DCU Chapter One is up and running – well, from a development perspective, anyway. James Gunn and Peter Safran's rebooted DC Cinematic Universe (DCU) won't officially begin until late 2024, but plenty of work has been carried out on numerous movies and TV shows in its first phase, which is also titled Gods and Monsters.
Below, we've rounded up the very latest intel on all of the new movies and Max series that are on the way as part of DCU Chapter One. For each one, you'll find more information on any confirmed release dates, official cast lists, plot details, and so much more. You'll also find a round-up of the DC Elseworlds films and TV shows – productions that sit independent of the DCU's line-up – that are also being developed, such as The Batman Part 2. So, what are you waiting for? Throw on your favorite spandex-based superhero costume and dive in!
DCU Chapter One: every movie and TV show
In a YouTube video posted in January 2023 Gunn revealed the DCU Chapter One's full line-up. In total, there are 12 projects – five movies and seven TV shows – set to arrive in the years to come, although there are only three with confirmed and/or tentative launch dates. Here's a complete list of all of the DCU Chapter One movies and shows that'll debut on the big and small screens (NB: any projects with unknown release dates have been labeled 'TBC'):
- Creature Commandos (TV show, likely late 2024)
- Superman (movie, July 11, 2025)
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (movie, June 26, 2026)
- Arkham (TV show, TBC)
- The Authority (movie, TBC)
- The Brave and the Bold (movie, TBC)
- Booster Gold (TV show, TBC)
- Lanterns (TV show, TBC)
- Paradise Lost (TV show, TBC)
- Peacemaker season 2 (TV show, TBC)
- Swamp Thing (movie, TBC)
- Waller (TV show, TBC)
DC Chapter One movies
Superman
Release date: July 11, 2025
Director: James Gunn
Confirmed cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Maria Gabriela de Faría, Skyler Gisondo, and Sara Sampaio
The first DCU Chapter One film to fly into theaters, 2025's Superman movie has been written by Gunn, who is also directing the Man of Steel's latest silver screen outing. Filming began in late February.
Corenswet is the latest incumbent to wear the famous red cape, while Brosnahan is playing Daily Planet reporter/perennial Supes love interest Lois Lane. Hoult will portray infamous Superman villain Lex Luthor. Corrigan will portray Metamorpho, Merced is Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi plays Mister Terrific, and Fillion is Guy Gardner, one of Green Lantern's many iterations.
Gisondo has been hired as Clark’s long-standing photographer buddy Jimmy Olsen, de Faría will play The Engineer (a character we'll see again in The Authority), and Sampaio (Billions) set to play Eve Teschmacher, one of Luthor's LexCorp allies. Lastly, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell were recently confirmed to be playing Jonathan 'Pa' Kent and Martha Kent, Clark's adoptive human parents.
Gunn revealed a first look at the DC superhero's costume (plus the film's title change) in March, before giving us a full look at Corenswet in Superman's new suit in early May. That image also teased an appearance from another classic Supes villain in Brainiac, too.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Release date: June 26, 2026
Director: Craig Gillespie
Confirmed cast: Milly Alcock
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be the first solo big-screen outing for Superman’s cousin since the Helen Slater-starring 1984 movie. The character appeared in The Flash and her self-titled CW show, though, so she won't be completely *ahem* alien to audiences. Ana Nogeuira has written the script, while Gillespie was confirmed as this flick's director in May. Filming is, according to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), slated to start in the Fall (that's autumn for non-US northern hemisphere readers and spring for those south of the equator).
Inspired by Tom King’s comic-book run of the same name, it'll arrive almost one year on from the release of Gunn's Superman film. Milly Alcock, who played a young Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon, will star as the titular hero – Alcock being confirmed as Kara Zor-El just days after Gunn whittled down his Supergirl casting list to two stars (the other being DC voice actor Meg Donnelly in January). Krypto the Superdog is expected to make an appearance, too.
The Brave and the Bold
Release date: TBC
Director: TBC
Cast: TBC
Based on Grant Morrison’s popular run of comic books, The Brave and the Bold's movie adaptation – one of TechRadar's most anticipated DCU Chapter One projects – will see Bruce Wayne teaming up with his violent and narcissistic son Damian, a teen raised by assassins who goes on to become Bat-sidekick Robin.
