Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav recently revealed which four superheroes are most important to the DCU, and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn corroborated that statement. The DCU is still in its early stages, as only one project within it has been released as of writing (Creature Commandos). However, once Superman premieres and kicks off the live-action and film side of the franchise, the DCU is expected to hit the ground running as its most important characters become more established and grounded.
When Zaslav spoke to Warner Bros. Discovery investors on the company's Q1 earnings call, he revealed that four specific DCU superheroes would pave the way for the rest of the franchise's heroes and other characters, alluding that, at its core, the DCU would be centered around them. More recently, Gunn backed Zaslav's statement, confirming that those four heroes will prove to be incredibly important to the success of the new franchise.
Specifically, on the earnings call, Zaslav named Superman, Supergirl, Batman, and Wonder Woman as the four characters that the DCU will be founded on. For now, two of those characters have been cast and will be officially seen on-screen when Superman flies into theaters (David Corenswet as Superman and Milly Alcock as Supergirl), but actors for the other two (Batman and Wonder Woman) have still not been announced.
While speaking to Entertainment Weekly to promote Superman's upcoming release, Gunn agreed with Zaslav that those four characters will stand above the rest. However, he made sure to include that the franchise's success won't bank on "only those four characters," but that "those four characters are incredibly important."
As mentioned, there have not been nearly any updates on the DCU's Wonder Woman and Batman, but Gunn did reveal that he and his crew at DC Studios are "dealing with [them]" as we speak:
"I wouldn’t say only those four characters, but I would say that those four characters are incredibly important to us. Right now, I feel great about where two of those characters are, and then we’re dealing with the other two."
With the recent confirmation from Gunn that a Wonder Woman film is now in the works at DC Studios, all four of the mentioned characters will get their own time in the spotlight during the early years of the DCU.
First up will be Superman, though, as Superman will be the first live-action project and the first general feature film to be released within the franchise. Also starring Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane) and Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), the film will be released on July 11, 2025.
Where Will the DCU's Big Four Show Up?
When Gunn's DCU was first announced, it came with the confirmation that the franchise would be broken up into Chapters. For instance, Chapter 1 of the DCU has been officially titled "Gods and Monsters," and will include multiple projects that will likely culminate at some point, bringing together all of the franchise's heroes at the same time.
As mentioned, Superman and Supergirl will both be appearing in Superman. However, Supergirl's first major appearance won't come until 2026's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, a feature film that will center entirely around Milly Alcock's version of the character.
Batman's first appearance in the DCU is unknown, but there will be a Batman film released at some point titled The Brave and the Bold, which will likely follow the comic book line of the same name. That may mark the first time The Dark Knight shows up in the franchise, but it is possible that, like Supergirl, he could be introduced in an earlier project so that fans are already familiar with the character when his film is released.
Before now, a Wonder Woman film was not on the table, but Gunn recently confirmed that a feature film about that character is currently in the writing process. It is worth noting that it will be entirely different from the Paradise Lost HBO Max series that has already been announced.
So, within the first chapter of the DCU, all four of the franchise's most important characters are now expected to be introduced. As time goes on, they will likely intersect with each other more often than not.
