2017 hasn't just brought with it two new DC films - Wonder Woman and Justice League - but also the announcement of a slew of exciting projects from across the comic universe. Here's every single one - and how far along development they actually are.The DC Extended Universe has never been quite as formalized as other shared universes, down to the fact that it doesn't even have a proper name. Warner Bros and DC have also taken quite a different approach to how rival Marvel Studios rolls out their various films, with a range of semi-connected ideas. And, while there's no one way to craft a shared universe, it's fair to say DC's process has led to a sort of haphazard development process.
Related: What is the Future of WB, DC Movies and the DCEU?
Every few months, it seems, a new project is announced as in some stage of development from WB and DC, leading to confusion of the overall direction. To be clear, most of these have never been confirmed by anyone within the studio, rather revealed by trades. Still, scripts and even pre-production appear to be underway for nearly a dozen movies with no set release date. And though many of these projects have come to light over the past few years, 2017 has seen a surge in the number of potential DC movies that are in the works.
Deathstroke
The newest addition to the list of in-development DC films is Deathstroke. This past week, word broke that The Raid director Gareth Evans is working on a movie about Deathstroke, DC's infamous mercenary and occasional anti-hero. The character has already made a splash on the small screen thanks to a number of animated appearances and his portrayal by Manu Bennett on Arrow, and has been all set to make the jump to the big screen since last year when it was announced that Joe Manganiello would be playing the villain in Ben Affleck's The Batman. Test footage of the character even arrived online, but things seemed to fall apart after that. Manganiello got coy about the role, and Matt Reeves' arrival as the movie's new director came with news that the old script was out”and with it Deathstroke.
Whether a solo movie was the plan all along, it's not clear, but Manganiello looks set to still star as the rogue. Not only does it show WB and DC's commitment to the actor and character, but it continues their push to differentiate themselves from Marvel by focusing on their villains as much as their heroes.
Harley Quinn & the Joker
Much of the success of Suicide Squad is the result of Harley Quinn and Joker's involvement. As two of DC's most popular characters, it makes sense the company would want to continue to milk the duo for all they're worth. Quinn will return in Suicide Squad 2 as well as the proposed Gotham City Sirens films, and the Joker may also be along for the ride in both cases. Outside of those movies, however, fans were shocked when we broke in early July that WB were working on a Harley/Joker love story film.
Helming the project will be Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (This Is Us), an unusual pair for an unusual project. While some fans love the abusive relationship of Harley and the Joker, many find a love story' film about the two a troubling idea. And while there's certainly room for some innovation, it still comes off as an odd move considering how many other films these two characters could potentially appear in. Even stranger is word that the movie is already well underway, indicating it could arrive shortly after the planned 2019 release of Suicide Squad 2.
The Joker Origin Film
Just a few days before the Harley/Joker movie got its directors, word arrived of a Joker origin film being worked on by Todd Phillips (The Hangover). An interesting choice to say the least, the veteran comedy director was just one of the reasons the project raised an eyebrow. Balancing out the Phillips hire was word that Martin Scorsese will serve as a producer on the film, making his first foray into comic book movies. Even stranger, but with Jared Leto just one year into his role as the Clown Prince of Crime, the proposed origin film for his character would actually take place in a separate universe.
Set in the 80s and designed as a noir film, the Joker origin movie will see another actor don the face paint as WB and DC attempt to craft non-DCEU films involving their characters. There's precedent for this in the comics, with DC's Elseworlds imprint providing writers with a way of exploring alternate takes on characters. And though that makes sense for animation or TV, it's hard to imagine audiences not being confused with the plethora of Joker movies coming to theaters, with two different actors in the role.
Nightwing
It's not just Batman villains the DC is obsessed with. Like the comics, it seems just about every player in the Batman pantheon will get a crack at a solo movie at some point. Shortly after the arrival of The LEGO Batman Movie earlier this year, word broke that the film's director, Chris McKay, was making a Nightwing movie. Dick Grayson has a huge fanbase as both Robin and his later Nightwing persona, so it's not as farfetched as some of DC's other planned films. Still, we've only had hints of Batman's sidekicks in the DC films.
Though the idea of Robin is well-established amongst moviegoers, few will know who Nightwing is without the character being first introduced alongside Batman. That said, with Sony making a Venom film without Spider-Man, perhaps the old rules no longer apply. Throughout the year, we've heard small updates about Nightwing when it comes to the stunts that will be involved. But with no actor attached, the film's production start date remains up in the air.
Batgirl
Back in the spring, news of the Nightwing movie was quickly followed by another surprise: that Joss Whedon will write and direct a Batgirl film. Whedon has, of course, been finishing off Justice League for Zack Snyder, but before that he'd been starting work on an outing for Barbara Gordon - something that wasn't even in the works until Whedon pitched it.
Like Nightwing, we know next to nothing about the film, but given Whedon's pedigree and relationship with WB and DC, it seems likely Batgirl will get made sooner rather than later. Still, with no production or release date, it's anyone's guess when the movie will arrive and what it will entail. And just like with Nightwing, it's not clear how Batgirl could get a solo movie without being introduced alongside Batman first. Given how many DC sidekicks and villains are getting their own proposed films, it's clear the company is taking a different approach to origin stories and spinoffs. What isn't clear yet is how it will all work out.
Black Adam
While most of the solo films for villains and supporting characters have come from their prior notoriety, the announcement at the beginning of the year that a Black Adam solo movie was in the works is all about the star. Not long after a Shazam! movie was announced, we learned that Dwayne The Rock' Johnson was set to tackle the titular hero's nemesis, Black Adam. The move was an unusual one, given Johson rarely plays villains. It also became hard to imagine how he would share second billing with someone else as the star of the film.
Word of Black Adam getting his own film, and subsequently being out of Shazam!, simultaneously made sense and had us scratching our heads. No one can deny Johnson's appeal as a film's lead, but Black Adam is yet another movie that will be difficult to pull off without leaning heavily on another film character. In this case, at least, Shazam! now has a director, star, and release date. So whenever Black Adam does arrive, at least some of the lore will be established.
Flashpoint
The final new DC announcement of this year isn't a new film exactly, but it's definitely a change to the expected plan. The Flash was one of the earliest film's DC announced, but also one of the most turbulent; the movie has already lost two writers and as many directors, with no name yet attached in that latter position. This year's San Diego Comic-Con, however, proved it's still very much a priority for WB and DC.
Though they haven't announced a release date yet, the title of the film was changed to Flashpoint. This means that, through all the rewrites and reworks, the film has evolved from being a simple solo outing to a universe-busting adventure involving Barry Allen messing with time. This early in the life of the DC cinematic universe, it's an odd choice, but the establishment of a Multiverse can only help when it comes to side universe stories.
