More James Gunn Movies And Superman's Return Could Be On Tap For DC After Black Adam - Report

DC and Warner Bros. have been on an interesting trajectory as of late with the merging of Discovery. Possible tentpole franchise movies like Batgirl were outright canceled, and the ever-changing release schedule could make the Flash dizzy. DC has been trying to make Black Adam with Dwayne Johnson for 15 years now, which is before The Dark Knight and even Marvel's Iron Man, which launched an entire cinematic universe.

The character of Black Adam was briefly hinted at in the Shazam! movie from 2019 with the Wizard talking about his past champions. The Black Adam feature will also bring the JSA members Hawkman, Cyclone, Atom Smasher, and Doctor Fate into the fold.

For decades, DC movies were standalone, despite being owned by the same parent company, but that came to an end with the release of Man of Steel in 2013, which was supposed to be the foundation of an entire universe to rival Marvel's. After Man of Steel had mixed reactions, and the follow-ups Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League soured the studio after not doing Avengers-level of box office, everything has been in limbo once again.

The head of DC Films, Walter Hamada, will reportedly depart the role soon, with DC now going off-road into truly unknown territory. What is happening now is more akin to the wild west with some serious playmakers claiming projects to run with.

Johnson himself is publicly stating his vision for a future Black Adam versus Superman project, all but confirming that we'll have Henry Cavill return as Big Blue. He's not the only one making moves though as there are a handful of filmmakers looking to make their mark in the DCEU. Over in Gotham City, director Matt Reeves is aiming for an expansion of his Batman universe. Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins is working on a spec script for a third installment which is expected imminently. There's also a script for the Flash sequel that is already written by Aquaman writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. It seems that Warner Bros. is, for the most part, keeping things very much in-house. Then you also have J.J. Abrams and James Gunn already at work.

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Gunn, who delivered The Suicide Squad soft-reboot and its spin-off for HBO Max Peacemaker, is vying for some new worlds to explore in the DCEU. Both 'Squad and Peacemaker were met with critical acclaim, bringing his offbeat blend of humor and over-the-top violence to Warners after he was briefly let go (and quickly rehired) from Marvel.

Sources tell THR that Gunn and Aquaman and Shazam! producer Peter Safran are in talks with the studio to take the reins for a new project, but what exactly has yet to be announced. However, rumors of Adam Strange making his big-screen debut have been swirling for a while now.

While Black Adam has been saying that it would change the power hierarchy of the DC universe, the studio is still very much focused on continuing Cavill's story as Superman in Man of Steel 2. Under Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and Warner Bros. heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, Warner Bros. is said to have an intense desire for Cavill to return after almost 10 years since the Zack Snyder-helmed original. It will be produced by Charles Roven and is currently in search of writers.

That's not to say fans will have to wait long for their next dose of DC shows and movies as Colin Farrel will reprise his role as Penguin for a show focused on the crimelord and his rise in Gotham after the events of The Batman heading to HBO Max. There's also Joker 2, Shazam!: Fury of the Gods, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which the latter two are finally headed to theaters next year.

Black Adam hits theaters on October 21.