James Gunn's DC has officially set its second Elseworlds movie, arriving in 2028 alongside Matt Reeves' The Batman Part II, which recently paused production. When Gunn and co-CEO Peter Safran took over DC in late 2022, the DC Studios banner was formed, and under it, two labels were created: the DC Universe, home to DC's canon films and shows, and the Elseworlds umbrella, which covers the non-canon series and movies. DC now has two upcoming Elseworlds movies after the classification of one major Batman-adjacent film was clarified.
Dynamic Duo has officially been classified as an Elseworlds movie under the DC Studios umbrella and has been given a new September 22, 2028 release date after initially being set for June 30 of that year. Dynamic Duo was first announced by James Gunn in 2024 as a story centered on Batman characters Jason Todd and Dick Grayson. Although Gunn has said from the jump that the film will be Elseworlds, rumors have swirled in recent weeks that the movie would be canonized and brought into the mainline DCU continuity, with one report even claiming its voice cast would reprise their roles in live-action.
However, these rumors have been put to bed. Logan Kim, who voices Jason Todd in the upcoming animated movie alongside Mason Thames as Dick Grayson, confirmed that the film is not part of the DCU canon, definitively saying "No" in an Instagram comment on a fan post claiming otherwise. The post has since been deleted.
The Elseworlds and DCU canon classifications can be confusing for fans, so it's understandable that some people genuinely thought Dynamic Duo would be canon. The Elseworlds banner has so much in store beyond Dynamic Duo, especially on TV, with a horde of non-canon series either in production or in development at DC Studios.
Exciting Elseworlds Projects in the Works by DC Studios
The flagship of DC Studios' Elseworlds lineup remains Matt Reeves' Batman Epic Crime Saga, which began with The Batman and continued with the acclaimed HBO series The Penguin. Robert Pattinson's version of Gotham exists entirely apart from the DCU, a point Gunn and Safran have repeated since taking over the studio. Although many fans have clamored for a merger, Reeves' universe will remain independent for the foreseeable future.
The Batman Part II finally entered production in June, with principal photography kicking off at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden near London before expanding to Liverpool and Glasgow. The sequel brings back Pattinson as Bruce Wayne alongside Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, Jayme Lawson, and Gil Perez-Abraham.
New additions include Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Brian Tyree Henry, Charles Dance, and Sebastian Koch. Reeves, who co-wrote the script with Mattson Tomlin, has teased that the sequel leans harder into Bruce Wayne than previous Batman films and features a villain never before used in a live-action movie.
The road to The Batman Part II has been quite the journey, with fans having to wait nearly six years between films. The sequel cycled through release dates of October 2025, October 2026, and October 2027 before landing on February 18, 2028, a move made in July to allow more time for post-production.
Production hit another bump this week, with DC Studios confirming filming has "temporarily paused while Matt Reeves focuses on a family matter," adding that "Matt has the full support of DC Studios and we look forward to continuing the journey soon."
According to Deadline sources, it's too early to know whether the stoppage will affect the release date, but it could potentially stall the film once again. If it does get delayed, though, fans do not have to fret. DC still has more Elseworlds projects on the way to keep them entertained as they wait for the Batman sequel.
DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation announced a groundbreaking Batman project at Annecy in June: Absolute Batman. This show's premise is so intriguing it will guarantee fans don't miss Matt Reeves' sequel too much while they wait. An official release date has not been announced, but if it arrives before 2028, it should fill the void left by the sequel's delay for a bit.
The animated series is an adaptation of Absolute Batman, the bestselling comic from Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta. The book reimagines Bruce Wayne as a working-class kid from Crime Alley rather than a billionaire's son. The comic launched in 2024 and has sold more than six million copies, with its first volume reaching an 11th printing. Snyder serves as executive producer and showrunner, with Dragotta as producer.
Head of Warner Bros. Animation Sam Register described the full-CG show as "a whole different tone and a whole different take again on Batman," with early previsualization footage from Stellar Creative Labs showing the hulking hero in front of a burning cityscape.
Announced at the same event, Joker: Laugh Riot is DC Studios' first-ever anime series. The show is produced in Japan with Sola Entertainment. Director Yasuhiro Aoki, an animator on The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, helms the series, with DC animation veteran Jim Krieg executive producing. The show follows Joker's crusade through Gotham's underworld after Batman is killed. Joker, unhappy that someone else murdered his greatest adversary, hunts for the killer using his brutal trademark methods.
There are more Elseworlds animated projects on the way as well. In February 2025, Gunn and Safran unveiled three animated series developed with Warner Bros. Animation. My Adventures with Green Lantern is one of the titles in the lineup, and it follows high school student Jessica Cruz, whose life changes when a Green Lantern Power Ring chooses her as its champion in an ancient space war. The series shares its universe with My Adventures with Superman, the Adult Swim hit that premiered its third season in June, a run inspired by the Reign of the Supermen comics.
With DC Studios whetting appetites for more Green Lantern content via the HBO hit Lanterns, this show should find an audience quickly. The series is currently still in development, and a definitive release date hasn't been revealed yet.
Beyond this, there are more cosmic characters DC is building stories around, and Starfire is one of them. The character's titular series will tell the origin story of Koriand'r, the alien princess best known as a core member of the Teen Titans.
The show follows her journey from her home planet of Tamaran into deep space, joined by Crush, Fern, and the magical Princess Amethyst of Gemworld. Fans got their first look at the character's redesigned costume and her pet Silkie through a promotional banner at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
The Elseworlds slate gets even more exciting with the hero team-up DC Super Powers. The series takes place at the Alliance School for Heroes, where new students Lightning, Flash, Plastic Man, Aquagirl, Green Lantern, and Terra train under Principal Martian Manhunter. This series is set to offer a bold take on some of DC's most prominent superhero characters.
The Elseworlds show DC Studios has planned that's closest to the DCU canon is Krypto's upcoming series. The superpowered canine was introduced in the DCU's Superman in 2025. His popularity has grown so much that he's headlining his own show after fronting a couple of animated shorts titled Krypto Saves the Day.
This new series pairs the superdog with a group of aspiring young criminals whose chaotic schemes are slowly transformed by his pure-hearted nature. It's aimed at younger audiences but should be one of the most entertaining non-canon shows DC has planned.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
