DC Studios revealed who will follow John Stewart as the next main character of the DCU, specifically when it comes to the franchise's television shows. All eyes are on Lanterns right now concerning the DCU, as the TV-MA HBO series is currently debuting new episodes every Sunday. Lanterns has proved that Aaron Pierre's John Stewart is already one of the franchise's central characters and will likely return in multiple future projects (he's already set to return in 2027's Superman sequel, the James Gunn-written & directed Man of Tomorrow). However, DC Studios is already looking to the future, as it has already picked out its next central character.
DC Studios recently attended the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in Annecy, France, where (as shared by Nexus Point News) multiple executives, including Peter Safran, took the main stage to provide updates on certain projects that have been confirmed for the DCU.
Specifically, when talking about Creature Commandos Season 2, which was confirmed in December 2024, DC Studios revealed that the Bride is going to be the main character of those upcoming episodes. Specifically, it was revealed that the Bride is going to be leading the Creature Commandos team, making her the focal point of the series.
This isn't necessarily a surprise, as many considered her to be the lead character in Season 1 as well and the character who received the most development. It seems as though DC Studios is taking an "if it's not broke, don't fix it" approach to Creature Commandos Season 2, as the upcoming season will seemingly be similar in tone and nature to Season 1, which many fans enjoyed.
Creature Commandos Season 2 has not been given an exact release date yet, but it is expected to premiere sometime in 2027.
Other Existing DCU Characters Who Are Returning to Lead Roles in TV Shows
The Bride is not the only character who has already been established in the DCU and is set to return in a future project as the lead character. In fact, there are a handful of DCU characters who fall under that category, both in live-action and in animation.
For example, James Gunn just confirmed that a TV show titled The People vs. Gorilla Grodd is officially in the works at DC Studios. While that show is obviously going to feature Gorilla Grodd, Gunn also confirmed that Skyler Gisondo will be reprising his role as Jimmy Olsen in the series. Notably, Jimmy Olsen will essentially be taking on main character duties in the project, which will definitely be a change of pace after fans saw him in a supporting role in Superman.
While John Stewart is currently the face of the DCU (thanks to the success of Lanterns), he is not always going to be the one who is front and center. However, that doesn't mean he can't and won't make his way back into the spotlight.
Lanterns was already renewed for a second season, which many fans will undoubtedly be pleased to know, but considering what has happened so far in Season 1, it is safe to assume that John Stewart will return and be the main character of the second installment.
That would make John Stewart a main character on two different occasions, joining the likes of Superman (after Man of Tomorrow is released) and the Bride as characters who have been leads in multiple installments in the DCU.
At one point, James Gunn announced that Mr. Terrific would be receiving his own self-titled TV series that would act as a spin-off to Superman, as that is the project where Edi Gathegi's Mr. Terrific was introduced.
That project is still in active development, meaning that when it is finally released, Mr. Terrific will act as the main character of a DCU project. The way Mr. Terrific is being treated in the DCU is similar to Jimmy Olsen, as they both were featured in Superman as supporting characters, but are now receiving spin-offs where they are more central.
It is also worth mentioning that another big name in the DCU could be returning if their self-titled series gets brought back for another installment. Of course, this is referencing none other than John Cena's Peacemaker, whose mature television title helped establish the DCU, specifically with its second season.
Currently, there are no concrete plans for Peacemaker to be renewed for a third season. However, fans love the show, and it ended on quite a dramatic cliffhanger, so if DC Studios wanted to make another season, they probably wouldn't receive a lot of pushback from fans.
If that were to happen, Cena's Christopher Smith would be returning to the DCU as a main character once again.
While Peacemaker Season 3 is nothing but hopes and dreams at this point, one project that is in active development is Blue Beetle. Xolo Maridueña brought the character of Jamie Reyes (aka Blue Beetle) to life before DC Studios was established and the DCU began.
However, Gunn is bringing Maridueña back to reprise his role in the DCU. Fans will get to see the character in live-action in Man of Tomorrow, but Maridueña will also be voicing Blue Beetle in an animated TV series titled Blue Beetle.
After appearing in a solo film that wasn't released under the DC Studios banner, Blue Beetle will be coming back as the main character in the DCU for the first time. It is safe to say that Gunn has a lot of confidence in the character, considering he will be featured in Man of Tomorrow and a self-titled series, so fans can likely expect to see him a lot more in the future.
