DC Studios’ Next 3 DCU Projects Will Be More Expensive to Stream

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) confirmed another price increase for HBO Max subscriptions in the United States, moving the ad-free Standard plan to $18.49 per month (and raising other tiers as well). The hikes are effective immediately for new subscribers and take effect for current customers after a 30-day notice window. Company leadership framed the change as a response to rising production costs and the service’s premium content slate. WBD CEO David Zaslav previously suggested that the service was "way underpriced."

For DC fans, that matters in straightforward terms: if you plan to stream DC Studios’ biggest HBO/HBO Max launches next year at home rather than seeing them theatrically, your monthly bill will be higher when those windows open. The increase is modest per household, but multiplied across millions of viewers, it becomes a meaningful revenue lever for the studio and a new marginal cost for subscribers.  

2026 DCU Releases That Will Cost More To Stream

Supergirl

Supergirl is set to be one of the most important cinematic entries in the initial phase of the DCU, largely because it promises a deeply different and more challenging take on the character of Kara Zor-El. Based on the critically acclaimed comic book limited series by writer Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely, the film is described as a vast science-fiction epic that embraces a harsher, more complex version of Superman’s cousin. Actress Milly Alcock has been cast in the title role. James Gunn described the film as a "space adventure." 

Unlike her cousin Kal-El, who arrived on Earth as an infant and was raised by loving human parents, this Kara Zor-El survived the destruction of Krypton by drifting through space on a piece of the planet that held a small, dying community. She spent the first 14 years of her life in a perpetual, horrific state of survival, watching those around her perish. 

This backstory gives her immense trauma, making her a "more f*cked up Supergirl," James Gunn told Screen Rant. Adding to the epic scale, the film is expected to feature a role for the fan-favorite anti-hero, Lobo, the Czarnian bounty hunter. While Lobo did not appear in the original comic, his presence is reportedly intended to help adapt the story’s structural elements to a three-act cinematic format.

Lanterns 

Lanterns is poised to be the DCU's first true "prestige television" event, intended to rival the quality and depth of renowned HBO crime dramas like True Detective. Unlike the cosmic, intergalactic scope one might expect from a Green Lantern story, this series is deliberately being pitched as an Earth-based, gritty detective mystery, making it a foundational series for the new DCU narrative. 

The series focuses on a two-Lantern dynamic, pairing the legendary but seasoned veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan (played by Kyle Chandler) with the new recruit and former U.S. Marine veteran, John Stewart (played by Aaron Pierre). The core of the series is a buddy cop format, a grounded investigation that forces these two distinct personalities to work together. 

The show boasts a high-profile writing and production team, including executive producers and writers Chris Mundy (Ozark), Damon Lindelof (Watchmen), and DC Comics writer Tom King. This combined talent suggests a tone that is dramatically serious, complex, and emotionally resonant.

Clayface

Scheduled for a September 11, 2026, release, Clayface will be a bold, genre-bending entry into the DCU, described not as a traditional superhero movie but as a body horror thriller. DC Studios co-chief James Gunn picked up the project based on the strength of its unique script, penned by acclaimed horror veteran Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House). The final film, directed by James Watkins, is said to echo the chilling, visceral style of David Cronenberg's work, particularly his 1986 film The Fly. The film will also feature this historic time placement.

The film centers on the tragic origin of Matt Hagen (played by Tom Rhys Harries), a handsome, up-and-coming actor whose face is brutally disfigured in an attack, blending the classic Basil Karlo and Matt Hagen backstories from the comics. The story begins in Gotham but shifts to Hollywood, where his injury ruins Hagen’s career and identity.

Early reports indicate that the movie will be a largely character-driven piece, focusing on Hagen's internal and external struggle. The supporting cast, which includes Max Minghella as a Gotham City detective and the fiancée of Dr. Bates, largely consists of original characters created for the film. The narrative is expected to feature a deeply unsettling focus on Hagen’s transformation into the Clayface monster. 

Is HBO Max Still Worth the Price?

HBO Max's primary defense for its premium price is its unmatched prestige library. No other platform consistently delivers the same volume of critically acclaimed, high-quality, and culturally impactful content. Subscribers are not just paying for quantity but for quality, which encompasses the entire catalog of iconic shows, including Succession, The Last of Us, The White Lotus, House of the Dragon, and classics such as The Sopranos and The Wire. 

As the exclusive streaming home for James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU, HBO Max is the only place to watch the foundational series like Lanterns and the eventual home of films like Supergirl. For DC fans, this makes the subscription mandatory to maintain continuity in the new universe. 

However, the $18.49 price tag is a significant barrier for the budget-conscious consumer, especially when competing streamers offer alternative pricing models.  
The Standard tier is now more expensive than the ad-free Standard tiers of both Netflix and Disney+, making it harder to justify as one of multiple subscriptions. 

Another major point of contention is that the $18.49 Standard plan does not include 4K Ultra HD streaming; that feature is reserved for the even higher-priced Premium tier at $22.99 per month. This exclusion is a noticeable dip in value compared to rivals who often include 4K in their top or standard ad-free plans.