In January 2023, James Gunn and Peter Safran introduced their plans for the first step in the DC Universe, which they titled “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.” It was also here that Gunn declared (via Deadline), “I will say here that Flash is probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.”
During this event, a number of DC movies and TV shows were announced, as the idea was for this chapter to run between 2025 and 2027. Now, in the world of entertainment, nothing is ever guaranteed, because until something is actually released, anything can happen and timelines shift all the time. After all, Warner Bros. has been knee-deep in merger territory with Paramount, and those types of corporate deals can have detrimental knock-on effects to planned productions.
Having said that, let’s have a look back at what was announced and what’s happened to the projects since then. We’re going to focus on what was announced in January 2023 – not on stuff that had already been greenlit (e.g. The Penguin) or decided thereafter (e.g. Man of Tomorrow).
Superman
Status: Released
Starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, Superman released in theaters in July 2025. The film made over $615 million from a reported $225 million budget. In terms of reviews, it scored 83% and 90% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer and Popcornmeter respectively.
Supergirl
Status: Released
Starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, Supergirl didn’t exactly electrify at the box office when it was released in June 2026. It only made around $126 million from a reported $186 million budget. On Rotten Tomatoes, the reception is mixed. Among critics, it holds a 52% approval rating, while it has a 73% audience score.
Swamp Thing
Status: Unreleased
Logan filmmaker James Mangold was announced as the creative force behind this film, but it doesn’t appear to be a top priority at DC Studios. In July 2025, James Gunn confirmed Mangold’s involvement but didn’t provide a timeline of the movie. “We talked to James the other day,” Gunn told Happy Sad Confused. “No, he hasn’t delivered a script. He’s been distracted with his billions of movies. We’re talking about it again.”
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Status: Unreleased
Look, to be fair, Batman: The Brave and the Bold is a complicated situation. With Matt Reeves doing The Batman: Part II, DC Studios was never going to fast-track its own Dark Knight movie into production. “I’m also not going to have two Batman movies come out in the same year,” James Gunn stated on Threads.
The Authority
Status: Cancelled
The Authority was DC Studios’ attempt of turning an underrated comic book superhero team into the next mainstream hit. Unfortunately, it went nowhere. “The script wasn’t quite there but more importantly it didn’t work in terms of the larger DCU both in terms of the story and practical concerns,” James Gunn posted on Threads. “Maybe some day. Not soon.”
Creature Commandos
Status: Released
The first season of the animated show about a ragtag group of antiheroes (no, this isn’t the Guardians of the Galaxy or Suicide Squad) was released in December 2024. On Rotten Tomatoes, Creature Commandos holds a 95% critical approval rating and 79% audience score.
Waller
Status: No longer in development
Waller would have featured the return of Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, as well as other characters from Peacemaker. According to an August 2026 report from the Ankler, the show was no longer in active production.
Paradise Lost
Status: No longer in development
So, who wants a show about the Amazons sans Wonder Woman? Seems like nobody. The self-described Game of Thrones-esque show titled Paradise Lost got the plug pulled on it too, according to the Ankler.
Booster Gold
Status: In development
Showrunner David Jenkins worked on Booster Gold for HBO, but he revealed on Threads that he was no longer involved with the project. “My Booster Gold won’t be moving forward,” he wrote. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show is still on the agenda – presumably with a different creative team at the helm.
Lanterns
Status: Released
Starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Hal Jordan and John Stewart respectively, Lanterns is a more serious attempt at the Green Lantern lore than most may have imagined. Yet the HBO show was released in August 2026. At the time of writing, it holds a 90% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Lanterns premieres tonight, August 16, on HBO and HBO Max.
So, there we have it, folks. Out of the 10 projects announced by James Gunn and DC Studios in January 2023, only four have been released to date.
