Flying high after the recent success of Aquaman, DC and Warner Bros. are aiming high and setting their sights on franchises that will utilize the best DC’s expansive superhero roster has to offer. There’s good news for fans hoping for more information on the future of Justice League member solo films and rumors swirling about DC franchises that may get their first silver screen treatment. Let’s take a look at what’s changed for DC films so far in 2019. Here is the latest update of all of the announcements and rumors that have released from February 22-March 21.
Shazam!’s second trailer (as seen above) shows fans just how difficult Billy Batson will have it while learning about his powers. The movie, which will debut on April 5, is a comedy rich take on superhero blockbusters while still having plenty of action.
A new TV clip shows Shazam and villain Dr. Sivana facing off and fuels the (mostly well-founded) rumors that Shazam! Will use inspiration from Dr. Sivana’s New 52 appearances. Dr. Sivana actor, Mark Strong, spoke to Comicbook.com about the role last year confirming that this is the version of the character that will be featured in the film.
In other Shazam! News, Smallville alumni John Glover will be playing the father of a villain yet again. He’s known to DC fans as Lionel Luthor, father of Lex Luthor, from the popular Superman prequel series. Nothing else about his character has been revealed but both the director and producer are already geared up for a sequel, so it’s safe to assume the finished product will be worth seeing.
The Flash solo film starring Ezra Miller is finally making some progress. Miller recently said in an interview that like Barry Allen, The Flash may be late to the party, but he’ll be worth the wait. Additionally, Miller revealed that this movie will launch an entirely new universe and not just for the DC multiverse but a speedster multiverse. Miller is reportedly working on the darker script with Grant Morrison as a bid to keep his role in the franchise. The actor is certainly passionate about the role but his vision for the film does not fit the lighthearted tone the studio is trying to capture. Whether or not Miller will remain the star of the film remains to be seen.
The Flash has also picked up Michael Disco as a producer. Disco’s new company, The Disco Factory, is taking on The Flash and several other projects in hopes of launching a lucrative new creative studio. Disco will be moving on from New Line Cinema, but it’s clear that he’s a heavy hitter to industry insiders. And while it seems to be that Warner Bros. is trying to move full force into getting the Flash in theaters, a new rumor suggests the film could start filming as early as November.
Cyborg actor Ray Fisher is reportedly also on the chopping block after Justice League. Unconfirmed reports claim that Fisher is not being considered for future projects, nor is a Cyborg solo film in the works. Though the harsh news is not confirmed by the studio or actor, Ezra Miller’s future as Flash is a much more realistic possibility depending on how things pan out in the next month or so.
The team behind Aquaman is expecting a bright future for the Aquaman universe after the first movie release grossed over a billion dollars globally. Director James Wan is still in talks to determine if he will return for Aquaman 2, but star Jason Momoa and co-writer David Leslie Johnson McGoldrick are already signed up for the project which now has a set release date of December 16, 2022.
There are also rumors circulating on Twitter that Aquaman 2 will use some of the characters introduced in the New 52 run. The Others, a mysterious team Aquaman briefly worked with, may just get a chance at a big screen appearance.
Wan and producer Peter Safran are devoting a large portion of their attention to a “Trench” spin-off. The movie would have horror undertones and feature the terrifying creatures that plagued Arthur and Mera in the first film. Safran shared details about the spin-off with The Hollywood Reporter.
“We always, even from the early concept art days, loved the idea of a Trench movie. Then, when audiences embraced it in the movie itself the way they did, particularly that ant farm shot where the camera follows the Trench [creatures] following Arthur and Mera down into the deep, we just knew that we had something very special there and we knew what that movie should be. And consequently, I suspect that that’s one that will come out significantly before Aquaman 2.”
Aquaman 2 may not arrive until 2022, but Safran predicts that the Trench spin-off will likely hit theaters first and give fans of Aquaman a film that makes the long time between the first and second film more bearable.
Black Adam has been pulling fans in with rumors about the potential film. Currently, Hawkman is rumored to be mentioned (if not involved in) the current draft of the script. Dwayne Johnson, who will play Black Adam, dropped some hints about the film last year including saying that other DC superheroes could make an appearance. Not much has been confirmed about Black Adam’s film debut, but fans are excited to see what elements stick from these rumored early scripts.
Matt Reeves ‘The Batman’ remains, much like the Dark Knight himself, clouded in secrecy. Multiple sites have implied that Reeves’ Batman will feature at least four villains in the film, although which villains, remains a mystery. Reeves’ Batman may also be set in the 90s, which is also unconfirmed. If the rumor is true, it raises some questions about the ‘noir’ style Reeves is reportedly going for and how a grunge-filled 90s setting will fit together.
Among the unconfirmed rumors is a possible logo for the film. The logo began to circulate on Twitter earlier this week. Fans have noted that it also looks similar to the logo used for Batman: The Animated Series. While not directly Batman film news, Ben Affleck hasn’t given up on his role in the DC Universe yet. He mentioned in an interview with LADbible that he would love to direct a DC film in the future if the right project made him passionate enough.
Now former Warner Bros. CEO, Kevin Tsujihara, was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times about a variety of subjects prior to his resignation, one of which was about the DC Universe. His comments reflected a new approach to the films as he stated that he believes their current slate is on the right track. While they are not focusing on the connected universe, the franchise is important to WB.
Warner Bros. may also be exploring even more DC properties than we have already heard about. Most recently, rumors have spread that the Justice Society of America, an early Golden-age DC team, may be in production talks but nothing is confirmed yet.
Birds of Prey and Gotham City Sirens are back in the rumor mill this time around. Though an early draft of a film starring both teams was reportedly in the works, there is still no confirmation on whether or not the film is really happening. The creative team doesn’t seem opposed but the project is not yet off the ground.
Finally, huge news about Suicide Squad (which is being produced under that working title El Dorado) has been released recently. Director James Gunn will be splitting his devotion between DC and Marvel, as he has been brought back on for Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3. Some fans initially panicked at the news but producer Peter Safran spoke with JoBlo about how he is confident in Gunn’s professional balance.
There has also been a lot of focus that Suicide Squad will be a total reboot, not a sequel. As such, there are several faces that will not be returning. Variety reported that Will Smith will not return as Deadshot due to scheduling issues. Though Deadshot fans shouldn’t be too devastated as within a week of Smith announcing his departure, word started to spread that Idris Alba was in talks to become Deadshot. Additionally, it appears as if Viola Davis will be returning to reprise her role as Amanda Waller according to another report.
Collider has also released a list of potential characters that will be part of the team for the sequel that isn’t a sequel, but not a reboot. Batman Universe fans will recognize a few of the characters including Polka-Dot Man and Ratcatcher, who is said to be gender-swapped and be a female rather than the comic version who was a man. The other team members include King Shark and Peacemaker. James Gunn seems to favor the 1980’s Suicide Squad created by John Ostrander and Kim Yale. Lastly, according to an Atlanta new source, the film is expected to film in the city as early as September.
That’s all for the latest news and rumors. The upcoming weeks will bring us closer to the release of Shazam! and (hopefully) some new confirmations about the upcoming slate of films.
