The DC Extended Universe is no more. After a decade and 16 movies, the franchise officially climaxed with 2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. It will now undergo a soft reboot in the form of the DC Universe franchise, spearheaded by talented director James Gunn. Of course, Gunn is heavily associated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having directed all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies in the hugely popular blockbuster franchise. That makes his new venture all the more intriguing because everyone knows how incredibly entertaining those films were and what Gunn can do with superhero material.
Film fans should be hugely excited with the DC Universe in Gunn’s safe hands. Five titles have already been announced – all distinct, with different casts of characters and varying tones expected. They should all be fantastic, but comic book movie fans should be particularly excited by some of them. In this piece, find all five ranked by exactly how excited you should be for them all.
5. Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing is set to be written and directed by James Mangold, meaning it’s guaranteed to be dark and gritty, with a sprinkling of humor. Mangold is responsible for 2013’s The Wolverine and, perhaps more importantly, 2017’s Logan, among the finest superhero movies ever made. It will undoubtedly be an entertaining spectacle, but Swamp Thing isn’t the biggest draw as a character and certainly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, meaning it might not get the widespread interest it deserves. The 2019 Swamp Thing television series is brilliant, so it will have much to live up to. However, it should be an improvement on Wes Craven’s 1982 movie of the same name because, although it’s underrated, that film was bizarrely camp in tone, which doesn’t suit the eponymous character.
4. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
There’s no director attached to Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow yet, but the screenplay is set to be penned by The Vampire Diaries star Ana Nogueira. As it will be her screenwriting debut, there’s more curiosity than excitement when looking forward to this movie. The first Supergirl film in 1984, which starred Helen Slater in the titular role and was a spin-off of the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, was awful. Moreover, Sasha Calle recently appeared in The Flash, which hardly set the world alight, so the precedent isn’t promising. However, this female-centric project will put a new spin on the character and likely be very colorful, funny, action-packed, and empowering. While it might not trigger excitement on the same scale as some other DC Universe projects, it still warrants interest.
3. Superman: Legacy
Superman has appeared prominently in movies over the years, with mixed – but primarily pleasing – results. However, the early years of his life as a superhero have rarely been touched upon in a cinematic environment – and they undoubtedly haven’t been explored in great detail – so it’s exciting that Superman: Legacy will do precisely that. Gunn will write and direct this himself, so expect it to have all the fun, humor, wit, color, and action seen in the Guardians of the Galaxy films and, therefore, be closer in tone to the Christopher Reeve movies rather than the more recent ones starring Henry Cavill. With an expected release date of July 2025, superhero fans don’t have too long to wait for this one. It will be the opening installment in the rebooted DC Universe and give everyone a great idea of how the franchise will look and feel. Expect it to kick things off with a Kryptonian-empowered bang.
2. The Authority
In mainstream terms, the Authority isn’t a particularly well-known superhero team – especially not when compared to the likes of the Avengers, the Justice League, and the X-Men. That’s precisely why movie fans should be so excited about their movie: The Authority could be one of the biggest and most pleasant cinematic surprises in the coming years. The team’s comic book depicts a world in which superheroes attempt to take control of world affairs, which is yet to be seen on film and could make for an intriguing live-action story. Their members include exciting characters like the openly gay “sun god” Apollo, his murderous partner Midnighter, the liquid metal shapeshifter the Engineer, and leader Jenny Sparks, who possesses electricity-based powers. This one should be a gritty, hyper-violent, bloody romp with the potential to rank among the great comic book movies.
1. The Brave and the Bold
Like Superman, Batman has had more than his fair share of cinematic screen time. However, there’s never been a Dark Knight movie like this – and it’s one all film fans should be extremely excited about. The Brave and the Bold will be the first “Bat-Family” movie. While the likes of Robin and Batgirl have been portrayed on screen before, this one could introduce the likes of Nightwing, Damian Wayne, and many more intriguing characters to cinema audiences for the first time. The potential for a clash between James Gunn’s style and the gloominess of Gotham City is undoubtedly there, but that makes it all the more exciting to wonder how a project helmed by Gunn will deal with such a setting. That, coupled with the potential inclusion of some hugely popular Batman supporting characters, makes The Brave and the Bold a project that should capture the imagination of everyone who claims to be a cinema fan.
