James Gunn's Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, is changing the game for DC storytelling with one key hero. Moviegoers are less than a year away from seeing Man of Tomorrow fly into theaters on July 9, 2027, starring David Corenswet's Superman, Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor, and a host of other familiar faces from the DCU. Unlike the DCEU, DC Studios has had the unique ability to expand the DCU across movies, TV, and animation, aligning with other major franchises like the MCU and Star Wars. As such, Man of Tomorrow will feature characters from both the big and small screen to face off with Lars Eidinger's Brainiac.

Man of Tomorrow will be a major turning point in DC history next year, as Aaron Pierre's John Stewart will become the first superhero who debuted on a TV show to appear in a blockbuster movie, following his origin story in HBO's Lanterns. The scope of the rogue Green Lantern's role in the Superman sequel is still unclear, but he is expected to team up with other DCU superheroes against Brainiac.

The circumstances surrounding John Stewart eventually becoming a Green Lantern in the HBO Max series Lanterns still stir debate among fans, even now that Season 1 has run its course. Many have wondered why his ring didn't turn yellow in the season finale, despite being charged from a power battery Sinestro forged with fear. One of the show's architects has now admitted that direction would have been "a really good idea." Aaron Pierre portrayed the character in all eight episodes of the season and is set to reprise the role in James Gunn's Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow. 

Speaking on The Brandon Davis Show, Lanterns showrunner Chris Mundy addressed the theory of John Stewart's ring glowing yellow when he charged it with Sinestro's power battery and took flight for the very first time in the show's final episode, "Dirt and Stars." Beyond admitting it was a good idea, Mundy conceded that it "never came up" in the course of making the series: 

"No, we never did. That's actually a really good idea. That never came up, but we obviously talked about that Lantern and that water and that fear and what does it do and what are the ramifications of it." 

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn finally confirmed the DCU canon status of 2021's The Suicide Squad, but with one notable issue surrounding Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn. Robbie's version of Harley Quinn quickly became one of the most popular and defining portrayals of the character in live-action. The actress brought the DC villain to life in David Ayer's Suicide Squad before returning in the 2020 spinoff Birds of Prey and ultimately leaving a mark in Gunn's The Suicide Squad. When James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios and launched the DCU, Robbie's Harley Quinn stayed in limbo for years. Still, this doesn't change the fact that Gunn had high praise for working with Margot Robbie, noting in August 2020 that she is "probably the best actor [he] ever worked with." 

The uncertainty surrounding Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn finally received some clarity in the new one-off podcast, The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? The Official Podcast that was released on Spotify on October 29. While confirming that 2021's The Suicide Squad is canon to the DCU, Gunn admitted that Harley Quinn's canon status is "one small asterisk:" 

"I think that 'The Suicide Squad' is within the canon of the DCU. It’s decided. I’d say we have one small asterisk, which is: 'What exactly is the future of Harley Quinn? I want to be given a little leeway with this by the fans, because I’m not sure exactly how that’s going to manifest itself."

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn revisited the topic of casting the DCU's Batman and revealed four new insights about the search. Despite constant cries from fans to introduce the Dark Knight early in Man of Tomorrow, Clayface, or another DCU project, Gunn is remaining steadfast on his commitments to debut his Batman in The Brave and the Bold alongside Damian Wayne and the rest of the Bat-Family. The reboot's script has been in the works for some time, but it remains unclear when DC Studios intends to move The Brave and the Bold into production, as the focus right now is on the Elseworlds endeavor of The Batman: Part 2.

DC Studios just released The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? podcast, in which James Gunn discusses his blue brand debut with stars Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee to conclude what is and isn't canon to the DCU. Right before wrapping up that chat, Gunn treated listeners to four major reveals about casting the next Batman, from teases about their age to when an actor will be announced:

HBO Max officially addressed Lanterns' Batgirl Easter egg in a new video, confirming that it is exactly what diehards had been theorizing. Lanterns' series premiere left fans intrigued when Kelly MacDonald's Sheriff Kerry Kane was heard saying down the phone, "Tell Barb I say hey," which many instantly took as a reference to Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl. That theory would be a major stretch if it came from any other character, although Lanterns made a point to confirm that Kane's roots lie in the Gordon family hometown of Gotham City. 

Following some debate over whether Kane was on the phone with Jim Gordon in Gotham or a completely random Rushville local, HBO Max U.K. finally confirmed the truth in a round-up video of Lanterns Season 1's biggest DC Easter eggs. The moment is shown with the caption "Batgirl/Oracle," leaving some mystery about Barbara's status and Bat-Family mantle at that time in James Gunn's DCU canon.

