James Gunn's upcoming Superman film will not be the only DC movie to be released in July 2025, as Warner Bros. Discovery just announced that a surprise film will be coming out in just a few weeks. With the new DCU officially underway following the release of Creature Commandos, many DC fans rightfully have their eyes on Superman, which will be coming to theaters on July 11, 2025. However, another feature film is going to be dropping under the DC umbrella even before Superman.
According to a press release from Warner Bros. Discovery, an anime film titled Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League will be officially released on the Max streaming service on July 3, 2025. The project will act as a direct sequel to 2018's Batman Ninja, which introduced fans to Batman in the style of Japanese anime.
This upcoming release will be a surprise to many fans since many have expected James Gunn's upcoming Superman film to be the next DC movie to be released. It is also worth noting that it is a bit of a surprise that Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League will be released less than one month after its official announcement. Previously, fans had no idea when the upcoming film would be released, especially since it had been seven years since the first film premiered.
Most of the time, projects aren't released until many months (or even years) after they are announced, even if it is an animated or direct-to-streaming movie.
According to the press release, Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League will feature the Dark Knight returning to feudal-era Japan to face off against the Yakuza League, which has been described as a group comprised of the remnants of Batman's greatest allies.
A sequel to Batman Ninja was announced to be in development in May 2024, but no substantial updates were given about the film after that. Technically, the film has already been publicly released, as it was made available on digital platforms on March 18, 2025.
Around a month later, on April 15, 2025, Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League was then released on Blu-ray and DVD. The July 3, 2025 release date is the first time it will premiere on a streaming platform for subscribers to enjoy at no additional charge.
Every Batman Project Currently in the Works
Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires
Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires is another upcoming animated film centering around Batman. The film went into production in June 2022.
The upcoming movie will not follow Bruce Wayne, but instead a young Aztec boy named Yohualli Coatl. Yohualli will find himself on a similar journey as Bruce Wayne did, though, as his father will be murdered, urging him to develop weaponry and become a masked superhero known as Batman.
Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires is set to be released on HBO Max Latin America on July 3, 2025, which is the same date that Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League will be released on Max.
Clayface
As mentioned, many DC fans currently have their eyes locked on James Gunn's new DCU. The first feature film within the DCU will be Superman, but another upcoming movie titled Clayface is expected to be released in 2026 and be the third film in the interconnected universe.
Gunn will be credited as a producer for the film, but it is being directed by James Watkins. So far, no one has officially been cast as Clayface, but production is expected to start in October, meaning that a cast announcement will likely be made soon. Alan Tudyk, who has already appeared as the character in Creature Commandos, could reprise his role, but nothing has been confirmed.
Dynamic Duo
Dynamic Duo is another feature film that is expected to be released by Warner Bros. and DC Studios sometime in the near future. The animated movie will follow Dick Grayson and Jason Todd while they are both young, exploring their differing viewpoints on how to handle their futures.
Gunn and The Batman mastermind Matt Reeves will be credited as producers for the film, but Arthur Mintz will be directing while Matthew Aldrich is penning the script. Dynamic Duo has not been given a release date.
The Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold will be yet another entry in James Gunn's DCU. The newly established franchise has not yet found its Batman, but by the time The Brave and the Bold is released, it is possible that Gunn's Bruce Wayne could have appeared in a prior project.
Considering the title is the same as a DC Comics storyline, the upcoming movie is expected to adapt that comic run and feature a Batman that is a bit older than some iterations of the character (30-40 years old).
The Brave and the Bold does not have a set release date as of writing, but it will be the first solo Batman flick in the new DCU.
Teen Titans
James Gunn and Peter Safran also officially confirmed that a live-action Teen Titans movie is in the works at DC Studios. According to the DC Studios CEOs, Ana Nogueira is writing the script.
Teen Titans will be Nogueira's second DCU project, as she is also penning Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which will star House of the Dragon's Milly Alcock and be the second feature film in the DCU.
Teen Titans does not have a set release date as of writing.
Bane & Deathstroke
In September 2024, it was reported that a Bane & Deathstroke movie was in the works at DC Studios, and that it would be a part of James Gunn's DCU. The film is expected to be reminiscent of Deadpool & Wolverine in the sense of being a buddy action-comedy.
Due to Gunn's process of greenlighting projects for the DCU, Bane & Deathstroke is still in the early stages of development, so it does not have a release date attached to it. However, Gunn already teased that Deathstroke could have a major role in the DCU, so the upcoming film will likely be the character's introduction to the franchise.
The Jurassic League
An animated Jurassic League film is in the works at DC that is expected to adapt the six-issue comic run of the same name. In the source material, the Justice League is reimagined as dinosaurs, offering an interesting twist on normal superhero stories.
According to reports, Gunn will be producing the film since it will be under the DC Studios umbrella, with Brian Lynch writing the script.
This upcoming film will most likely be directed at a younger audience, as Lynch is best known for his work on projects such as Puss in Boots, Minions, and The Secret Life of Pets.
