Warner Bros. Scrambling To Reassure Some DC Creators That Their Movies Are Safe
The big entertainment industry story of the year is the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, which has created a media and entertainment juggernaut called Warner Bros. Discovery. The deal continues to make waves in the industry, and has already impacted the DC Extended Universe. The corporation's explanations for wiping "Batgirl" entirely from their DCEU release schedule has ruffled feathers, with some questioning why Warner Bros. didn't cancel "The Flash" instead due to star Ezra Miller banging nail after nail on the film's coffin.
The "Batgirl" cancellation and Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and president David Zaslav's comments about the need to heavily reimagine the DC Extended Universe have already caused DC Films president Walter Hamada to nearly walk out of the door (via The Hollywood Reporter). However, it would appear that Warner Bros. Discovery has reached the conclusion that canceling a major superhero movie out of the blue isn't the greatest way to inspire trust among the various DCEU creatives working on their own movies, and is now in the process of calming the waters. As such, some DC creators have reportedly received hurried reassurances that their projects are safe.
Many major DCEU projects are reportedly safe
As of now, it appears that "Batgirl" wasn't just the first casualty in the process that ends up knocking every single DC domino piece down. In fact, Warner Bros. Discovery has reportedly confirmed that multiple upcoming projects are perfectly safe, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Fortunately, DCEU fans can rejoice, because a whole bunch of upcoming DC movies that will blow you away are safe from cancellation. Zaslav has already more or less confirmed that "Black Adam," "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" and "The Flash" are all on the cards. "We've seen them," he said. "We think they are terrific, and we think we can make them even better." Perhaps predictably, James Gunn is also perfectly safe with the second season of his HBO Max hit "Peacemaker," as is Todd Phillips with his "Joker: Folie Á Deux." Arguably the most surprising confirmation in the aftermath of the "Batman" cancellation is "Blue Beetle," which is reportedly still going strong.
With the exception of "Peacemaker" Season 2 and the "Joker" sequel, it's worth noting that all of these confirmed projects are slated to drop within a year or so, with "Blue Beetle's" August 18, 2023 release date the farthest of the lot. Thanks to the current turbulence, it's still unknown whether faraway projects like Ta-Nehisi Coates' "Superman" film and "Green Lantern Corps" will ever see the light of day.