As DC Studios marks another release in its growing slate, co-studio head James Gunn has revealed a set of "diamond characters" for the new DCU. Gunn and co-studio head Peter Safran outlined their plans for the new DCU, which wiped the slate clean of Warner Bros.' previous DCEU, in an ambitious presentation for DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. Now six releases into the new DCU, Gunn has shed more light on how they're approaching the release slate and which characters are priorities. 

On Threads, Gunn spoke out about the DCU's varied slate, which includes interconnected projects that help build out the larger universe, akin to the MCU, as well as standalone stories featuring DC characters, like the recently released Clayface. In his commentary, Gunn said that the initial 10-year roadmap he and Safran shared "wasn't only story points," but also was "the plan for DC as a whole." 

That plan focused on what Gunn referred to as "diamond characters." Gunn didn't elaborate on exactly what "diamond characters" meant for DC Studios, but it appears they may be characters with strong franchise potential or the ability to lead their own projects within the DCU. The studio chief went on to outline who some of these characters are for DC Studios.

The director behind Swamp Thing confirmed several key story details for the DCU's next horror movie after Clayface. Swamp Thing was one of the first movies announced for James Gunn's DCU, all the way back in January 2023, with Logan director James Mangold promptly announced to write and direct it. From the get-go, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn touted Swamp Thing as a "very dark horror story and the origins of the monster." Despite years of silence while Mangold has been busy with other projects, Gunn's co-CEO, Peter Safran, recently confirmed Swamp Thing is still "moving forward," and they are "waiting on a draft" from the Oscar-nominee. 

During a previous interview with Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused, James Mangold revealed the first official details about his Swamp Thing movie's storyline, comparing it to "a version of Frankenstein." While yes, these comments come from several years back in June 2023, they have once again gained relevance following the release of the DCU's first horror, Clayface, and now that Swamp Thing appears to finally be moving forward at DC Studios:

"I've always been interested in doing a version of 'Frankenstein,' and yet I feel 'IT'S ALIVE' has been done enough. But Swamp Thing always occurred to me as kind of this wonderful version of a kind of Frankenstein, much in the same way as one of my favorite pop films growing up, 'RoboCop,' the original one. This guy, who just wakes up, and he finds he's become this kind of machine, also something that I was fascinated with 'Logan' obviously."

Batman is yet to arrive in the DCU, but the Caped Crusader's lore is already central to the connected universe James Gunn is building at DC Studios. A new report indicates another Batman-adjacent project is in the works at the studio, bringing back one of the Dark Knight's most famous antagonists almost half a decade after her last live-action appearance in the CW continuity. The villain's debut DCU project will mark the sixth entry in Gunn's Batman universe.

The Penguin showrunner Lauren LeFranc, according to Deadline, is in talks to produce a new Poison Ivy TV series at DC Studios, which would go to HBO, like Lanterns, if it receives a final green light. The series is reportedly in early development, with no writers attached and no series order yet, and plans were reportedly paused for months during the Paramount and Warner Bros. merger before getting back on track.

DC Studios head James Gunn has confirmed that there are more plans for the Superman Saga following the release of Man of Tomorrow next year. The new DCU kicked off its run by investing in DC Comics' leading man, Superman, with David Corenswet putting on the cape for Gunn's film in 2025, Superman. Since then, the DCU has invested heavily in Superman and those connected to him, introducing his cousin, Kara Zor-El, in this year's Supergirl, and making plans for both to return in the sequel, Man of Tomorrow, in 2027.

While the DCU is inherently an interconnected universe similar to the MCU, DC Studios has done things slightly differently in building out its new slate, allowing Elseworlds projects like The Batman to continue, and more standalone stories like Clayface to exist, alongside a more interconnected narrative as seen in Superman, Lanterns, and the upcoming Man of Tomorrow. While the DCU slate isn't afraid to deviate and experiment, Gunn has confirmed in a Threads post that the core narrative, which he dubs the "Superman Saga", has further plans.

"The Superman Saga starts with Superman and travels into Man of Tomorrow and onward," Gunn stated, adding that this is the string of storytelling in the DCU that "contains many characters we've introduced in other stories." 

