After a quiet start to 2026, DC Studios is looking to dominate the summer. It all starts when Supergirl hits theaters on June 26, picking up where the titular character left off in 2025's Superman. Kara Zor-El will hand off the baton to John Stewart and Hal Jordan when she's done, with HBO's Lanterns set to premiere on August 16. But it won't be all sunshine and rainbows when the two heroes get together on the small screen.

The first trailer for Lanterns paints a certain picture of Hal and John's relationship. Having been on the job for a number of years, Hal seems like most veteran cops in TV and movies, just counting the days until retirement. A rookie then gets dropped in his lap, and he has no choice but to take him under his wing in order to solve a mystery.

DC Studios has made history with the DCU timeline order following a few major time jump for two of its projects in its expanding universe. DC Studios is now almost two years into its first phase, Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, with a handful of stories helping to build this new universe under company co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. Focusing on some of the biggest names in this franchise, the stage is set for a thrilling new cinematic universe to thrive on the big and small screens.

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn confirmed that Clayface will be considered the first DC Studios movie in the new DCU timeline. Asked on Threads if the movie was set before or after 2025's Superman, Gunn confirmed it would be set "before" David Corenswet's movie, noting that it is "the first DCU film out of chronological order." This historic move solidifies Clayface as the furthest back a DCU film has been set in the timeline.

This may not be the furthest back a DCU project has been placed on the timeline, though. While an exact year has not been confirmed for Clayface, Lanterns seems primed to venture even further back into the DCU's history. A recent report from Entertainment Weekly revealed that Lanterns will take place across not just one, but two timelines: 2016 and the modern day.

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn officially killed a major DCU blockbuster and Superman spin-off movie. Creature Commandos may have been the first DCU project, but Superman truly launched the saga by debuting David Corenswet's Superman, the Justice Gang, and other major players in James Gunn and Peter Safran's larger tale. Its sequel, Man of Tomorrow, is in production for a July 9, 2027 release, but DC Studios is also cooking up a number (which just got one lower) of projects that will act as Superman spin-offs.

As James Gunn took to Threads with the latest updates on five DCU projects, there was only bad news for those who were eagerly anticipating The Authority, an ensemble team-up of morally ambiguous heroes that was set up in Superman.

The Authority was one of the first DCU movies announced by Gunn as part of the DCU's Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters slate. Updates have since been scarce, and no creatives were ever announced, with rumors pointing to everyone from Drew Goddard to Matthew Vaughn to Gunn himself taking a stab at The Authority.

The first set photo from Matt Reeves' The Batman: Part II hints at another connection to a notable DC comic arc. 2022's The Batman already took inspiration from notable comics like Batman: Year One, Batman: Ego, and Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's Batman: The Long Halloween. With The Batman 2 only just heading into production after four years, there is still very little known about the sequel, but the hints and clues dropped so far suggest it will once again draw upon The Long Halloween for inspiration. 

Matt Reeves took to social media to share the first photos from the test shoot for The Batman - Part 2. The imagery features the Batmobile speeding through a wintry night, with snowflakes cascading through the air. Reeves accompanied the post with the caption, "Snow Tires." 

This confirms that The Batman: Part 2 will, as speculated, be set in Gotham City during the winter, for at least some of its run. The previous film spanned a week, beginning on October 31st, aka Halloween. This also lines up with where the spin-off show, The Penguin, left off, with the Batman sequel expected to begin shortly after the events of this show. 

New 2026 Supergirl footage shows David Corenswet’s Superman in action, presenting the Man of Steel in a way fans did not see in any prior trailer. Director Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl is the next theatrical release from DC Studios under James Gunn and Peter Safran, following 2025’s hit Superman. Milly Alcock leads the film as Kara Zor-El, with Corenswet returning to play her cousin Clark Kent in what initially looked like a small cameo.

The new Supergirl promo, from DC Studios, features Corenswet’s Superman in proper action footage for the first time. The Man of Steel is shown flying through the sky in his full costume, hinting that his role in the movie could go beyond a simple cousin check-in. Up until now, official glimpses of Clark Kent in the movie have been limited to a video message left on a screen for Kara and a newspaper photograph that Krypto immediately pees on. 

