DC scrapped plans for a Zatanna movie written by Emerald Fennell, and now the reason why has been revealed. Zatanna is essentially DC's counterpart to Doctor Strange, a powerful magician who uses her abilities to fight supernatural forces of evil. Back in 2021, DC Films and J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot hired Fennell to write a script for a solo Zatanna film, but it was later canceled.
Fennell, who is known for her work on Killing Eve, Promising Young Woman, and now "Wuthering Heights", has rarely commented on her concept for Zatanna, but in a new interview with Josh Horowitz on Happy Sad Confused, the writer/director dropped some new details.
Fennell revealed that her script for Zatanna was "demented" and "really dark," adding that it was about a "woman in the middle of a nervous breakdown." The writer said that "it was probably too far away from the [superhero] genre", speculating as to why it never went into production:
Emerald Fennell: "I think it was demented because I was probably going through it at the time. I just finished 'Promising Young Woman', and there was this huge thing in this world that I'd never operated in. It was a superhero movie, and I was like, 'Okay, how do I make the version of a superhero movie that I would connect to emotionally?' Which is sort of a woman in the middle of a nervous breakdown.
So it's a script reflective of a woman in the middle of a nervous breakdown, I would say. I suppose it just meant that it was probably too far away from the genre... It was really dark. I haven't read it for a really long time because I found it really difficult."
Fennell had previously spoken about Zatanna on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, revealing the superhero genre was not one she was familiar with, so her entry point was to "make a movie for people like me who maybe don't know [as] much" about superheroes:
"I don't know a huge amount about the superhero genre. It's not a genre that I naturally gravitate towards, so I was like okay, well, I'd love to know like how does one make a movie like that for people like me who maybe don't know so much and wouldn't necessarily buy a ticket the first time around."
The Zatanna film was in the works at the same time that J.J. Abrams was partnering with Warner Bros. on a Justice League Dark universe, which would have included a new universe focused on characters like Zatanna and Constantine. At this point in time, a dark version of a superhero story seemed to be exactly what Abrams was looking for in his Justice League Dark universe. However, ultimately, DC's plans changed with the appointment of James Gunn and Peter Safran as DC Studios CEOs, leading to a complete refresh of the superhero cinematic universe.
Could Emerald Fennell's Zatanna Make a Comeback?
Throughout her work on Promising Young Woman, Killing Eve, and Saltburn, Fennell has become known for her dark comedy and psychological thrillers, which often explore obsession, morally conflicted characters, and subvert genres.
From what Fennell has described about Zatanna, this film would've been another case of subverting the genre, this time the superhero genre. While it's an intriguing idea, it may not have been the four-quadrant audience that superhero films typically go for, which could've led to its shelving. That said, there's still hope for Fennell's superhero film if she ever decides to revisit it.
DC Studios has shown it is open to filmmakers with a specific vision, and it doesn't always need to be so family-friendly. Later in 2026, DC will release Clayface, a body-horror film that began as a script by Mike Flanagan. The film will notably stand out among Superman, Supergirl, and Peacemaker, which are all more typical superhero fare.
Fennell's vision for a more psychological, darkly personal tale about Zatanna could be a unique entry point for the character and stand out among the roster of superhero films on the way, which could be exactly what DC Studios is looking for as it expands its cinematic universe.
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