Man of Tomorrow is set to introduce an original character to James Gunn's wider DCU, portrayed by Daredevil: Born Again actor Matthew Lillard. Man of Tomorrow (Superman 2), set for release on July 9, 2027, will continue the story of David Corenswet's Superman as he is joined by a strong cast of familiar faces and newcomers in his next big-screen chapter. The sequel's premise centers on the reluctant alliance between Superman and Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor as they work together against a greater threat: Brainiac. Much of the first movie's ensemble is back, including Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane and Skyler Gisondo's Jimmy Olsen, as well as wider DCU crossovers from the Justice Gang and Blue Beetle. Several roles are still unannounced, including Matthew Lillard, who recently appeared as an MCU villain in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 as Mr. Charles. 

While promoting Prime Video's Carrie, Matthew Lillard was asked in an exclusive interview with The Direct whether his mystery character is someone comics fans will recognize or an original one built for the sequel. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, who penned Lillard's live-action Scooby Doo movies, previously addressed his casting in Man of Tomorrow, debunking the theory that he is the DCU's Barry Allen. 

The Engineer just returned in a new DC Studios release after The Authority's cancellation earlier this year. James Gunn set out to establish the DCU as a living, breathing world with Superman, one already populated with heroes and villains who would become crucial parts of a larger puzzle. Maria Gabriela de Faria's The Engineer was just one piece of that puzzle, debuting as a creation of Lex Luthor, whose blood was infused with nanites, allowing her to morph her body and interface with tech. While Superman left her fate somewhat ambiguous, The Engineer just returned in DC Studios' latest release before Man of Tomorrow.

Interestingly, The Engineer was actually created by WildStorm Productions, a comic imprint founded by DC Comics legend Jim Lee, where she was a member of both StormWatch and The Authority. The imprint was acquired by DC Comics in 1999, and some of its characters were later folded into the main continuity.

In Clayface, Tom Rhys Harries' Matt Hagen was on top of the world after being nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars. Unfortunately, when he went to celebrate at a nightclub, he made the mistake of sleeping with the girlfriend of David Dencik's Markos Szabo, one of Gotham's many mob bosses. In retaliation, Szabo cut up Hagen's face, ruining his life and career, all while the mobster swayed the court with a handful of bribes and threats to walk away from Hagen's mutilation clean.

Considering how he flagrantly flaunted his influence over the courts and police throughout Clayface, one would be led to believe he was one of Gotham's more notorious mobsters from the comics, but no, Markos Szabo is actually an entirely original creation for this supervillain origin.

HBO Max's Lanterns has raised eyebrows with a new John Stewart-centered poster, released a week after the show's finale. The artwork came as a surprise, arriving amid growing chatter about a potential Season 2, with fans demanding a follow-up. Lanterns was an instant hit when it premiered on August 16, introducing Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre's John Stewart. The show grounded the iconic Green Lanterns in the rural community of Rushville, Nebraska, where a nail-biting mystery slowly brewed.

Warner Bros. TV surprised fans by sharing the new John Stewart poster just as they were reeling from the lack of a Lanterns episode for the first time in eight weekends. The artwork shows Stewart sitting on a bench with his head down, beneath a banner reading "FIRST SUNDAY WITHOUT A NEW EPISODE." The account captioned the post, "It's rough out here Watch all of #Lanterns season 1 now on @HBOMax!" 

Superman (David Corenswet) is getting a lot more company in Man of Tomorrow, and several of the DC heroes joining him could get some serious screentime. James Gunn's Superman follow-up has officially wrapped principal photography ahead of its release next July, and it's set to be even more of a team-up than the first film. This time, Brainiac's (Lars Eidinger) next-level threat will cause the Man of Steel to join forces with his archenemy, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). Beyond Lex, a whole roster of other heroes has been confirmed for the sequel, with varying degrees of expected usage by Gunn.

Now that cameras have stopped rolling, Man of Tomorrow is officially in post-production, with fans hoping for the first official footage soon. In the meantime, Corenswet recently teased to People his "deeper" relationship with Lex in the new movie.

"Of course, spending time with Nick again and getting to delve into that relationship between Superman and Lex a little deeper."

DC Studios and HBO's Lanterns Season 1 just had its finale twist clarified by showrunner Chris Mundy. After eight weeks of theories, rumors, and speculation, Lanterns has officially wrapped up on HBO, ending with Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan dead and Aaron Pierre's John Stewart becoming a Green Lantern. He did so by embracing his fear, reciting a brand-new tailor-made oath, taking a dead ring off Jordan's corpse, and charging it with a power battery forged by Sinestro.