Nobody's been cast yet, but Variety has reported that The Flash’s Andy Muschietti is being lined up to direct it. A DCEU Leaks Reddit thread claims John Logan (Gladiator, Skyfall) is in talks to pen the script. However, neither individual has been confirmed to be attached to the project so, until Gunn announces that they have (or haven't), we're none the wiser about the pair's potential involvement.
The Authority
Release date: TBC
Director: TBC
Confirmed cast: Maria Gabriela de Faría
DCU Chapter One will introduce The Authority, a lesser known team of antiheroes who feel right up Gunn’s street. Based on Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch's comic series (released via DC’s Wildstorm imprint), it'll focus on the eponymous group who are prepared to use any means necessary to save the day – a modus operandi rather like Peacemaker’s heavy-handed quest for peace.
"One of our strategies is that we take our diamond characters – Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman – and we use that to help prop up other characters that people don’t know," Gunn said at a DCU launch party (via THR). "Like what happened with the Guardians in some way... taking teams like The Authority, which I know is just a spectacular idea for a film that's a completely different take on superheroes. It’s about using those well known properties to help lead into lesser properties."
De Faría should feature as The Engineer following her appearance in Superman, but no-one else has been cast. A writer has been in place for "a long time", though, according to Gunn (via the DCU Updates X fan account) and the DCEU Leaks X account claims Matthew Vaugh (Kick Ass, The Kingsman) is in talks to direct.
Swamp Thing
Release date: TBC
Director: TBC
Cast: TBC
If Superman fulfills the 'god' part of the 'Gods and Monsters equation', Swamp Thing undoubtedly falls into the 'monsters' camp. The brainchild of Wolverine creator Len Wein, the comic series tells the story of brilliant scientist Alec Holland, who finds his consciousness merged with a bog after an attack on his research facility.
This new take on the character will be written by James Mangold (Logan, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), who’ll reportedly take inspiration from Watchmen creator Alan Moore’s legendary ’80s run on the comic. However, with Mangold also attached to a Bob Dylan biopic and one of many new Star Wars movies, it may be some time before this DCU Chapter One entry puts its head above water.
"The truth is, I’m writing both right now," Mangold told Collider at Star Wars Celebration 2023. "Who knows what’s going to happen and what’s going to blossom first or second? [But] I’m doing Swamp Thing, there’s your scoop. It’s not a rumor, it’s happening."
DCU Chapter One TV shows
Creature Commandos
Release date: likely late 2024
Director: TBC
Confirmed cast: Frank Grillo, Maria Bakalova, Indira Varma, Zoë Chao, Alan Tudyk, David Harbour, Sean Gunn, Viola Davis, Anya Chalotra, and Steve Agee
2025's Superman may be "the start of the DCU", but this animated TV show will be the first DCU Chapter One project to actually be released. Taking to Instagram in January, Gunn revealed Creature Commandos was in post-production, so it's on track to arrive later this year.
The antihero ensemble is led by Rick Flag Sr. (father of The Suicide Squad’s Rick Jr.) who commands a ragtag assortment of humans and monsters on missions for the US government. According to Frank Grillo – one of its cast – Creature Commandos will be rated "Hard R" (per CBR.com).
Alongside The Suicide Squad's Viola Davis, Steve Agee, and Sean Gunn as Amanda Waller, John Economos, and Weasel (Gunn will also play a second role as G.I. Robot), Creature Commandos also features numerous household names. Grillo portrays Flag Sr., Maria Bakalova is Princess Ilana Rostovic, Varma voices Bride of Frankenstein, Chao is Nina Mazursky, Tudyk plays Doctor Phosphorus, Harbour features as Eric Frankenstein, and Chalotra is on board as Circe.
Peacemaker season 2
Release date: TBC
Director: James Gunn
Confirmed cast: John Cena and Frank Grillo
Although it existed as a TV spin-off of The Suicide Squad in the DCEU, Gunn is making a second season of Peacemaker, which will also sit under the DCU banner. It's the second project that Gunn will work on after Superman – he'll tackle Amanda Waller's standalone series after Peacemaker 2 (per Threads). As Gunn revealed in a separate Threads post, filming is already underway on the Max show's second entry, so he'll split his time between the two DCU Chapter One projects. Three other directors will also helm episodes alongside Gunn (again, via Threads).
