By David Craig

Published: Tuesday, 03 January 2023 at 12:00 am

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It’s been a rollercoaster few months for fans of the DC Extended Universe.

Many assumed that the shock cancellation of Batgirl would be the most controversial headline to rock the franchise in 2022, but the final weeks of the year brought more seismic change to the embattled brand.

The relative failure of Black Adam at the global box office dashed whatever hopes Dwayne Johnson had of being a defining voice in the future of the DCEU, with Warner Bros Discovery instead handing the reins to filmmaker James Gunn.

The Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy director has wasted no time getting stuck into the quagmire, with his first months in charge seeing the cancellation of Wonder Woman 3 and Henry Cavill dropped as Superman.

It remains unclear at this stage whether Gunn is moving towards a total reboot or a partial refresh, with the performance of the upcoming DC movies perhaps set to be the deciding factor.

Currently, there are four (yes, four!) DCEU chapters scheduled for release by the end of the year, while new entries in the self-contained Batman and Joker franchises are also coming down the pipeline.

Here’s your guide to the full DC movies release schedule for 2023 and beyond.

Every DC movie release date

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Release date: Friday 17th March 2023

Director David F Sandberg returns to helm this sequel to the 2019 superhero comedy, in which teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is granted the power to transform into an older, super-powered version of himself. This time, he’ll be facing off against a magical trio called the Daughters of Atlas – portrayed by Helen Mirren (Fast & Furious), Lucy Liu (Elementary) and Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) – who intend to use a weapon with enormous destructive capability.

Originally scheduled for release in April 2022, Shazam: Fury of the Gods faced a production delay due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, while it was shuffled a couple more times after Warner Bros merged with Discovery.

The future of Shazam on the big screen seems uncertain at present, considering that Black Adam – his comic book arch-nemesis – was largely rejected by audiences in his own solo film last year. The long-talked-about cinematic crossover between the two presumably died with it, especially as Dwayne Johnson seemed far more interested in battling Superman anyway. Nevertheless, as James Gunn began clearing house at DC, Shazam’s Zachary Levi insisted he wasn’t going anywhere.

We’ll see.

The Flash

YouTube/Warner Bros

Release date: Friday 16th June 2023

First announced in October 2014, nine seasons of The Flash will have come and gone on television by the time this movie finally makes it to cinemas. Assuming that it does. The blockbuster burned through a number of directors and screenplays before settling on IT: Chapter One and Two filmmaker Andy Muschietti, and a script from Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey).

The story is said to be inspired by comic book event Flashpoint, in which Barry Allen travels back in time to prevent his mother’s murder, which occurred when he was a young boy. However, meddling with long-established events in this way has major consequences in the present day, which is frighteningly different when he returns.

Prior to Gunn’s hiring as creative lead at DC Studios, it had been assumed that The Flash would usher in a soft reboot of the DC continuity – just as the adapted comic book storyline did. That plan is subject to change under new management, while star Ezra Miller’s recent controversies have also cast serious doubt on whether they could remain in the title role.

The Flash also stars Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck, playing their distinct versions of Batman, while soap star Sasha Calle makes her debut as Supergirl.

Blue Beetle

David Livingston/Getty Images

Release date: Friday 18th August 2023

Initially envisioned for a straight-to-streaming release on HBO Max, Blue Beetle was later upgraded to a theatrical offering – which might just have saved its skin. After all, one of the reasons cited for Batgirl’s abrupt cancellation was Warner’s focus shifting away from streaming content and towards more traditional big screen fare.

The film will tell the origin story of fan-favourite character Jaime Reyes (played by Cobra Kai‘s Xolo Maridueña), who gains superpowers from an alien scarab, which forms a high-tech exoskeleton around him. The feature marks the first time that Blue Beetle has been seen in live-action besides an, erm, ambitious attempt in a late episode of Smallville.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

SEAC

Release date: Monday 25th December 2023 (Christmas Day)

It’s sometimes easy to forget that the first Aquaman film made a billion dollars worldwide – but it did, and here’s the proof! This sequel will see the return of Jason Momoa’s Atlantean king as he forms an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally in order to prevent an ancient power from destroying the world.

There’s no shortage of candidates for Aquaman’s strange bedfellow, with both Patrick Wilson’s Orm (aka Ocean Master) and Yahya Abdul Mateen II’s David Kane (aka Black Manta) both returning for this instalment. Meanwhile, Momoa made headlines last summer when he revealed that Ben Affleck’s Batman – once-thought retired – would also be making an appearance here.

If Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom comes anywhere close to matching the box office of the original, it would seem odd to end the franchise here. Yet, recent rumours suggest Momoa could hang up his trident for a new career as galactic bounty hunter Lobo should James Gunn hit the reboot button – take that with a pinch of salt for now.

Joker: Folie à Deux

SEAC

Release date: Friday 4th October 2024

Away from the perpetual drama of the DC Extended Universe, Warner Bros managed to make a cool billion and strike Oscar gold with its prestige exploration of comic book villain The Joker. Can you blame them for having another go?

Director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix are joining forces once more for this sequel, with Lady Gaga in tow to play a brand new version of psychiatrist Dr Harleen Quinzel, who goes on to adopt the catchier moniker Harley Quinn.

In-keeping with the world-renowned talent of its latest hire, Joker: Folie à Deux is reportedly a musical film, while the fancy subtitle is a medical term for delusion or illness affecting two closely associated people.

The Batman 2

Warner Bros

Release date: TBC

After The Batman raked in almost $800 million at the global box office, it wasn’t surprising to see Warner Bros green-light a sequel the very following month, with director Matt Reeves and star Robert Pattinson both expected to return.

What does raise an eyebrow is that there hasn’t been any indication of when the film could hit cinemas, with many blockbusters on this scale assigned release dates far in advance.

If the second entry in this supposed trilogy is as far away as it seems, fans will at least be able to tide themselves over with Colin Farrell’s upcoming Penguin spin-off series, which is said to start filming in the springtime.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.

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