Since the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery (now Warner Bros. Discovery), leadership over at the company has been hard at work dismantling every trace of the current DC Cinematic Universe, specifically that of the “SnyderVerse”.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is shifting the focus of their films divisions and is on the warpath in tearing down the current line of DC films for the purpose of replacing it with an actually cohesive cinematic universe under the new DC Studios architects and visionaries, James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Peter Safran. As it turns out, Gunn and Safran have laid out the groundwork for the DC Superhero universe and are scheduled to meet with Zaslav as soon as next week to get his stamp of approval. However, these plans seem to involve canceling any future films involving the actors tied to Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
According to reports from The Hollywood Reporter, Wonder Woman 3 has been canceled, or at least whatever version of it exists under Patty Jenkins. THR‘s sources state that James Gunn, Peter Safran, and WB. Pictures Co-CEOs Pamela Abdy and Michael De Luca have rejected Jenkins’ vision for WW3 stating that it does not fit in their plans for DC Studios.
These reports elaborate further stating that in addition to a third Wonder Woman film, the leadership at Warner Bros. Discovery, Warner Bros. Pictures, and DC Studios are very close to completely wiping out any trace of the SnyderVerse. This means that a sequel for Man of Steel is also in jeopardy as is a sequel to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, with rumors going around that the new DC Cinematic Universe would see Jason Momoa removed from the role as Arthur Curry/Aquaman and recast as the bounty hunter Lobo (it is unknown whether he would be getting his own movie or if he will appear in a larger yet separate narrative).
Even further still, despite Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s aggressive marketing campaigns and excessive claims that Black Adam would be a turning point for the future of the DC Cinematic Universe, adding that it would be the foundation for the rest of the DC movies that followed would be based on, a sequel is also unlikely due to poor box office performance.
So far, the only films to retain any connection to the SnyderVerse yet to be released are a handful of 2023 releases including The Flash, starring Ezra Miller (which will likely be the catalyst for resetting the DC Cinematic Universe), Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Unfortunately, the only film of those three with an unknown future is Shazam!, considering that it only references other DC heroes from the SnyderVerse but doesn’t show their faces (although the Batarang was the same shape and style used by Batfleck and the faceless Superman cameo at the end was modeled after Cavill). Even still, Shazam!’s future doesn’t look all that bright either.
This may be the end for all these actors and their roles as DC heroes, which is sad considering the passion some of them had for these characters. Regardless, the mismanagement of the SnyderVerse and the disastrous and often aimless direction many of these films took, not to mention the absolutely awful leadership overseeing the DCEU, has led to one blunder after another and the writing has been on the wall for a while now. We just hope that Gunn’s tenure at Marvel Studios earned him enough experience to rebuild the DCCU properly, as this is quite the tall order to fill with incalculable pressure to boot.
Even though the SnyderVerse is crumbling before our very eyes, there are still a handful of other DC Extended Universe projects on the way, including Blue Beetle, Joker 2, and a sequel to 2005’s Constantine, starring Keanu Reeves, as well as a sequel to Matt Reeves’ The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson (which we loved). We have absolutely no idea whether these films will be self-contained in their own universe or if any were meant to be a part of the SnyderVerse, or if they were always intended to be a part of Gunn’s and Safran’s new film universe. The whole thing is confusing beyond explanation but hopefully, this will all make sense in the coming months, because honestly, the fans deserve better.
