Upcoming DC movies that are going to blow everyone away

The DC Extended Universe might be struggling to find some creative success, but the company's comics have been battling Marvel for market share for decades, and that didn't happen accidentally — these are seriously iconic characters with no shortage of stories just waiting to be adapted for the big screen, and there's a large audience eager to watch them being told. 

That's just one reason that despite the critical drubbing many DCEU movies have taken, this franchise is still making a lot of money—and Warner Bros. remains committed to establishing it further, with more than a dozen additional DC-derived releases in various stages of development right now. We've watched the Justice League come together, but that's only the beginning of Warners' plans for DCEU domination. What do fans have to look forward to over the next half decade or so? Let's take a look at the upcoming DC movies that are going to blow everyone away.

Shazam! has been in the works for years, but for a while, it seemed as though the movie was being permanently stalled. Initial reports had Dwayne Johnson attached to the film as the villainous Black Adam, but DC later announced that Johnson's character would get his own film, leaving Shazam! without a nemesis and without a star. While casting announcements have been kept under wraps, the film got a huge push towards production in the summer of 2017, when Annabelle: Creation's David Sandberg was officially announced as director. Sandberg then finally made the huge announcement fans had been waiting for in late October, when he revealed that Chuck star Zachary Levi had landed the title role. With the movie reportedly headed into production in early 2018 (and Levi basically living at the gym bulking up in the meantime), this movie seems like it'll be magical.

No casting has been announced, but the studio is actively working this one behind the scenes, with a script from David Goyer and Justin Rhodes on the way. Despite the fact that it's three years out, Warner Bros. is bullish, with a release date already locked. No word on the plot, but it's described as "Lethal Weapon in space," and is reportedly based on a comic book origin story. We also know it'll focus on two different DC characters: the popular Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Bringing Stewart in is a wise move. He's a fan favorite, and getting him in the mix will help this film stand apart from the previous, critically panned Green Lantern flick. Considering the fact that Jordan was set up alongside the other primary members of the Justice League in the new DC Comics intro that played before Wonder Woman, it seems he'll play an important part in the DCEU going forward.

By the time Cyborg shows up in his DCEU solo movie, fans should be pretty familiar with him. Ray Fisher's version of the character will have co-starring roles in Justice League and The Flash, and as much as Warner Bros. loves cameos, we wouldn't be surprised to see him pop up elsewhere, too. We already got a fleeting glimpse at Cyborg thanks to those handy Lex Luthor YouTube videos in Batman v Superman, but we'll presumably learn more about him over the next few films. Since the character will have been thoroughly introduced by the time this one rolls around, it stands to reason it probably won't be an origin story. Or if it is, at least it won't be the entire focus of the story.

Sometimes known as Justice League Dark during development, this project is set to focus on the mystical side of the DCEU, featuring characters such as John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Deadman, Zatanna, and Etrigan the Demon. Edge of Tomorrow's Doug Liman was initially signed on to direct, but he dropped out due to scheduling conflicts; the film has yet to find a new director. Still, trade sources say the film is likely one of the next few DCEU movies to go into production. Considering the success Marvel had with Doctor Strange, it stands to reason Warner Bros. will be keen to get this one off the bench soon. Here's hoping they continue the trend of letting Matt Ryan play John Constantine, because let's be honest, the dude is perfect.

Warner Bros. originally penciled this one in for 2019, though it's since been bumped to an unspecified date to clear out some space for The Batman. This one might not be penciled in anywhere at the moment, but of all the projects at the far end of DC's master plan, it stands to reason another Justice League is one of the most bankable. The Avengers has become a flagship franchise for Marvel, and DC is looking to leverage Justice League the same way. Of course, there are a lot of standalone movies and spinoffs to make in the meantime.

A proper Suicide Squad sequel is in development, but there's been no word on when it'll actually hit the big screen. Despite anemic reviews, the first film still made a whole lot of money—and introduced characters like Robbie's Harley Quinn, and Will Smith's Deadshot, both of whom will almost certainly pop back up in the DCEU down the line. After months of rumors, The Accountant's Gavin O'Connor officially signed on to direct in September of 2017. He's also set to rewrite the script, which had an early draft from The Legend of Tarzan's Adam Cozad. With the behind-the-scenes team shaping up, it looks like the rumored fall of 2018 production start date should be a go.