The Batman: Part II just unveiled its first official logo in set photos. Between the 2023 Hollywood strikes, a change in leadership at DC Studios, and three years of rumors, many had grown convinced that The Batman 2 would never see the light of day. At least that was the case until last year, when director and co-writer Matt Reeves finally wrapped up the script, allowing the sequel to move into pre-production and now to start filming this spring in time for its October 2027 release.

The first set photos from The Batman's upcoming sequel have been released on X by @EGGBOY_03. Scattered amongst the sneak peeks of a vehicle pursuit, those visiting the set in Liverpool, UK, glimpsed a new logo for The Batman: Part II.

Interestingly, The Batman 2 seems to feature a second new Bat symbol logo, this time with the Dark Knight's famous icon in white outline on a blue background, as it was spotted on a camera on the Liverpudlian set. 

DC Studios appears to have already set its sights on a second season for one of its upcoming DCU television series, even before the show's first season debut. James Gunn's expanding DCU has been building momentum from both film and television, with Superman launching the cinematic side in 2025 and Peacemaker Season 2 and Creature Commandos helping fill in the greater story on HBO Max. Now, early confidence in another unaired series suggests the studio has high hopes for what's still to come on the small screen.

According to industry insider Jeff Sneider, comic book, TV, and film writer Christopher Cantwell has signed on as an executive producer and writer for Lanterns. This is seen as a strong signal that a Season 2 renewal for Lanterns is all but inevitable, even ahead of its August 16 Season 1 debut. 

Cantwell himself seemingly confirmed the news on Bluesky, "Yes, I'm joining LANTERNS Season 2." 

DC Studios' Man of Tomorrow is reportedly recasting a key SnyderVerse superhero. James Gunn's DCU has already recast numerous heroes and villains from Zack Snyder's DCEU/SnyderVerse on the road to assembling its own Justice League. After Superman introduced the Justice Gang, which many have speculated will one day evolve into DC's premier superhero team, DC Studios has already added three Leaguers to Man of Tomorrow, igniting hopes that the 2027 sequel will lay the groundwork for the next live-action Justice League.

According to a post on Patreon by scooper Daniel Richtman, James Gunn's DCU is expected to introduce Martian Manhunter in Man of Tomorrow, based on a casting grid. The shapeshifter was played in the SnyderVerse by Harry Lennix, where his introduction in Zack Snyder's Justice League came as a major twist.

Lennix featured in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman as General Calvin Swanwick, eventually stepping up to become the United States' Secretary of Defense. Later, Zack Snyder's Justice League revealed that Swanwick was actually Martian Manhunter in disguise all along.

The official Lanterns trailer finally showcased the best look yet at Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) using his Green Lantern powers. Lanterns is set to pull back the curtain on Hal Jordan's origin story in the DCU, providing context on his stint as Earth's protector while also showing his mentorship training with John Stewart. While one of the big complaints surrounding Lanterns is the lack of green and scenes of the titular Green Lanterns using their powers, DC is reversing the downward trend of the HBO Max series by unleashing more Green Lantern constructions, power-heavy action sequences, and building up to its intriguing plot tied to its murder mystery storyline. 

DC Studios and HBO Max officially released the second trailer for Lanterns, giving fans their best look at Hal Jordan using his Green Lantern powers in the series.  This is a significant moment for Lanterns because Hal demonstrated his Green Lantern ring powers more prominently than in the earlier, more grounded teaser. 

At the 0:11 mark, Hal Jordan can be seen using his ring to counterfeit money. While it played out in a comedic fashion, it cemented the ring's versatility in the DCU, with its user utilizing it for non-heroic moments. 

The Batman - Part II director Matt Reeves shared a stream of social media posts celebrating the movie's cast, which earned hundreds of thousands of reactions. Production is now officially underway on Reeves' long-awaited Batman sequel, marking his return to this chapter of the Caped Crusader saga for the first time in five years. Following years of rumors about who would be included in the cast (both characters and actors), Reeves provided new concrete information about the crew he has assembled.

Reeves' 11 posts on X confirmed the core cast members of The Batman - Part II as production began in May 2026. Along with confirming previously reported castings, such as former MCU stars Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan, the director also surprised fans with new actor announcements, including Brian Tyree Henry. 

