Everything Announced in James Gunn’s New DC Slate

With Disney betting heavily on its Marvel and Star Wars franchises, WarnerMedia is stepping up to the plate with a new and improved DC slate with even more movies and TV shows on the way.

James Gunn and Peter Safran, the new co-CEOs of DC Studios, recently revealed their multi-year plan for the comic book franchise, with a range of new movies and TV projects featuring DC characters in what is being called ‘Chapter 1’ of the new DCU.

Here’s which DC movies and TV shows are coming out in 2023 and beyond.

All the upcoming DC movies and TV shows

New DC movies

Shazam:! Fury of the Gods

Following Black Adam’s debut in 2022, we’ll be seeing his nemesis Shazam in the sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Zackary Levi is back as the titular hero who will be facing off against the three powerful daughters of Atlas, two of which are played by Herren Mirren and Lucy Liu.

Release Date: March 16, 2023

The Flash

Ezra Miller gets his first solo outing as the fastest man alive in The Flash.

The movie promises to dive into some wild multiverse time travel as Barry attempts to go back in time and rescue his mother from death. The results apparently summon both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck’s Batman to help, along with Sasha Calle’s Supergirl.

This movie will also serve as a reset for the DCU as we know it, making way for the new slate that Gunn and Safran have devised.

Release Date: June 25, 2023

Blue Beetle

The Blue Beetle movie stars Xolo Mariduena as Jaime Reyes, a teenager from El Paso who is given a superpowered exo suit by the Blue Beetle scarab.

The film was originally set to be released on HBO Max but will now reportedly have a theatrical release in August 2023.

Release date: August 17, 2023

Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom

The sequel to 2018’s Aquaman sees Jason Momoa return once again as the King of Atlantis. This time, Aquaman forges an uneasy alliance to protect Atlantis and goes on a world-hopping adventure to new and mysterious locations. He also gets an upgraded black suit, so you know things are getting serious now.

Release Date: December 26, 2023

Joker: Folie à Deux

Joker shocked the world a few years ago when it became one of the first DC movies to flood awards ceremonies with critical acclaim, even earning an Oscar for Joaquin Phoenix’s performance.

Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that Joker is getting a sequel titled Folie à Deux with director Todd Phillips returning as well as Phoenix. A major new addition to the sequel will be Lady Gaga, who is reportedly playing Harley Quinn.

Release date: October 3, 2024

Superman Legacy

James Gunn’s crown jewel is a reboot of DC’s golden boy, Superman. In Superman Legacy, Clark Kent will be focused on balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. This film is described as the true beginning of the new DCU.

Release date: July 11, 2025

The Batman – Part II

After the massive success of Matt Reeves’ standalone The Batman with Robert Pattinson, it was only natural that a sequel would be confirmed.

That happened at CinemaCon earlier in 2022 with the announcement that Reeves and Pattinson would both be returning. It’s still early days but The Batman Part II is moving along and will be part of DC’s ‘Elseworlds’ umbrella, meaning it will sit outside the main DCU.

Release date: October 3, 2025

The Brave and the Bold

Speaking of Batman, we can expect more from the caped crusader in the new DCU’s The Brave and the Bold. The film will tell the story of Batman and his son Damian Wayne and how they begin the iconic Bat Family. This film will star neither Robert Pattinson nor Ben Affleck as Dark Knight.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

DC still has plans for Supergirl after her appearance in The Flash (although it could be a different actor wearing the cape). Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is described by Gunn as a science fiction epic film based on Tom King’s run of comics. It will show explore Supergirl is a much more jaded character than her cousin, having grown up on Krypton for a large part of her life.

The Authority

The Authority is an interesting one, exploring a group of heroes who go to extreme lengths (and methods) to protect the planet. This is described by Gunn as a very different type of superhero story, and one that isn’t just about the good guys vs the bad guys.

Swamp Thing

James Gunn is going full horror with his ideas for Swamp Thing, an origin story that will reveal more about the monstrous DC character.

What is the correct order to watch all the DCEU films?

Before you dive into all these new DC movies in 2022, you might want to catch up on your history, particularly in the DCEU.

While certain films like The Batman and DC League of Super-Pets exist outside the DCEU, a lot of the other films build on what’s come before, so it’s important to catch up on the story so far.

Here’s the chronological viewing order of all the DCEU films to date:

• Wonder Woman
• Wonder Woman 1984
• Man of Steel
• Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice
• Suicide Squad
• Justice League
• Zack Snyder’s Justice League (not canon)
• Aquaman
• Shazam!
• Birds of Prey
• The Suicide Squad
• Black Adam

Following this year’s release of The Flash, which will act as a reset for the universe, you can consider every movie and show that comes afterwards to be part of the “new DCU”.

TV shows

The Penguin

Colin Farrell’s transformation into Oswald Cobblepot in The Batman drew so much attention that Warner Bros was keen to commission a limited series in his name.

Matt Reeves and Farrell are on board as executive producers for the series, which will track Cobblepot’s rise to become the infamous Penguin in this new gritty Batman universe.

The Sandman – Season 2

It’s often forgotten that The Sandman exists under the DC umbrella (although it’s very much outside of the DCU), but Neil Gaiman’s hugely successful collection of fantasy graphic novels has more than one reference to the DC universe.

In 2022, The Sandman received its long-awaited live-action adaptation with Tom Sturridge taking on the role of the dream lord Morpheus. It was one of the most popular shows on Netflix and a Season 2 of the series was quickly confirmed.

Creature Commandos

One of the first series to make up James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC universe is Creature Commandos. The series will be animated, with Gunn writing, and will feature the same actors in both animation and any further live-action projects.

The story follows Rick Flagg Sr., Dr Phosphorus, Nina Mazursky, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, G.I. Robot and Weasel. Sounds like another team of ragtag individuals that will thrive under Gunn’s supervision.

Waller

One actor who will continue her role in the new DC universe is Viola Davis. her character Amanda Waller will star in a new show titled Waller from the team behind Peacemaker. The series is expected to be a direct follow-up to the events of Peacemaker Season one.

Lanterns

A Green Lantern TV series has been kicking around in the background for a while now, but Gunn and Safran reaffirmed it will be moving forward in their interconnected new DC universe.

The series, Lanterns, will feature two Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan and John Stewart, who act kind of like space cops and get caught up in a “True Detective-style” mystery while watching over Earth.

Paradise Lost

Wonder Woman’s journey may be on hold for now but her land of Themyscira is the focus of the new series Paradise Lost. The series will apparently be a Game of Thrones-style look at the inhabitants of the mythical land of all-women warriors, and delve into their politics and origin stories.

Booster Gold

Booster Gold is kind of like DC’s equivalent of Marvel’s Star-Lord. He’s charismatic, a bit goofy and desperate for love. This will all be explored in a new TV series that sees Booster Gold, a loser from the future, return to the present day to become a superhero so that people will love and adore him.

You can get more details on the new DC’s first chapter, Gods and Monsters, in James Gunn’s announcement below.

If that wasn’t enough new DC movies and TV shows to add to your is this year, then check out our list of the other major movie releases you must see in 2023.

This article has been updated since its original publish date.