With the DC Universe in a massive state of flux under DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, a number of upcoming projects in development are in danger of being canceled.
Gunn and Safran have now taken over the reins for the new DCU, and wholesale changes are about to be put into place for what the franchise's future will hold. These changes have been seen most prominently recently with a number of movies being canceled in the middle of their development processes.
The most recent project to earn this treatment was a Batman movie featuring Michael Keaton's 1989 hero, which would have followed up on his story after his anticipated return in The Flash. But with so many new releases that have been in the works under Warner Bros. Discovery's (WBD) watch, there are some serious concerns that this round of cancelations is far from over as the new era of the DCU begins.
With that being said, here are 10 previously announced or reported projects that are at the biggest risk of being canceled for WBD.
Wonder Woman 3
While Gal Gadot's third Wonder Woman movie hasn't been outright canned yet, it will move forward without Patty Jenkins, who directed the first two movies from the franchise in 2017 and 2020. In-house, the current iteration of the threequel is considered dead, leaving many wondering whether Gadot will ever get the chance to revisit this version of Diana Prince again.
Particularly with this movie's ties to both the old DCEU story and director Zack Snyder's work on past films, there's a real chance that WBD may look to get a fresh start with the Amazonian hero. Even with Gadot's passion for playing the heroine still there, her time donning the sword and shield may be close to an end.
Man of Steel 2
After waiting for nearly a decade, Henry Cavill was finally set to get his long-awaited solo sequel to Man of Steel, which was reported to be in development shortly after his comeback in 2022's Black Adam. Unfortunately, even after being on the shelf for so long before it was announced through the trades, the movie could be in danger of being canned for good.
Once Gunn and Safran took over the DCU, an extensive report noted that development had been stopped on Man of Steel 2, effectively killing Cavill's return before it truly took off. Whether this means the end of Cavill's tenure as a whole is still unclear, although it would certainly be a disappointment to see all that hype built up for nothing in the end.
The Flash 2
Production for 2023's The Flash has come with more controversy than almost any DC movie in development at the moment, largely due to leading star Ezra Miller's off-camera issues. This made it a shock when news indicated that there was already a sequel for this Multiversal outing in the works centered on the Scarlet Speedster, particularly with the original movie not releasing until June 2023.
Considering Miller's uncertain future along with the fact that Michael Keaton's solo spin-off movie was already canceled, it's no guarantee that The Flash will move on to more movies no matter how it resets the DCU story, as it's rumored to do.
Black Adam 2
Even with the disappointing critical and financial reception to 2022's Black Adam, rumors quickly teased that plans were already in place for Dwayne Johnson to continue his story in a solo sequel that would begin shooting in early 2023. But that was before fans learned how much of a flop the movie really became, with WBD set to lose as much as $100 million at the box office.
While The Rock remains passionate about his powerful DC antihero and his future on the big screen, Black Adam 2 is on shaky ground as Johnson finds his place with WBD's new management.
Static Shock
Initially announced during DC FanDome 2020, Static Shock was confirmed to be in development for DC with Marvel star Michael B. Jordan serving as an executive producer. But over the next two years, things remained eerily silent on the project behind the scenes, leading many to wonder if it had already been axed.
Comic writer Nikolas Draper-Ivey addressed these rumors in September 2022, noting that the movie was still in development before Gunn and Safran took over. But with so little information having been released about the movie, it wouldn't come as too much of a shock to see it put on the shelf.
Black Canary
Following the release of Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey in 2020, Jurnee Smollett was in line to get her own spin-off for her own role as the Black Canary, who became a standout alongside Robbie's titular antihero.
Since that time, even though Smollett spoke about her excitement for the project in August 2022, barely anything official has been revealed about plans for this spin-off since it was first announced more than a year ago. And considering Robbie herself has only been utilized in one movie post-Birds of Prey, it wouldn't seem likely that a spin-off series would have the best chances of survival.
Green Lantern Corps
It's been a rough go for the Green Lantern Corps in the DCEU, as that legacy was relegated to only a small cameo in Zack Snyder's Justice League in the original storyline. Then, WBD had plans for a Green Lantern Corps show that would have explored the team in full for the first time, even going so far as to cast the core team of heroes.
The last update from May 2022 indicated that the delays to filming were due to the production team wanting to make sure that everything can be done right for production, shooting, and special effects. But with no concrete progress made on the series yet, it may be some time until the Green Lanterns actually light up in the new DC Universe.
J.J. Abrams Superman Movie
Over two years ago, Star Wars director J.J. Abrams was reported to be teaming up with WBD to develop not only a couple of supernatural shows centered on Constantine and Zatanna but also a movie featuring a Black Superman. This reboot was set to feature the Man of Steel with a character other than Kal-El, most likely focusing on Val-Zod or another hero of color from the DC Universe.
Although Abrams was set to serve as an executive producer on this entry, it's flown completely under the radar over the past two years with no hints of progression in its production process. And especially with Henry Cavill's return being so up in the air currently, this second Superman outing could be in serious danger of being axed.
Hourman
In March 2021, WBD was said to be developing a movie featuring the DC hero Hourman, who boasts the powers of super-strength and endurance but can only use them for one hour at a time. Writing duo Gavin James and Neil Widener were tapped to write the script for this unique story, which would have been the character's first big-screen adaptation after appearing in The CW's Legends of Tomorrow crossover event.
Considering this hero is still largely unknown to the greater comic book movie fandom, Hourman might not be the best bet to have his solo project live on, even with James Gunn's pension for highlighting that kind of hero.
Constantine 2
A trade report shocked fans in September 2022 by revealing that WBD had plans to make a sequel to 2005's Constantine, where Keanu Reeves brought the powerful occult magician to life on the big screen. And while the character was also featured in his own solo series in 2014 and 2015, fans have eagerly awaited news on whether Reeves would ever find himself in the role again.
Even while Reeves still appears passionate about the role, this kind of revival for Constantine might be in jeopardy as DC looks to change its vision for the future.
Gunn and Safran have shared that they plan to reveal more details about their plans for the DC Universe in early 2023, with the new era for the franchise truly kicking off in 2024. Whether any of these movies or characters survive the upcoming changes is anybody's guess, although the new CEOs have their visions to make sure fans have a DC story that will feel like something special.