Matt Reeves became infamous for his social media usage during the production of The Batman, which garnered a ravenous fan base eagerly awaiting teases about his movies through Reeves' use of Twitter (now X) GIFs. 

Marvel and DC's 2027 blockbusters will now officially have some overlap in their key cast. While the MCU's only 2027 offering will be December's Avengers: Secret Wars, Sony Pictures is bolstering the red brand's place in June with Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. Furthermore, DC Studios is coming to play with two-thirds of its legendary Trinity in theaters, with James Gunn's Superman sequel/crossover event, Man of Tomorrow, coming in July, and Matt Reeves finally delivering The Batman: Part 2 after over five years of waiting in October.

Finally put an end to years of rumors, Reeves recently unveiled the cast of The Batman 2 in a series of GIFs posted to X. That list included two actors who have also been confirmed to appear in major Marvel movies next year, meaning that the competing superhero brands will share two (possibly three) actors in 2027...

Every Actor Appearing in Marvel & DC Superhero Projects in 2027

DC Studios' Lanterns is setting the stage for James Gunn's Man of Tomorrow, but not exactly how fans expected. This August's HBO series will introduce two key Justice League superheroes, Kyle Chandler's veteran space cop Hal Jordan and his rookie-in-training, Aaron Pierre's John Stewart. The more youthful Green Lantern will officially return to the DCU next July in Man of Tomorrow, the Superman sequel that pits Earth's heroes against Lars Eidinger's Brainiac.

Entertainment Weekly had the exclusive scoop on DC Studios' Lanterns and offered the surprising confirmation that "the story begins in 2016." But the DCU series isn't quite as simple as that, as Lanterns will balance the investigation of a shooting in 2016 with "something else" happening in 2026.

The report confirmed that Jordan will be investigating a shooting in a small rural Nebraska town, which he suspects is an "alien incident," when he is forced to bring along Stewart, whom he "still reluctantly mentors two months in."

My Adventures with Superman is shifting the titular DC hero's look once again for Season 3, but the result has meant a downgrade of his powers. The DC Studios animated show is an anime-inspired take on Superman's early days as a hero, featuring familiar comic book characters like Supergirl, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen. Superman possesses a lot of similar powers to his live-action counterpart, such as flight, strength, and invulnerability, but Season 2 gave him an upgrade that is no longer in Season 3 of My Adventures with Superman.

One of the main villains in Season 2 of My Adventures with Superman was Brainiac, who brainwashed Kara Zor-El and attempted to take over Superman's body. While under Brainiac's control, both Superman and Supergirl gained new black armored suits in place of their traditional blue bodysuits, which were equipped with nanotechnology. Upon breaking free of his mind control, Superman's suit returned to its traditional look, this time with refinements and enhancements.

Superman is going to have his hands full in 2027's Man of Tomorrow, because actor Lars Eidinger just revealed that his character will be much more muscular and physically imposing than Lex Luthor was in Superman. Just two years after the release of Superman, fans will be receiving a sequel titled Man of Tomorrow. David Corenswet will return as Clark Kent (aka Superman) and Nicholas Hoult will reprise his role as Lex Luthor, but the upcoming film will add a new character named Brainiac, who will be played by German actor and rapper Lars Eidinger.

In a recent interview with German magazine Tip Berlin, Brainiac actor Lars Eidinger talked about his role in the upcoming film and what some of the requirements were for him to bring the character to life. Eidinger also talked about how he and Man of Tomorrow writer and director James Gunn (who is also the co-CEO of DC Studios and the creative mastermind behind the DCU) worked together to create the character.

For reference, Eidinger's quotes have been roughly translated from German to English.

James Gunn and DC Studios will officially redesign a major DC Comics alien race in Supergirl, and new merch delivered the first look. While last year's Superman was a mostly Earthbound story, this June's Supergirl is taking a page out of Guardians of the Galaxy's playbook, taking to the stars and exploring multiple alien planets with different races. Most of these races and worlds come from the pages of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, although the adaptation for James Gunn's DCU is making some changes and additions.

A new listing on Box Lunch unveiled Figural's Supergirl blind-bag keychains featuring 11 key characters from the James Gunn-developed and produced movie. The range offers new looks at Supergirl, Lobo, Krypto, Krem of the Yellow Hills, and more through this unique aesthetic, and also offers the first glimpse of one alien race.

