DC Announces ‘Chapter 1’ of New Universe With Ten Movies and Shows
For months, all of the news about the future of DC has been about what’s not happening. The Batgirl movie intended for HBO Max was permanently shelved after it was already shot. Henry Cavill made his surprising return to the role of Superman, only for the company to announce a few weeks later that Cavill wasn’t going to make any more DC movies after all. Dwayne Johnson‘s Black Adam was seemingly meant to launch a whole franchise — or perhaps multiple franchises — based on the title character, until Johnson himself announced on social media that a sequel is “will not be in their first chapter of storytelling” of DC’s next phase.
Here, finally, are the future DC projects that are happening. And as it turned out, Dwayne Johnson might have inadvertently let slip what the whole thing is called. Newly-installed DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran just unveiled their new slate of projects. And it’s called “Chapter 1.” These early titles, which will focus on what the press release dubs “Gods and Monsters.”
Today, Gunn and Safran announced five new movies and five new shows all intended for HBO Max, including brand new versions of DC icons Superman, Batman, and Robin, plus new interpretations of stalwart heroes Green Lantern, Supergirl, Swamp Thing, and more. This was Safran’s statement on this first chapter of new movies and shows
As we craft the plan for DC Studios, we are thrilled to share with fans the first 10 stories they can expect from the unified DC Universe featuring some of our most well-known characters as well as the next generation of marquee characters. Chapter 1 tells cohesive stories that highlight love, compassion, and the innate goodness of the human spirit, all designed to minimize audience confusion and maximize audience engagement across platforms.
Here is the full lineup of what was officially announced:
The New DC Universe of Movies and Shows
Gunn’s Superman: Legacy is scheduled to open in theaters on July 11, 2025. Other than that, these projects do not have specific release date yet. While you’re waiting for them, the next DC Studios movie, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, is scheduled to open in theaters on March 17, 2023. That will be followed by The Flash on June 16, by Blue Beetle on August 18, and by Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom on December 25. After that? It will be time to officially launch a new DC Universe.