As James Gunn and Peter Safran prepare their plans for a new DC cinematic universe, now is the time to look back at the DCEU movies that never were.
The DC Extended Universe has always been in flux because the series has undergone multiple alterations without settling on a clear course of action. With James Gunn and Peter Safran’s hiring as the creative leaders, this problem has gotten a lot worse in recent years.
Warner Brothers Discovery canceled a number of DC films before Gunn and Safran took the reigns in November, and since then more upcoming projects have been shelved, which shows just how volatile the franchise’s landscape has been. The biggest cancelations have to do with the films that were in development, so it’s interesting to see which movies got canned and why their removals are so significant to where the DCEU is headed.
10/10
Supergirl’s Role In The Flash Isn’t Significant After Her Film’s Cancelation
The Flash was meant to be the platform for Supergirl to make her debut before headlining her own film. However, the Supergirl movie has since been scrapped, which had to do with the lack of interest in the character, as surveyed by the studio.
With James Gunn and Peter Safran now at the helm, Supergirl is still not going forward since Gunn wants to focus on his iteration of Superman. The cancelation is significant because it means Supergirl’s role in The Flash doesn’t carry the same weight as before, although the film didn’t receive as much hype as certain others before it got canned.
9/10
Batman Beyond Won’t Be Carving Out The DCEU’s Future
Terry McGinnis is one of the notable versions of Batman in recent times, as he represents the Dark Knight of the future. The shakeup at the Warner Bros. studios meant that the planned Batman Beyond film with isn’t moving forward, which also means the DCEU’s future chronology is in doubt.
Keaton was set to take over as the main Batman in the DCEU after The Flash, with Terry McGinnis coming in as his successor. But the film’s cancelation now leaves doubt over where the DCEU is headed and who Batman is going to be moving forward.
8/10
Harley Quinn & Joker Won’t Be Headlining A DCEU Film
Margot Robbie’s performance has led to fans appreciating every time Harley Quinn has appeared in live-action, but she won’t be headlining her own movie anytime soon. A film with Harley and Joker as main characters was in development around the time of Suicide Squad’s release but never progressed further.
7/10
Black Adam 2 Isn’t Moving Forward
Black Adam didn’t perform as well as DC Studios had hoped it would, with Dwayne Johnson confirming that Black Adam 2 isn’t moving forward. The film isn’t part of James Gunn’s vision for the future of the DCU, with Black Adam’s most likely role being as a supporting player in other characters’ movies if the character shows up at all.
Black Adam 2 seemed to be a sure thing at the time of the original’s release, as Johnson teased his increased role in the DCEU and a battle with Superman to follow. However, neither of those will be happening, as Gunn has canceled those world-building plans in favor of his own, which won’t be accommodating a Black Adam sequel.
6/10
The New Gods’ Future In The DCEU Isn’t Looking Possible
The New Gods were teased in Zack Snyder’s Justice League with the debut of Darkseid and Apokolips. However, The New Gods film was scrapped, having initially been announced to be helmed by Ava DuVernay and written by Tom King. The movie’s cancelation leaves doubt if the New Gods will be part of the DCEU at all.
This also means that Darkseid’s only appearance won’t have any impact on the DCEU’s future, since the Apokolips and New Genesis conflict is an essential part of his character. The possible removal of Jack Kirby’s iconic Fourth World from the future of the DC movie universe has currently led to the franchise being smaller in scope than was originally envisioned. Of course, it all depends on what Gunn and Safran have planned. While they likely won’t be following what Zack Snyder planned, it seems unlikely that the duo would leave behind such a rich vein of stories.
5/10
Ben Affleck’s Batman Turned Into The Batman
After Justice League, Ben Affleck was supposed to headline his own movie as Batman, which was set to feature Deathstroke as the main villain. This was teased in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, only for Affleck to step away from the role – though he is returning for Flash. When director Matt Reeves first came on board, it was discussed that Affleck would appear in the bookends of a Batman film that would look back at the Dark Knight’s past, but this idea was scrapped as well.
Affleck’s stepping down paved the way for Robert Pattinson to be the lead in The Batman, but this is a separate universe from the DCU that Gunn and Safran are building. While Affleck may be done playing the iconic Caped Crusader, it is likely a sure bet that Gunn and Safran will bring in a new version of Batman to their DCU.
4/10
The Snyderverse Is No Longer The DC’s Overarching Story
The Snyderverse was the main outline for the DCEU up until the release of Justice League. But the film’s failure led to a change where standalone movies became the norm, with Zack Snyder’s Justice League effectively not part of the canon since other films’ events clashed with it.
James Gunn and Peter Safran’s appointment as the creative heads of DC has once more confirmed that the Snyderverse is truly done, since Superman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and Batman are all not moving forward in the direction they were originally supposed to. As a result, the primary outline of the new DCU is unclear, with Gunn now aiming to create a more interconnected universe with a blueprint from the start.
3/10
Wonder Woman 3 Will Be Very Different, If It’s Even Made
Among the biggest changes of DC’s cinematic future was the removal of Wonder Woman 3 from the slate, having once been scheduled to film in 2023. The film’s future is in doubt since original director Patty Jenkins claims she was removed. As of now, it looks like Wonder Woman 3 isn’t moving forward.
James Gunn hasn’t listed the movie as part of his immediate plans, which makes sense since the Wonder Woman seen in the DCEU so far has interacted with characters whom James Gunn has removed. What’s clear is that Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 3 is most definitely scrapped, but there are still questions about Gal Gadot’s future as part of Gunn and Safran’s new DCU.
2/10
Batgirl Was Scrapped Entirely After Filming Was Completely
The cancelation of Batgirl shocked the industry since it was an unprecedented move – the movie, which had completed principal photography and was in post-production, was shelved for a tax write-off. Batgirl might not have held the most interest for audiences, but the fact that the actors, directors, and production team had done their job, and for it to still be scrapped, was astounding.
DC Studios’ decision not to move forward with the film leaves the status of the Bat-Family in doubt, as Batgirl was also set to feature Michael Keaton’s Batman. With Jim Gordon and Barbara Gordon also out now, the new DCU is unlikely to have these characters even though they technically should exist since their roles were filmed.
1/10
Man Of Steel 2 Won’t Happen After Henry Cavill’s Shocking Removal As Superman
Henry Cavill had announced he was back as Superman after his Black Adam cameo, but fans are now speculating who the next actor for the role of Superman will be just a month later. This comes down to Cavill’s removal at the hands of James Gunn, who wants a younger version of the character.
Man of Steel 2 was set to move forward after Cavill’s initial announcement, having been the highest-profile film in the works at the time. It’s now the biggest cancelation made in the new DCU since Superman was the first hero in the series and the removal of the actor himself means the Snyderverse is not merely dead, it’s really most sincerely dead.
