- Another Batman villain-led DC Universe movie is said to be in the works
- It could be the next movie to come after James Gunn’s Superman successor
- There is confusion among fans about which projects are being prioritized by DC Studios
DC fans have expressed confusion and concern over the broader plan for the DC Universe (DCU) amid reports that another Batman villain-led film is being prioritized over one starring The Dark Knight.
With Supergirl After a disastrous debut in theaters, with a paltry $68 million worldwide, all eyes are on DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran to see if they will make any sweeping changes to their DCU Chapter One lineup.
Anyone hoping to see or hear that a Batman and/or Wonder Woman movie will be fast-tracked should temper their expectations, however. This is because, according to The Wrap, the next film has to go into production after The man of tomorrowalso called the sequel to last year’s Superman movie, will be… one starring Batman foes Bane and Deathstroke. Yes, really.
The Wrap’s sources aren’t the only ones who have heard that this movie could soon become a reality. In fact, X/Twitter user and reliable industry insider Apocalyptic Horseman has also indicated that a Bane-and-Deathstroke flick is shaping up to be the next big-screen project from the Warner Bros. subsidiary.
This is not the first time that rumors of such a film have circulated online. In May, Deadline claimed that not only was the project in early development, but that Greg Mottola (Super bath, Peacemaker) had been tapped to conduct it.
Should Messrs. Gunn and Safran officially greenlight a Bane and Deathstroke movie, it would be the third with characters connected to Batman before the Caped Crusader even gets a stand-alone movie.
A project featuring shape-shifting Batman foe Clayface, which hits theaters in October, is the first of this trio. Meanwhile, a puppet-animated film titled Dynamic Duo will introduce the DCU’s versions of Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, also known as the person who takes on the iconic Batman sidekick Robin in DC Comics.
Why Supergirl’s disastrous debut has put serious pressure on DC Studios’ co-chiefs
Amidst the maelstrom of discourse shrouded in DC Studios and Supergirl since the latter’s disastrous launch, fans have wondered if Gunn and Safran will go back to the drawing board and rework their entire publishing strategy.
However, it looks like they’re staying steadfast in their current approach to their nascent cinematic franchise – and that’s certainly excited some parts of the fanbase.
In fact, in several threads on r/DCULeaks and r/DC_Cinematic, people have expressed their confusion and frustration that the duo is focusing their efforts on developing projects that won’t star DC Comics’ most famous and popular characters.
Some believe that introducing and establishing Batman and Wonder Woman in the DCU is now more important than ever, and that if it doesn’t, DC Studios will face an uphill battle attracting newcomers to its fledgling universe. Meanwhile, others say DC Studios should learn from Sony’s on-hiatus Spider-Man Universe (SSU), which prioritized stories centered on members of the titular webslinger’s rogue gallery and, despite initially doing well, eventually paid the price amid increasingly negative reviews and declining box office returns.
Then there’s the small matter of Paramount Skydance’s potential acquisition of Warner Bros. Pictures. Should it go ahead, some believe the DCU may be removed before it has truly been established, especially if Clayface underperforms later this year and Lanterncoming to HBO Max in August, is similarly not doing as well as predicted. Then the pressure would definitely be on The man of tomorrow to save the day and ensure the survival of the DCU for however long that may be.
For more DCU coverage, see the latest casting rumor for the DCU’s Batman and read my Supergirl review to see if I think it’s as bad as everyone is making it out to be.
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