October 9 marks the end of the DCU's great run in 2025, following the release of two big projects this year. Although Creature Commandos began the franchise's small-screen journey on HBO Max, 2025 served as the big year for the DCU due to the arrival of its two most important projects: Superman and Peacemaker Season 2.
Superman introduced David Corenswet's version of the Kryptonian hero alongside new versions of Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific. Meanwhile, Peacemaker Season 2 continued the story of John Cena's Christopher Smith in an adventure filled with Multiverse shenanigans due to the existence of a parallel universe. The series debuted on HBO Max on August 21, with its finale soon approaching.
Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 8 (the finale) is set to premiere on HBO Max on October 9, 2025 at 9 p.m. ET, meaning that this is the last big day of the DCU this year.
Peacemaker's Season 2 finale is perhaps the most highly anticipated episode of the John Cena-led series (so far) because DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn already confirmed that the series serves as the prequel to the newly announced Man of Tomorrow that will bring back David Corenswet's Superman and Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor.
The seeds have already been planted for a wild finale after Episode 6 featured the unexpected return of Hoult's Lex Luthor, while also confirming that the alternate Earth that Peacemaker deemed as the better dimension is Earth X (a world where the Nazis won and took over).
What's Next for the DCU in 2026?
While the DCU's incredible 2025 run comes to an end soon, there is a lot to look forward to for the franchise in 2026. There are three projects slated under the DC umbrella next year, namely Supergirl, Lanterns, and Clayface.
Lanterns appears to be the first in line since the HBO Max series is expected to be released in early 2026. The series is headlined by Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and John Stewart (who is confirmed to be the lead character in Lanterns), respectively. Lanterns' story follows the story of the two Green Lanterns as they investigate a series of unexplained murders in America that could be tied to a potentially larger threat.
Following Milly Alcock's much-talked-about cameo at the end of Superman, she is poised to make a grand return to the big screen in Supergirl on June 26, 2026. The story is based on Tom King's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which revolves around Kara Zor-El's journey in space alongside Krypto before encountering dangerous threats like Jason Momoa's Lobo and Krem of the Yellow Hills.
Lastly, Clayface is set to premiere in theaters on September 11, 2026. Directed by James Watkins with a script written by Mike Flanagan, it explores the story of Matt Hagen as he navigates his new life as a shapeshifting villain in the DCU's Gotham.