It's unclear which other Team Peacemaker characters might make the leap to the DCU, but we'd expect Davis' Waller, Jennifer Holland's Emilia Harcourt, Steve Agee's John Economos, and Danielle Brooks' Leota Adebayo at the very least. Grillo will also reprise his role as Rick Flag Sr. from Creature Commandos in a live-action capacity here – a Peacemaker season 2 cast reveal that we think will make it harder to follow the DCU.
Waller
Release date: TBC
Director: TBC
Confirmed cast: Viola Davis
Viola Davis, who played Amanda Waller in various DCEU projects, has been kept on as the character in the DCU. Like Peacemaker season 2, though, rather than give the DCU a clean slate, there'll be some muddy crossover between it and Peacemaker season 1.
Regardless, following her voicing the same morally complex individual in Creature Commandos, Davis will headline this live-action Peacemaker spin-off on Max, aka one of the world's best streaming services, where she'll team up with members of Team Peacemaker. Taking to Threads, Gunn confirmed events in Peacemaker season 2 will directly lead into Waller. Christal Henry (Watchmen) and Jeremy Carver (Doom Patrol) have reportedly written its scripts (per Deadline).
Lanterns
Release date: TBC
Director: TBC
Confirmed cast: Nathan Fillion
2011's much-derided Ryan Reynolds-starring Green Lantern may have killed a franchise before it even started. But, over a decade later, DC will revive another of its beloved superheroes on the small screen – one with a surprise influence, too.
"Our vision for this is True Detective," Safran told reporters at the DCU's press unveiling in January 2023. "It’s terrestrial-based and it’s got two of our favorite Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan and John Stewart. It plays a really big role in the main story that we’re telling across our film and television. This is a very important show for us". A recent image, posted on Threads by Gunn, teases the possibility that it'll pull from the 'War of the Green Lanterns' comic series.
Little is known about who'll play the show's two lead Green Lanterns – those being Hal Jordan and John Stewart, rather than Fillion's Guy Gardner. However, the DCU's Green Lanterns creative team has officially been revealed, and one particular addition is a perfect fit for its True Detective/crime thriller tendencies.
Paradise Lost
Release date: TBC
Director: TBC
Cast: TBC
Lanterns isn’t the only DCU Chapter One release taking its cues from one of the best Max shows, because Paradise Lost will go back to Wonder Woman’s island home for some political in-fighting. "It’s going to be a Game of Thrones-ish story about Themyscira, the home of the Amazons and the birthplace of Wonder Woman," Safran previous teased. "This drama is really about the political intrigue behind this society of all women."
With Wonder Woman 3 dead in the water, Paradise Lost seems like an intriguing way to keep Themyscira (aka Paradise Island) and the Amazonian superhero alive. Don’t be surprised if the new show is used as a back door to introduce a new version of Wonder Woman, though, with one of DC’s traditional superstar trinity, alongside Batman and Superman, likely to crop up at some stage.
Booster Gold
Release date: TBC
Director: TBC
Cast: TBC
If your first thought was "...who???" when you saw this DCU Chapter One project, you’re not alone. Booster Gold, aka Michael Jon Carter, is arguably the most unlikely superhero on the 'Gods and Monsters' roster but, if you’ve seen any of Gunn’s previous output, you’ll understand why this lesser known comic book appealed to his sensibilities.
For the uninitiated: it’s the story of a guy – read: loser – from the future who comes back in time to the present and uses basic future tech to convince everyone he’s a superhero. Or, as Gunn put it: "It's the superhero story of imposter syndrome".
Like many DCU Chapter One projects, there are very few details about it. Industry insider Daniel RPK (per DCU Film News) suggests a showrunner and Carter casting are inbound soon but, as always, Gunn will reveal all when he's ready to do so.
Arkham
Release date: TBC
Director: TBC
Cast: TBC
Like Waller, this horror-tinged series is going to blur the lines between the DCU and its Elseworlds sibling (more on this other cinematic universe below). Originally billed as a spin-off from Matt Reeves' The Batman that would exist in the Robert Pattinson-fronted Dark Knight universe, Gunn recently confirmed Arkham was being developed as a DCU TV show. No other details have been announced yet, and we're unlikely to hear anything significant until The Batman Part 2 is released.
