Rumor: Warner Bros. To Release Four Batman Movies In One Year

Fans of the DC Comics live-action films have been through a lot lately. There’s plenty of reason to celebrate, with Wonder Woman and Justice League both arriving in theaters in 2017 and Aquaman set to begin filming soon.

However, there’s some trepidation about the DCEU’s future as well. The Flash movie has struggled to keep a director at the helm. The Batman seemed to be in a state of flux for a time. There have still been no firm plans announced for the Man of Steel sequel. Aquaman was delayed.

However, there may be a reason to hope, especially if you’re a fan of Batman. Information about DC Films’ upcoming film plans has supposedly leaked out via 4chan onto Reddit. We’re going to be covering what these rumors supposedly reveal, but be sure to take everything here with a heaping helping of salt as none of it has been verified.

According to the rumors, either Suicide Squad 2 or Dark Universe will take the October 5, 2018, release date that Aquaman vacated when it moved into December of the same year.

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The rumors also state that Mel Gibson is no longer the frontrunner to direct Suicide Squad 2. Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows) and Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) are supposedly now the top candidates. The rumors also state that the script for Suicide Squad 2 is being written from a pitch by Suicide Squad writer/director David Ayer and will introduce Killer Frost as a new female lead, replacing Harley Quinn.

The script for Dark Universe is currently undergoing final rewrites. The film is still based on Guillermo Del Toro’s treatment but has been altered to better fit into the DC Extended Universe as it now exists. If director Doug Liman’s schedule permits, filming could begin as soon as this summer.

Should Matthew Vaughn sign on to direct the Man of Steel sequel, he will most likely also write the film.

Jonathan Levine (Warm Bodies) is in talks to direct The Flash, which will likely be given a 2020 release date. DC Films plans to have four films in total on the release schedule for 2020, with two of them being big blockbusters and the other two being more modestly budgeted films.

DC Entertainment has big plans for Batman’s 80th anniversary in 2019, according to the rumors. These plans include releasing two Batman-centric DC Universe Animated Original Movies, including one based on Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.

But the bigger Batman rumor is that DC Films plans to celebrate Batman’s 80th anniversary by releasing four Batman-themed movies in 2019. Continue reading through the following pages for more rumored information on all four.

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Gotham City Sirens

According to the rumored leak, the first Batman movie of 2019 will be Gotham City Sirens, releasing on Valentine’s Day weekend.

Gotham City Sirens was first announced by Warner Bros in December 2016 as a spinoff of Suicide Squad. Based on the DC Comics series of the same name, the film is being fast-tracked and will see Margot Robbie reprise her role as Harley Quinn and serve as an executive producer. Suicide Squad director David Ayer will re-team with Robbie to direct Gotham City Sirens. Geneva Dworet-Robertson will write the screenplay.

Catwoman and Poison Ivy, the other two stars of the Gotham City Sirens comic book series, are expected to join Harley Quinn in the film, though it’s unclear if the movie will adapt any particular storyline from the comics. Black Mask, a fixture of organized crime in Gotham City in the DC Comics Universe, is rumored to be the film’s main antagonist. Filming is expected to begin this summer, with casting announcements coming soon.

Nightwing

Nightwing is said to be the second film planned for Batman’s 80th anniversary, releasing Memorial Day weekend.

The report also suggests that Grant Wilson may be the antagonist of the Nightwing movie. In the DC Comics universe, Grant Wilson is the original Ravager and the older son of Deathstroke, Slade Wilson. In his original incarnation, Wilson was killed while trying to assassinate the Teen Titans, Nightwing’s team of young superheroes. Wilson’s death was a major motivator for Deathstroke’s enmity towards Nightwing and the Titans.

In the DC Comics New 52 Universe, Grant Wilson and his father are too busy trying to kill each other to bother with the Teen Titans.

The movie will supposedly see Wilson hired to take out the organized crime bosses of Bludhaven, the city that Nightwing protects.

The Nightwing movie was first announced in February, with Bill Dubuque writing the script and The LEGO Batman Movie director Chris McKay in negotiations to make his live-action directing debut.

Batgirl

The third Batman movie release of 2016 would be Batgirl, slated for August.

The Batgirl movie was just announced in March 2017. Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the director of Marvel’s The Avengers, is expected to write, produce, and direct the film.

The Batgirl movie is said to feature Barbara Gordon as the main protagonist. It is also rumored to use Gail Simone’s New 52 run on the Batgirl comic series as an inspirational starting point.

Barbara Gordon is the most iconic version of Batgirl and the most well-known to the non-comics-reading public due to her portrayal by Yvonne Craig on the classic Batman live-action television show and her appearances in Batman: The Animated Series. For a time she was paralyzed and operated as the information and tech hero Oracle, but the transition to the New 52 saw her ability to use her legs return, which led to her to taking up the Batgirl persona once more.

The Batman

And of course, the main event of Batman’s 80th anniversary would have to be the first Batman solo movie to take place in the DC Extended Universe, The Batman.

According to rumors, new director Matt Reeves has a different, grander vision for The Batman than was originally planned when Ben Affleck was on board as director (Affleck will still star in the film as Bruce Wayne).

Reeves wants The Batman to feature the Batman family, meaning we should expect at least Nightwing and Batgirl to make appearances. He also wants the movie to feature most of Batman’s rogues’ gallery, meaning we may get more of Harley Quinn and Jared Leto’s Joker. Deathstroke would also be a part of the film, just not as the primary antagonist.

However, Batman will first appear in Justice League later this year.