After Snyder Cut: What's Next for the DCEU?
Zack Snyder’s Justice League has finally been released to critical acclaim worldwide. However, the Snyder Cut is a bittersweet event for DC fans as it marks the last Snyder film in the DCEU and the end of Snyder’s vision for this franchise. The director has publicly said that Warner Bros. has no “appetite” to work with him again, but that didn’t stop him from putting his all into the director’s cut of Justice League for the sake of the fans who fought for its release.
From the moment Snyder was brought on board to be the architect of the DCEU, it was clear his vision was dark—something the bigwigs at the studio weren’t too keen on. But Snyder fought for his movies, despite the push to make DC films more Marvel-esque. Here’s what he said in his New York Times interview:
“I knew it before Batman v Superman when we made Man of Steel. Marvel is doing something else. They’re doing, at the highest level, this popular action-comedy with a heart. And they have that nailed. An effort to duplicate that is insanity because they’re so good at it. What DC had was mythology at an epic level, and we were going to take them on this amazing journey. Frankly, I was the only one saying that.”
Without Snyder at the steering wheel, where does this leave the DCEU? The DCEU has a number of movies and series in development with hopes of creating a mega-media empire that will rival Marvel’s. But without a captain (respected by fans and filmmakers alike), many of these films are already considered standalones in a disjointed universe instead of installments in a cohesive franchise. Of course, that’s how some fans would prefer it to prevent another 2017 disaster. The Snyder Cut was undoubtedly the most anticipated release of the DCEU, but now that it’s done, its succeeding films will have to forge a new path for the DCEU.
Here are all the upcoming films and series in the DCEU slate:
1| The Suicide Squad
Tentative release date: August 6, 2021
After the Snyder Cut, the franchise’s next big release is The Suicide Squad, which will be directed by Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn. The Suicide Squad will be the second and last DCEU film to be released in 2021. The sequel to Suicide Squad (2016) will bring back all the main characters from the first film, sans Will Smith (Deadshot) who has been replaced with Idris Elba (Bloodsport), as the ensemble is sent to destroy a Nazi-era prison.
2| Peacemaker
Tentative release date: January 2022
Christopher Smith aka Peacemaker has already been given his own HBO Max series, the first for the DCEU. John Cena will star as the notorious title character and James Gunn is the showrunner.
3| The Flash
Tentative release date: November 4, 2022
Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson will write the script of The Flash, which will be directed by Andy Muschietti of It fame. In The Flash, Barry Allen’s first solo film in the DCEU, Muschietti will draw inspiration from the Flashpoint comic book arc as the speedster attempts to time travel to prevent his mother’s murder.
4| Aquaman 2
Tentative release date: December 16, 2022
James Wan will return to DCEU to direct the Aquaman sequel after the massive success of the first film. The first film’s screenwriters will also return, and Jason Momoa is said to have more creative input in the sequel, which will follow Aquaman as he explores the other kingdoms of Atlantis.
5| Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Tentative release date: June 2, 2023
Shazam! Director David Sandberg will return to direct the Shazam sequel. Shazam! is the lightest film in the DCEU slate and appeals to a younger audience compared to DC’s other films. Not much is known yet about the storyline.
6| Black Adam
Tentative release date: 2023
Best known for his horror films, Jaume Collet-Serra will direct the next DCEU film, Black Adam. Dwayne Johnson has been cast in the title role, and the film will also introduce the Justice Society of America into the franchise. Black Adam was meant to appear in Shazam! but was cut out in order to give the character his own film.
Other projects
DC Films has a long list of movies and shows in development, but it hasn’t been shy about canceling projects it has previously confirmed. Some of these canceled projects include The Batman with Ben Affleck, which was dropped and replaced with an entirely new non-DCEU film with Robert Pattinson as Batman; Cyborg, which was dropped after Ray Fisher’s public beef with Warner Bros.; Deathstroke, which was dropped as it wasn’t considered a “priority”; and all Justice League sequels, which were dropped after Snyder departed from the DCEU.
Despite all these canceled projects, there are still plenty of projects still in the works. These include:
- Wonder Woman 3
- Superman reboot
- Harley Quinn vs. The Joker
- The Joker
- Constantine
- Supergirl
- Green Lantern Corps
- Justice League Dark
- Batgirl
- The Amazons
- Deadshot
- Gotham City Sirens
- The Trench
- Blackhawk
- Blue Beetle
- Booster Gold
- Lobo
- New Gods
- Nightwing
- Plastic Man
- Static Shock
