Warner Bros. addressed DC Studios' bright future after wrapping up the DCU's first year amid plans for acquisition. Three years after James Gunn and Peter Safran were hired to lead DC Studios in October 2022, the first year of DCU projects has been completed across Creature Commandos, Superman, and Peacemaker Season 2. Despite bringing some of DC's greatest on-screen successes in years, the future has been subject to significant uncertainty lately, with Netflix announcing its deal to acquire Warner Bros., HBO Max, and HBO.
Prior to these reports, Warner Bros. held its Q3 2025 earnings call on November 6, and the shareholder letter gave an update on DC Studios' future. The official update doubled down that Superman "marked a new era and critical first step on its 10-year journey" to tell a fresh DC story across film and TV:
"Importantly, with its first theatrical release 'Superman,' DC Studios marked a new era and critical first step on its 10-year journey to deliver fans a fresh and cohesive storyline across film and television, while bringing new heroes and villains to the surface."
Notably, the description exclusively listed film and TV, despite past promises of video game tie-ins for the DCU, raising concerns about their statuses.
The studio insisted it remains "incredibly excited" about the goings-on at DC Studios and how fans will engage with the "next generation" of these characters:
"We remain incredibly excited about the momentum at DC Studios and its prospects to re-connect with fans and ignite the next generation of these beloved characters."
Warner Bros. reminded its shareholders and fans of what comes next for DC Studios, with Lanterns, Supergirl, Clayface, and Man of Tomorrow confirmed to be next up on James Gunn's DCU slate for 2026 and 2027.
"Building on 'Superman'’s foundation, upcoming DC Studios projects include Lanterns, which will debut on HBO Max in early 2026; Supergirl and Clayface, which are scheduled for theatrical release in summer and fall 2026, respectively; and Man of Tomorrow, the follow-up to Superman, which James Gunn is currently writing and will again direct."
Whether these plans will be maintained in the coming years remains to be seen, though Netflix, for its part, has asserted that Warner Bros.' current theatrical model would not be going anywhere if the deal goes through. Warner Bros. currently has a partnership with IMAX to sustain cinema releases until 2029, preserving the DCU's place on the big screen for the time being.
Gunn and Safran originally pitched an eight-to-10-year plan for DC Studios to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav in early 2023, part of which he revealed to fans as Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters shortly after, but that slate has received some major changes since.
More recently, amid the Warner Bros. sale, the DCU director confirmed his plans go "significantly further" than July 2027's Man of Tomorrow. However, Gunn never directly said whether it would be him to "fulfil that promise."
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed in October 2022 that Gunn and Safran's deal as co-CEOs would last four years, during which the former would be exclusive to DC. That contract was recently renewed to last until 2027.
DC Studios' 2nd Year Could Define the Franchise's Future
The DCU has come out swinging with a successful first year that looks to have reignited the general audience's interest in the blue brand. As James Gunn himself has closely guarded the first three projects, the DCU's actual test will come in 2026 with Supergirl, Lanterns, and Clayface all hailing from other creators.
Of course, Warner Bros. under Netflix may look slightly different from what was originally envisioned. While theatrical will be maintained, the windows may be significantly reduced, as has been seen with certain Netflix releases like Wake Up Dead Man. It is also unclear how Netflix intends to distribute the DCU's HBO content, whether that will be through its own streamer or HBO Max.
Despite Gunn and Safran's success with the DCU up to this point, Netflix may have some notes if it gets oversight over operations. Perhaps certain projects will be altered or prioritised, or maybe the SnyderVerse could get resurrected as an Elseworlds story (an improbable scenario, but more possible under Netflix).
