The Rock is never wrong, just early, because the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is changing. James Gunn and Peter Safran are out as the Co-Chairs of DC Studios, with Skydance handing over control of the company to former Marvel executive Jeremy Latcham. Skydance's next moves remain a mystery, since Gunn and Safran still have to wrap up a few projects, including Man of Tomorrow. But there's a growing sentiment in the entertainment industry that building the Justice League is about to become DC Studios' number-one priority, which can't happen without introducing a few major heroes to the DCU.
The DCU isn't that far off from having a proper Justice League roster. So long as Latcham and Co. don't choose to scrap the entire universe, they have Superman, Supergirl, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and, if rumors about Man of Tomorrow are to be believed, Woman Woman, who have all been part of the team in the comics, at their disposal. However, that lineup still needs a few more mainstream faces; as great as Mister Terrific and Hawkgirl are, they aren't the heavy-hitters that audiences expect to see when they sit down to watch a superhero team-up movie.
Based on all the reports, the next couple of years are going to be crucial for the new regime at DC Studios as they work not only to keep the ship on course but also upgrade it. Those will come in the form of new heroes who can take the DCU's Justice League from ordinary to something that can compete with the Avengers in the MCU.
Heroes DC Studios Are Likely to Introduce Before the Inevitable Justice League Movie
Batman
It's hard to imagine that Skydance was thrilled about acquiring a superhero franchise without an established Batman. Sure, the Bat-Verse has another movie on the way with The Batman Part 2. But Matt Reeves doesn't want his Dark Knight brushing shoulders with David Corenswet's Superman because he prefers to keep his stories grounded. With that in mind, DC Studios has no choice but to introduce its own Caped Crusader.
James Gunn announced a Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold, as part of the original DCU slate. For the past few years, it's been stuck in development hell. Expect Jeremy Latcham to get the ball rolling on a new Batman project, whether it's The Brave and the Bold or something entirely new. A big-screen Justice League just won't work without him,
The Flash
The original heads of DC Studios clearly didn't see Flash as a priority, and it's easy to see why. They took over right before The Flash hit theaters, and The CW didn't wrap up its nine-season speedster show all that long ago. Other heroes deserved a shot at the big time, but the time for risks at DC has come and gone.
An easy way for DC Studios to ensure that its Flash doesn't cover the same ground as those previous projects is to make Wally West the DCU's resident speedster, not Barry Allen. He was a founding member of the Justice League in the 2000s animated series, so he's more than qualified.
Aquaman
The King of Atlantis is in a similar boat to the Scarlet Speedster. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hit theaters in 2023. And while it didn't blow critics away, it did okay at the box office. All that success meant Gunn's team couldn't reboot Aquaman right out of the gate. Instead, they found another spot for the franchise's star, Jason Momoa, casting him as Lobo in Supergirl.
Aquaman proved during his run in the DCEU that he had international appeal. DC Studios can take advantage of that by putting the hero back on the big screen as part of its Justice League. It will be difficult to find an actor as charismatic as Momoa to put in the wetsuit, but it's a mission worth attempting.
Nightwing
When The Brave and the Bold was announced, DC Studios revealed that the movie would feature a Robin. However, it wouldn't be Dick Grayson or even Tim Drake. No, Batman would take his son, Damian Wayne, under his wing.
If that movie moves forward, Latcham can't waste any time tiptoeing around the whereabouts of the original Robin. Nightwing must become a major part of the DCU because he's not only a great character, but also the future of the Justice League; Batman has said it himself time and time again in the comics.
Batgirl
While Barbara Gordon traditionally isn't a member of the Justice League, choosing instead to spend her time with the Bat-Family or the Birds of Prey, there are special circumstances surrounding her. For starters, everyone loves Batman and the heroes connected to him. Just as Gunn gave Superman an ally in his cousin Supergirl, Latcham can do the same for his Dark Knight by making Batgirl his ally.
Fans are also likely to be open to seeing Batgirl as part of the Justice League because of what happened to her last solo project. Warner Bros. scrapped it and used it as a tax write-off. Latcham will earn major brownie points if he rights that wrong.
