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The future of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe is looking uncertain. Now, a major shift to DC’s film slate has been confirmed, which comes as the DCU’s second movie fails to soar at the box office.
The DCU Hits Its First Major Crisis
Supergirl (2026), directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Milly Alcock, has grossed only $121 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $170–186 million since it was released on June 26. Needless to say, the film has failed to match the success of its Kryptonian cousin.
Superman (2025), written and directed by Gunn and with David Corenswet in the title role, earned $618.7 million during its global theatrical run. That said, the film was hardly an “up, up, and away” success, as its reported production budget was $225 million plus a worldwide marketing budget of $125 million, according to Variety, following its July 11 release last summer.
Fortunately, Superman at least seemed to (mostly) have audiences and critics on its side. Supergirl, on the other hand, has been a disaster, not only failing to take off commercially but also leaving viewers and critics deeply unimpressed. Variety described the film as “super-horrendous,” citing the action as “generic” and the script as one of the “worst” they could recall.
Warner Bros. and DC Studios Delay A High-Profile Film (Again)
So, what’s next on the DCU slate? There are still two theatrical projects confirmed for release: James Watkins’ “body horror” film Clayface (2026), which hits theaters on October 23, 2026, and James Gunn’s Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow (2027), which flies in on July 9, 2027.
However, DC and Warner Bros. just made a major and unexpected change to another high-profile DC movie.
Related: The Snyderverse Finally Given a Second Chance as James Gunn’s DCU Crashes and Burns
The Batman Part II
Last week, the studio unveiled a first-look “camera test” teaser for Matt Reeves’ highly anticipated upcoming superhero sequel The Batman Part II, which shows Robert Pattinson in his Dark Knight gear while snow falls on a crime scene. The film is a direct sequel to 2022’s The Batman, which earned $772.3 million against $185–200 million and was praised by critics.
The new film has been a long time coming, following several delays for various reasons, both external and internal. It was originally set for release on October 3, 2025 before being pushed back to October 2, 2026. Then it was delayed by another full year, with a release date locked in for October 1, 2027, reportedly to allow more time for writing the full script. Now, the new teaser confirms that the film has once again been stalled, this time until February 2028. Watch it here:
The DCU Is Getting Its Own Batman Movie
Despite there being some back and forth around whether Pattinson’s Batman would be integrated into Gunn and Safran’s interconnected universe, The Batman Part II is not part of the DCU. Instead, it exists in its own standalone continuity called The Batman Epic Crime Saga.
The DCU actually has its own Batman film in the works: The Brave and the Bold (TBA).
Based on the DC comic book storyline of the same name, the film is being directed by Andi Muschietti (2023’s The Flash) and will cast a new actor as the Caped Crusader. No release date has been confirmed, but it’s still unlikely to come out before The Batman Part II, despite that film having now been pushed back by a few more months.
Several Standalone Batman Projects Are in the Works
There are, however, a number of animated Batman projects that are expected to be released before The Batman Part II arrives. There’s Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall, the first chapter in a three-part adaptation of the classic comic book storyline, a TV adaptation of the acclaimed comic book series Absolute Batman, and the second season of 2024’s Batman: Caped Crusader.
Whether any other theatrical shifts that impact the DCU directly will follow remains to be seen. Given Supergirl‘s box office performance, it’s not impossible. However, nothing has been confirmed. For now, Gunn and Safran’s franchise will move forward as planned. Still, with all these standalone Batman projects in development, perhaps DC is starting to realize that its future lies in its Elseworlds storytelling, and that the days of the shared cinematic universe are over.
The Batman Part II stars Robert Pattinson alongside several returning cast members, including Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb following his acclaimed performance in both The Batman and HBO’s The Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth.
Several major additions have also joined the cast for the upcoming film, including Scarlett Johansson, Charles Dance, and Sebastian Stan, who are reportedly playing Gilda Dent, Charles Dent, and Harvey Dent (aka Two-Face), respectively.
Brian Tyree Henry and Sebastian Koch have also been cast in undisclosed roles.
How do you feel about The Batman Part II being delayed yet again? Do you think DC and Warner Bros. are trying to keep it as far away from the DCU as possible? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
