DCU’s Batman and Wonder Woman, saying nothing will move forward until a script is complete.
Whether DC Studios is releasing enough movies per year depends on your perspective. Some fans would probably like to see increased output, quickly fleshing out the shared universe as Gunn and Co. build to a Justice League film. There are several characters who can carry a feature, and DC Studios is arguably restricting itself with a 1-2 movie limit. However, a case can be made WBD’s plan is for the best. Marvel Studios, which dominated the entertainment landscape throughout the 2010s, overextended itself in the post-Endgame era and saw diminished returns. Kevin Feige is now looking to scale back, prioritizing quality over quantity. It seems like DC Studios is following that playbook as well, which should help it continue to leave a positive impression on viewers.
A couple of movies per year (plus the occasional TV show like Lanterns) is the perfect amount of content to appeal to die-hard fans and casual audiences alike. There will be enough new titles releasing annually to keep DC in the public consciousness, but the slate shouldn’t become overbearing. Marvel realized it had become too much like homework to keep up with its sprawling shared universe, which is something Gunn wants to avoid. It shouldn’t come as a surprise DC Studios is targeting just 1-2 theatrical releases per year. Gunn’s script mandate means it’ll be a while before each project is ready to go, and hopefully that commitment to quality will pave the way for a very fruitful slate.
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