DC Studios has confirmed that its first-ever prequel will be released this summer. With the exception of a handful of flashbacks, the new DCU has rarely shown a period before The Suicide Squad, which is generally considered the earliest point in James Gunn and Peter Safran's new comic book movieverse. However, that's about to change with HBO Max's summer superhero show, Lanterns.

Lanterns will be a solo project focusing on the Green Lantern heroes Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). An interview with showrunner Chris Mundy for Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that Lanterns will not just be an origin story for the Green Lanterns, but a prequel to the DCU in general. 

The article confirms that Lanterns will span two dual timelines: one in 2016, when the series' main mystery begins, and the other in 2026, aka the present-day DCU timeline. The 2016 timeline will follow Jordan and Stewart as they investigate a shooting in the small town of Rushville, Nebraska. 2016 is also when Jordan takes Stewart under his wing and begins training the newer Green Lantern, which he's been doing for 2 months at the time of the shooting. 

Supergirl will be seen in multiple costumes in 2026 as DC Studios reveals the character's second brand-new look. Superman's crime-fighting cousin is preparing for her solo DCU movie, Supergirl, on June 26, but before that, she'll also be featured in the third season of My Adventures with Superman. The animated DC Studios show will release its new season on June 14, and Supergirl is playing a big part in it following her debut in Season 2.

The first trailer for My Adventures with Superman Season 3 has debuted Kara Zor-El's new suit, which has been redesigned since fans last saw her in Season 2. This comes only weeks ahead of Supergirl's big screen debut in theatres, which also features a redesigned look for the character since her appearance in Superman. While the suits are different, they are appropriate for the characters in each project.

First Look at Official New Supergirl Designs

It is finally becoming clearer how Sinestro fits into DC Studios' Lanterns. Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen was cast in HBO's Lanterns ahead of production starting in 2025 as Thaal Sinestro, a member of the Green Lantern Corps who defected to form the rival fear-based Yellow Lantern Corps, who harness their powers from fear, not well. Moviegoers were introduced to Sinestro, played by Mark Strong, in 2011's Green Lantern as the mentor to Ryan Reynolds' Hal Jordan.

Entertainment Weekly finally confirmed Thaal Sinestro's appearance in Lanterns while showrunner Chris Mundy teased how he plays into the HBO series' tale. Mundy dodged answering whether the Yellow Lantern Corps founder is secretly Lanterns' big bad, confirming that the primary interest in his inclusion was the fact that "Hal was trained by Sinestro," and he now has a rookie of his own:

"Obviously, in the canon, Sinestro's the big bad. The thing that interests us is this idea [that] Hal was trained by Sinestro, and Hal is training John."

It was only three years ago that new DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran announced their plans for a new DCU to the world. The cinematic universe would wipe the slate (mostly) clean of the DCEU, and the pair outlined a slate of projects that would make up Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, mirroring the MCU's Phase plans. 

Gunn and Safran's plans included almost a dozen projects, some complete reboots of characters and others bringing DC Comics arcs to life that had never been done on-screen before. At first, it wasn't clear what the inherent theme of Gods and Monsters of the DCU's first chapter would be, but a picture has steadily been building across the projects released so far, as well as what has been confirmed on the slate to come.

It's been several years since that announcement, and a lot of changes have happened in that time, but with the DCU now moving full steam ahead, what is the status of that original DCU Chapter 1 slate?

An Arrowverse actor who appeared in a major crossover event has joined the cast of DC Studios' upcoming Superman series on Adult Swim and HBO Max. My Adventures with Superman Season 3 is set to pick up in the aftermath of the Brainiac saga from Season 2 and continues its pivot to the Reign of the Superman-inspired arc that explores themes of legacy and identity by introducing several Supermen, such as the villainous Cyborg Superman and John Irons (aka Steel). One of the interesting additions in Season 3 is Connor Kent, aka Superboy, a character that is expected to completely change the already-strong dynamic of Clark and Lois in the show. 

As part of Collider's Exclusive Preview, the outlet reported that Arrowverse villain actor Darren Criss joined the voice cast of My Adventures with Superman Season 3 as Connor Kent. Alongside the report, Collider also shared the first look at the DC Studios' show's version of Superboy.