DC Elseworlds: The Batman sequel and beyond
Non-DCEU releases, including The Batman and Joker, have been among Warner Bros’ biggest box-office hits recently, so it's a smart move that their sequels and spin-offs won’t be entirely restricted to the DCU. Instead, they'll be released under the Elseworlds banner, a nod to a DC Comics imprint of the same name.
However, Gunn has said DC Studios won’t go overboard on stories that exist outside their main universe's continuity. "The bar for Elseworlds tales is going to have to be higher than the bar for something within DCU," he said in a DCU press conference (via Collider). "Not that we’re not always going to have a high bar, but it’s got to be something really special for us to tell that story outside of our regular continuity, and to spend the money on it to make it."
Here are the three DC Elseworlds releases we know of so far:
Joker: Folie à Deux
Release date: October 4, 2024
Director: Todd Phillips
Confirmed cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Zazie Beetz, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, and Harry Lawtey
The sequel to 2019 monster hit Joker – controversially one of the best superhero movies – will arrive in theaters this October. Like its predecessor, it'll star Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, while Lady Gaga will portray Doctor Harleen Quinzel, who goes onto become Joker's on-off love interest and another iconic Batman villain in Harley Quinn.
Based on Joker 2's first trailer, however, Gaga's Quinzel won't be Fleck's psychologist who falls madly in love with him. Instead, she'll be a fellow inmate of his at Arkham Asylum. For more details on the secrets housed within its first teaser, read our Joker: Folie à Deux trailer breakdown article.
The Penguin
Release date: late 2024
Director: Craig Zobel
Cast: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Clancy Brown, Michael Zegen, and Michael Kelly
The first spin-off set in Reeves' Bat-Verse, The Penguin will see Farrell don his prosthetic makeup and fat suit once more to play Oswald Cobblepot, who makes a play to become Gotham's new crime lord in – spoiler alert – the wake of Carmine Falcone's death in The Batman. It'll comprise eight episodes and launches on Max later this year (NB: UK viewers can stream it on Sky/Now TV).
Milioti will play Sophia Falcone, Carmine's daughter who battles Cobblepot for control of Gotham's criminal underworld. Indeed, The Penguin's first trailer put Oz Cobblepot on the criminal warpath as he fights Falcone's family and loyalists to become the de facto ruler of Gotham's seedy underbelly.
Elsewhere, Brown has been cast as Salvator Maroni, another of Gotham's mob bosses, while Zegen is set to portray Alberto Falcone, Sophia's son. Kelly will play Johnny Vitti, the underboss of the Falcone crime family and, according to Deadline, Jared Abrahamson will play an as-yet-unveiled character.
The Batman – Part II
Release date: October 2, 2026
Director: Matt Reeves
Confirmed cast: Robert Pattinson
The follow-up to 2022's critically-acclaimed detective noir take on the Caped Crusader isn't set to arrive in theaters for a long time yet. Originally, it was supposed to arrive in October 2025, but The Batman Part 2's release was delayed by a full year (thanks to the 2023 Hollywood strikes) in March.
Reeves is slated to direct and co-write the script (Mattson Tomlin will co-pen it) again, while Pattinson will reprise his role as Gotham's protector-in-chief. According to industry insider Jeff Sneider, principal photography will begin in April 2025, with cast announcements expected later this year.
As for who could appear, Pattinson and Reeves have been open about the characters they'd like to introduce in The Batman – Part II. Indeed, the pair have rattled off a variety of iconic Batman individuals/villainous groups since The Batman's release, including Robin, Mr. Freeze, Hush, Calendar Man, and the Court of Owls. Barry Keoghan has also seemingly teased he'll be back as Joker in the sequel (per ETalk).
Other Elseworlds projects
There are other DC Elseworlds movies that are rumored to be in development. Taking to Threads in January, Gunn confirmed that J.J Abrams and Ta-Nehisi Coates' Superman film, which has been in development for years, is still in the works. A March 2024 article from THR also suggests that a live-action Teen Titans flick is coming from Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow scribe Ana Nogueira, but Gunn hasn't commented on whether this is true. Once we learn more about these productions, they'll get their own entries in this guide.
For more DC-based coverage, read our guides on how to watch the DC movies in order, how to watch the Batman movies in order, and the best Batman movies. Alternatively, find out which DC films made it onto our best Max movies list.