Mundy confirmed that, "Yeah," the Lantern that Sinestro forged for Noah Macon and was later taken by John Stewart to begin his rogue Green Lantern career was a classic willpower one infused with fear. The DCU creator added that the infusion happened due to the toxin contamination on Antaan's homeworld:

The DC Studios train isn't slowing down as the Batman spinoff movie Clayface, written by Mike Flanagan and directed by James Watkins, hits theaters. The body-horror film travels to the DCU's version of Gotham, just as shady as all its live-action predecessors. The city is so full of evil, in fact, that Clayface visits a much more hopeful location, one that has ties to HBO's Lanterns and one half of its main duo, Hal Jordan.

Clayface follows actor Matt Hagen, who worked his way out of Gotham's slums and into the hearts of people worldwide with his acting chops. Wanting to be closer to all the glitz and glamour, Matt sets up shop in Coast City with his friend Corey Bowery, who also wants to be an actor. After Matt gets attacked in Gotham and loses his career, he decides to move back home for good, while Corey stays out west. 

DC Studios just unleashed Clayface into theaters, leaving moviegoers wondering what is next for James Gunn's DCU and the Elseworlds. Despite not being part of Gunn's original Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters slate reveal in January 2023, Clayface is the third movie and sixth release overall from the rebooted DCU. Led by Tom Rhys Harries' Matt Hagen, the twisted R-rated body horror serves as a villain origin story and the introduction to the all-new Gotham City.

Moving forward, the DC Studios slate is divided between the core DCU and Elseworlds projects, each set in its own alternate continuity. That will include six confirmed movies from the DCU and five more Elseworlds flicks, which will be released in the coming years alongside an expansive slate of HBO TV shows...

All 6 Upcoming Movies On the Way From James Gunn's DCU

One of the DCU's founding fathers finally confirmed Batman's status during Clayface, amid his omission from the R-rated body-horror epic. Fans of James Gunn's new DCU are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Dark Knight, who will be rebooted with a fresh actor in The Brave and the Bold, whenever that happens. In the meantime, the DCU is establishing its Gotham for the first time in live-action with Clayface, introducing Batman's shape-shifting villain, Matt Hagen.

DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran sat down with Colldier amid Clayface's release, and the conversation naturally turned to Batman. The DCU co-lead offered the first status update on the Caped Crusader during Clayface, confirming that "Yes," Batman is established and operating somewhere in Gotham during the movie.

The DCU's next live-action TV show after Lanterns has been officially confirmed for release on HBO Max. Fans have already enjoyed three major TV releases from James Gunn's DCU in Creature Commandos Season 1, Peacemaker Season 2, and, most recently, Lanterns Season 1. The True Detective-inspired crime drama made waves both in and out of the comic book fandom due to its stellar reviews and impressive viewership, but eyes are now turning to the future after the finale.

Following months of reports, DC Studios recently confirmed that The People v Gorilla Grodd is now in production, setting it up to become the DCU's next live-action TV show after Lanterns. The eight-episode series takes on a unique true-crime-inspired mockumentary format, with Skyler Gisondo's Jimmy Olsen and Superman's Daily Planet crew investigating the case against Gorilla Grodd.

Gunn confirmed that The People v Gorilla Grodd will release after Man of Tomorrow and largely take place after the DCU flick (although the true-crime style means that it still "jumps all over the place"). The DCU boss previously indicated that Creature Commandos Season 2 will land soon after Man of Tomorrow, perhaps pushing the DCU's next live-action show to late 2027/early 2028.

DC Studios takes its Gotham worldbuilding very seriously. Even without properly introducing Batman, the DCU keeps referencing not only him but also the town he calls home, whether it's a road sign in Superman or a name-drop in Lanterns. Clayface will kick things up a notch as it sets up shop in Gotham and puts the spotlight on one of the Dark Knight's most iconic villains. Another Batman spinoff is in the works that will take the same approach. And it's the perfect place for DC Studios to reintroduce Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn.

Despite a stellar first season, a second outing just wasn't in the cards for HBO Max's The Penguin. Colin Farrell's Oz Cobb will return in The Batman: Part II, allowing the focus to return to Matt Reeves' version of the Caped Crusader. But DC Studios didn't want to let all the talent that worked on the show slip away. The Penguin showrunner, Lauren LeFranc, is gearing up to produce a Poison Ivy TV series for HBO set in the DCU, not the Bat-Verse (via Deadline).

No one has landed what's sure to be a highly coveted role yet. However, there's so much Poison Ivy lore out there that it's easy to predict what the powers that be will look for. Originally a botanist who dedicated her life to protecting the environment, Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley turned to crime when she realized no one was taking her seriously. Her abilities let her control people with pheromones and manipulate plant life in extreme ways.