DC seemed to have landed a big fish when they recruited The Avengers director Joss Whedon to make a Batgirl film, but his attachment to the project wound up being short-lived. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator was initially set to write, direct, and produce the film, which was rumored to follow the New 52 version of Barbara Gordon. However, he wound up pulling out of the project after a year of working on it because he realized that he "really didn't have a story."

Rumor has it that Whedon was under more pressure because he was a male filmmaker working on a story about an iconic female character. According to The Hollywood Reporter's sources, the company was worried that he would have been subject to "greater public scrutiny" because he would be a man telling a woman's story.

Luckily, though, they later found a replacement for Whedon in Bumblebee writer Christina Hodson, who is set to take the latest stab at the script. While no new director has been attached yet, it's good to see that the project is getting back on track. 

Will Smith is a Hollywood star, so it's no surprise Warner Bros. is looking to spin him off with a film focused on his Suicide Squad character Deadshot. Outside of Ben Affleck, Smith is arguably the biggest star in the DCEU—so it's only a matter of time until they get him suited back up for another fight against Batman. At this point, the project seems to be in very early development, and there's no word on where it might eventually fit in the overall schedule.

The Joker is one of DC's most popular characters, so it makes sense that they're taking yet another stab at bringing him to the big screen—and this time, with a planned solo movie about the character's origins. The movie is said to explore what it took for the Joker to become a criminal mastermind, using an '80s setting as a backdrop. While it will obviously draw heavily from the comic books, it's supposedly intended to feel more like a gritty crime drama than a superhero film, and said to be separate from any other iteration of the Joker in the DCEU.

The movie is set to be co-written and directed by The Hangover's Todd Phillips, with The Fighter's Scott Silver joining as a co-writer. Don't expect to see Jared Leto in the lead—Joaquin Phoenix is reportedly Phillips' top choice and is said to be in early talks to play the title character. Recasting the role is fitting with the movie's separation from the rest of DC's films, and bringing in an actor of Phoenix's pedigree should make for a high quality film. Considering Warner Bros. was reportedly previously considering Leonardo DiCaprio for the role, this project seems to be no laughing matter.

DC has quite a lot of Harley Quinn on the docket, and Margot Robbie is set to reprise her pitch perfect performance as the character once again in Birds of Prey. Robbie first announced that DC would be working on a standalone film surrounding Harley while speaking with MTV News in November of 2017; the project later got a lot more momentum in April of 2018, when it was announced that Dead Pigs director and former Wall Street Journal reporter Cathy Yan was being brought on board to direct.

The film is said to be based on the Birds of Prey comic, which has featured characters like Batgirl, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, and Katana. The movie, which is reportedly being talked about as "an all-female variation on Suicide Squad," has a script from Christina Hodson, who has also been tapped to work on DC's Batgirl pic. Hodson's script reportedly "blew execs away," leading them to move the shooting of the movie up to the end of 2018. DC is also reportedly set to provide an intro for Batgirl, similar to Marvel's introduction of Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War before the character got his own standalone film.

DC nabbed an Oscar winner for their planned Blackhawk film. Steven Spielberg, who has taken home three Academy Awards over his expansive career, will produce and likely direct a film based on Blackhawk, the enigmatic leader of a international squadron of heroic pilots who take on the Nazis during World War II. The Blackhawk character debuted in 1941's Military Comics No. 1 and was originally published by Quality Comics before DC acquired it in 1956. 

The character, who was co-created by Will Eisner, Bob Powell, and Chuck Cuidera, headlined a number of best-selling comics in the 1940s. His World War II background makes him a great fit for Spielberg, who earned an Oscar and a number of other accolades for his work directing the World War II-based drama Saving Private Ryan. He's bringing on Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull and Jurassic Park writer David Koepp to pen the script.