The new slate for DC films is out courtesy of James Gunn and Peter Safran. Surprising absolutely nobody, there are some obvious winners, some odd choices, and at least one “What were you thinking?!?” entry on the list. Which camp do I think that list mostly falls under? Sadly, all three.
Rather than regurgitate the whole article, you can check out the full Hollywood Reporter writeup for the scraps and details here: DC Slate Unveiled: New Batman, Supergirl Movies, a Green Lantern TV Show, and More From James Gunn, Peter Safran
But this wouldn’t be an Op-Ed if I didn’t give my two cents on some of the highlights, so here we go.
The list, which Gunn has clarified is only a partial list of everything they’re planning for the first chapter in DC’s cinematic relaunch, consists of ten titles – five films and five streaming shows.
Creature Commandos (Animated): this is the show that most piques my interest. As a monster and horror fan, what better way to expand DC’s exposure to a broader audience than through J. M. DeMatteis’s original series about a military monster squad? This entry makes perfect sense, and I’m fully on board.
Waller (Live-Action Show): A spin-off of Gunn’sSuicide Squad film with Viola Davis returning to the title role. Viola Davis is a phenomenal actress, but Waller isn’t a compelling enough character to carry a show that appeals to the DC crowd. Waller works best as a foil, so this one’s a headscratcher.
Lanterns (Live-Action Show): A buddy cop series starring Hal Jordan and Jon Stewart. The Green Lanterns are the characters most unique to DC, and their appeal is broad enough to tell mountains of stories. Some of the biggest comic events in the last twenty years have been Lantern-centric, so this one makes sense, but I fear a streaming budget will keep the scale too small to do the property justice.
Superman: Legacy (Film): Superman always has been and always will be the heart of DC. It’s simple – get this right, and Gunn wins.
The Authority (Film): Files this one in the headscratcher drawer. The Authority has practically no recognition outside of comic readers, and the team’s lethal methods don’t make sense in a world with a Superman. Of all the entries on this list, this one feels like Gunn is either making a random choice or has a clever plan we’re not seeing.
Paradise Lost (Live-Action Show): Described as Game of Thrones on Themyscira before Wonder Woman existed, and there’s nothing about that description that sounds appealing, personally. Themysicira is central to Wonder Woman’s mythology, not the other way around, so we’ll see.
The Brave and the Bold (Film): Here’s the other big one. Batman and Robin come to life (again), but this time the Boy Wonder will be embodied by Damien Wayne. Batman and Robin on the big screen without Joel Schumacher’s campy sensibility is a great choice, but choosing Damien is another headscratcher. Where and how does this entry align with Superman? The choice is solid, but the details are confusing.
The Batman – Part II (Film): A sequel to the very good The Batman film starring Robert Pattinson. This one’s another headscratcher but for different reasons. Its very existence means DC’s reboot will still contain alternate, or Elseworlds, versions of characters. In other words, the confusion isn’t going away completely, and the “clean slate” mentality of DC films isn’t completely clean. I’m not put off by a sequel to a good film, but the bigger picture will suffer for it.
Booster Gold (Live-Action Show): Sure. Why not? I have no strong feelings, one way or the other, about a C-List character, and I suspect many more are just as ambivalent.
Swamp Thing (Film): Yes, please. When Swamp Thing is done right, he’s a heck of an engaging character. The recent DC Universe app show, later ported over to the CW, was excellent, so if Gunn can keep that same spirit, tone, and vibe, this will be a hit.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (Film): This announcement, more than all the rest combined, makes me want to throw a chair through a window. The 2022 comic series, written by the infamous Tom King, is a depressing exercise in misery porn. King’s version of Kara is so far removed from anything Supergirl represents, she might as well not exist at all, and the plot is a direct copy/paste of True Grit. The very notion that this entry is part of the lineup, and that Tom King was consulted on the first chapter of DC films in any capacity, is the biggest red flag of all.
And there you have it. Some great choices, some odd choices, and at least one “What the Hell is wrong with you?!?” choice. As with all film slate announcements, you can bet your sweet bippy that changes will be made. The order will swap, some things will move up, others will push back, some titles will fall off, and others will be added. In all, it’s not a home run, but we’ll see how it all falls into place.
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