DC Studios’ Movie and TV Plans Include ‘Superman: Legacy’ and New Batman

DC Studios CEO boss James Gunn on Tuesday gave us our first look at DC Studios’ slate of upcoming movies and HBO Max TV shows, with Superman: Legacy acting as the “true beginning” of the reborn superhero universe. The movie is scheduled to hit theaters on July 11, 2025, as part of the DC Universe’s new, unified cinematic continuity. Its opening phase is entitled Gods and Monsters. 

Gunn, who’s also known for his directing and writing work, laid out the plans in a list that includes movies and HBO Max shows:

• Creature Commandos, a seven-episode animated series written by Gunn.
• Waller, a live-action spinoff of the HBO Max series Peacemaker featuring Viola Davis as the head of a secret government task force.
• Superman: Legacy, written by Gunn. It won’t feature Henry Cavill as the hero and isn’t going to be an origin story, Variety noted, and focuses on Superman “balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing,” the outlet cited Gunn’s co-CEO Peter Safran as saying. Imagery from writer Grant Morrison’s beloved All-Star Superman comic story was shown as Gunn spoke about it.
• Lanterns, a TV series that follows Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart. This superpowered space cop show takes inspiration from True Detective, and follows our heroes as they solve a mystery on Earth.
• The Authority, a movie about an extreme superhero willing to use “any means necessary” to protect the planet.
• Paradise Lost, a series set on Wonder Woman’s island Themyscira. It’s inspired by Game of Thrones.
• The Brave and the Bold, a movie that’ll introduce the DCU’s new Batman and the most obnoxious Robin: his son Damian Wayne, who was raised by assassins. Gunn cites Damian as his favorite Robin, and the movie takes its cues from Grant Morrison’s comics run. This movie’s Batman won’t be played by Robert Pattinson, who portrayed the character in last year’s The Batman.
• Booster Gold, a series about a loser from the future who uses future tech to come back to the present day and earn people’s love by becoming a superhero. It’s “the superhero story of imposter syndrome,” according to Gunn.
• Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, a movie about Superman’s cousin. It’s a sci-fi story based on writer Tom King’s 2022 comic series, and will highlight how Supergirl’s difficult childhood made her turn more intense than Superman.
• Swamp Thing, a horror movie that’ll round out the opening phase of movies and shows. 

Gunn didn’t mention any casting details for the new continuity’s Superman or Batman. 

Last October, Gunn and Safran took charge of bringing Superman, Batman and other DC comics characters into new film, TV, animation and video game projects under a reorganized division of Warner Bros. Discovery. 

The newly announced movie projects aren’t the only DC films on the horizon. Shazam: Fury of the Gods comes out March 17, The Flash hits theaters on June 16 (and will reset the continuity) , Blue Beetle arrives Aug. 18 and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is scheduled for Dec. 25.

Even though last October’s Black Adam established Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the comic antihero and brought Cavill back as Superman, Johnson’s character won’t be returning in DC’s initial phase of new movies and Cavill isn’t reprising his role as Superman. 

Beyond these, there are two Batman-inspired movies with sequels in the works: 2019’s Joker and 2022’s The Batman. The latter will be titled The Batman Part II and be separate from The Brave and the Bold’s story, and it comes out Oct. 3, 2025, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

On the TV side, the HBO Max series Peacemaker — a spinoff of 2021 movie The Suicide Squad — will return for a second season, The Flash’s ninth and final season begins Feb. 9, the third season of Superman & Lois kicks off in March and Colin Farrell’s Penguin from The Batman is getting his own show. The animated series Harley Quinn was renewed for season 4, and is getting a Valentine’s Day special. 

However, Titans and Doom Patrol will end after their fourth seasons. The second parts of both seasons are scheduled to hit HBO Max later this year.

Gunn also has one more project coming from DC rival Marvel: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 — the 32nd Marvel Cinematic Universe movie — lands in theaters May 5.