Back in August 2014, Warner Bros. tried to draw attention away from its decision to move Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice out of competition with the third Captain America movie by announcing the release dates for nine unidentified films from the DC Comics universe. During this week’s Time Warner Investor Day, Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara finally revealed the identities of the aforementioned films, offering a glimpse at the studio’s grand plans for the big-screen component of the DC Comics universe.
The next few years will be busy ones for WB, with Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice kicking things off in March 2016, followed by Suicide Squad on August 5, 2016. Directed by David Ayer (Fury, End Of Watch), Suicide Squad would appear to be inspired by the DC Comics series of the same name about a team of supervillains forced to undertake dangerous missions for the government.
The following year, Gal Gadot will reprise her role from Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice in a Wonder Woman solo movie, premiering June 23, 2017. That will be followed by The Justice League, Part One on November 10, 2017. The latter film will be directed by Zack Snyder, who has become the de facto architect of DC Comics’ cinematic universe.
In 2018, actor Ezra Miller (The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, We Need To Talk About Kevin) will portray DC’s scarlet speedster in the March 23 film The Flash, which is expected to diverge from the television incarnation of the character that debuted this month in his own, live-action series. This news in particular makes it relatively clear that the television side of the live-action DC Comics universe will exist independently from the big-screen projects, and the casting of Miller — who’s generally known for playing angsty, brooding characters — may indicate that the film will echo the darker, grim-and-gritty tone established by Man Of Steel.
Also arriving in theaters that year will be Aquaman, the long-rumored solo film featuring Jason Momoa as DC’s King of Atlantis, which is scheduled for a July 27 premiere.
In 2019, Dwayne Johnson will play the villain Black Adam in Shazam, which hits theaters April 5. That will be followed by Justice League, Part Two on on June 14, 2019, which will also be directed by Snyder.
Ray Fisher will then star in Cyborg, which hits theaters April 3, 2020, and puts the spotlight on the Justice League’s cybernetic superhero. Fisher is expected to make his debut as the character in Batman V. Superman, though it may be pushed to the first Justice League movie.
The slate will be capped off by a reboot of Green Lantern on June 19, 2020.
Just to recap, here’s how the schedule looks:
- March 25, 2016 – Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice
- August 5, 2016 – Suicide Squad
- June 23, 2017 – Wonder Woman
- November 10, 2017 – Justice League, Part One
- March 23, 2018 – The Flash
- July 27, 2018 – Aquaman
- April 5, 2019 – Shazam
- June 14, 2019 – Justice League, Part Two
- April 3, 2020 – Cyborg
- June 19, 2020 – Green Lantern
While the studio’s plans have already generated quite a bit of debate, one thing’s certain: Fans of superhero movies have no shortage of options over the next few years.
