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DC Extended Universe

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. The DCEU also includes comic books, short films, novels, and video games. Like the original DC Universe in comic books, the DCEU is established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.

Etymology
Upon announcement of the film series, the universe was commonly called the "DC Cinematic Universe" (DCCU) by fans and the media, in keeping with the naming convention of the already established Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Keith Staskiewicz, writing for Entertainment Weekly, jokingly coined the term "DC Extended Universe" (DCEU) in an article about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice on July 1, 2015. This term and the abbreviation DCEU quickly spread among the press and fans who took it as the official name of the franchise over the following years. According to Vulture writer Abraham Riesman, DC confirmed to him in September 2017 that the term was not used internally and they did not consider it official. In 2016, as part of DC Films Presents: Dawn of the Justice League, both Geoff Johns and Kevin Smith referred to the franchise's name as being the "Justice League Universe". During the DC Films panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2018, a video banner displayed the words "Welcome to the Worlds of DC", after showcasing some upcoming films. As a result, some media outlets interpreted this as DC officially naming their shared film universe as the "Worlds of DC", but in March 2020, Jim Lee referred to the franchise as the DC Extended Universe at C2E2. The franchise was officially titled DC Extended Universe when the WarnerMedia streaming service HBO Max launched the following May. Following the appointment of Peter Safran and James Gunn as heads of DC Studios, Warner Bros. Discovery (created from the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc.) referred to DC's film and television series as part of the "DC Universe" (DCU), which some media outlets interpreted as a rebranding of the DCEU. == Development and history ==
Development and history
In 2002, Wolfgang Petersen was set to direct a Batman vs. Superman film from a script by Akiva Goldsman, but the project was shelved by Warner Bros. to focus on individual Superman and Batman projects. In 2008, a planned Justice League film directed by George Miller and titled Justice League: Mortal was placed on indefinite hold after it failed to secure tax breaks for filming in Australia. Man of Steel, a reboot of the Superman film series released in 2013, was intended to launch a shared universe if successful. Following the film's release, Warner Bros. announced a follow-up entitled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), establishing the DCEU. A slate of 11 DCEU films was then announced in 2014. In 2016, Warner Bros. established DC Films after Batman v Superman did not meet Warner Bros.' box office expectations and received negative responses from fans and critics. The division, led by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg, was to oversee production and form a cohesive creative direction for the DCEU. After the failure of Justice League (2017), Johns and Berg were replaced by Walter Hamada in 2018. The DCEU expanded to television with the release of the first season of Peacemaker (2022) on HBO Max. Discovery, Inc. completed its acquisition of DC and Warner Bros. parent company WarnerMedia in 2022, forming a new company named Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) with David Zaslav as CEO. Zaslav sought to overhaul the DCEU, and began searching for a creative leader akin to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to lead DC's film and television projects. James Gunn and Peter Safran were subsequently announced as the co-chairmen and CEOs of DC Studios, the successor to DC Films. In 2023, the duo unveiled their slate of ten DC projects which were to be part of the DC Universe (DCU), a soft reboot and spiritual successor to the DCEU. == Films ==
Films
Man of Steel (2013) , the director of Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and co-story writer/director of Justice League Kal-El / Clark Kent, who arrived on Earth years ago as an infant from Krypton, struggles with why he was sent to Earth. Raised by his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, Clark adopts the persona "Superman", and learns if his abilities are meant to maintain peace or conquer the world. == Short film ==
Short film
''Epilogue: Etta's Mission'' (2017) ''Epilogue: Etta's Mission is a short film directed by Patty Jenkins and released on the Blu-ray edition of Wonder Woman'' (2017). It takes place sometime after the main events of the film and focuses on Etta recruiting the remainder of the "Wonder Men" for a new mission involving the Mother Box. == Television series ==
Television series
Peacemaker season 1 (2022) Task Force X member Christopher Smith / Peacemaker is sent on a black-ops mission to target "butterflies", individuals possessed by parasitic, insect-like creatures invading the human race. By September 2020, a television series spin-off of The Suicide Squad centered on Peacemaker was in development for HBO Max. James Gunn served as an executive producer alongside Peter Safran, wrote its eight episodes and directed several of them. John Cena reprises his role as Peacemaker from the film. Filming began in Vancouver, Canada in January 2021 and concluded that July. The first three episodes of Peacemaker were released on January 13, 2022, with subsequent episodes released weekly until February 17. Soon after the series ended, the series was renewed for a second season, with Gunn set to write and direct every episode. The first season of Peacemaker is set five months after the events of The Suicide Squad, with Steve Agee and Jennifer Holland reprising their respective roles as John Economos and Emilia Harcourt from that film. Viola Davis, Jason Momoa, and Ezra Miller also make uncredited appearances as their respective DCEU roles of Amanda Waller, Arthur Curry / Aquaman, and Barry Allen / Flash, with Superman and Wonder Woman also appearing portrayed by stand-ins, with their faces obscured by the darkness. The series contains references to the wider DC universe, including confirmation that Bat-Mite, Doll Man, Matter-Eater Lad, Kite Man, and Green Arrow exist in the DCEU. Additionally, a newspaper headline detailing the Intergang can be briefly seen, ahead of their debut in Black Adam. After the second season was ordered following the positive reactions garnered by the series, with the show's creator James Gunn confirmed to write and direct all planned episodes, and John Cena set to reprise the title role, Gunn stated that the new season would explore the greater ramifications from the aftermath of the first season's events. Following the surprise cancellation of the HBO Max film Batgirl in August 2022, Gunn reaffirmed that Peacemaker second season was "safe" and would continue development. Later in the same month he stated that filming was scheduled to begin in 2023, but in January 2023 Gunn said that the second season was delayed as he was busy working on other projects. == Canceled and reworked projects ==
Canceled and reworked projects
Over the years, many projects that were at one point supposed to be part of the DCEU have either been moved into a different continuity, outright canceled, or unreleased. Following the end of the DCEU and reboot into the DCU, various projects that were in development have been shelved though they may be repurposed for the new continuity: • In December 2019, Patty Jenkins announced a Wonder Woman spin-off film, focusing on the titular race of Themyscira. Jenkins was intended to serve as a producer, while it was later revealed that she and Geoff Johns had written the story, with a plot that was set chronologically between Wonder Woman 1984 and the planned third film. A similar television series for HBO Max was later announced in January 2023 as a part of the DC Universe, titled Paradise Lost. • In March 2017, Joss Whedon was hired to write, direct and produce a film centered around Barbara Gordon / Batgirl. • Ben Afflecks In July 2015, Ben Affleck was in negotiations to direct, produce, star in, and co-write (with Geoff Johns) a Batman film. being set to comprise an eventual trilogy of films and spin-off series for television such as The Penguin. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn confirmed in January 2023 that Reeves' franchise would continue production under the DC Elseworlds banner, separate from the new DC Universe (DCU) franchise that succeeded the DCEU and was planned to introduce its own iteration of Batman. • In December 2022, it was reported that a Batman Beyond film starring Michael Keaton was in development, with a script by Christina Hodson. The plot would have involved an aged Bruce Wayne, continuing the plot threads from his appearance in The Flash, and would have included Catwoman. Development on the film was shelved after Gunn and Safran were appointed as co-heads of DC Studios. In January 2023, Gunn and Safran said that there is potential for a future multiverse project in which they may incorporate Keaton's incarnation of Batman. • 'Untitled Black Adam sequel': In April 2017, Dwayne Johnson stated that DC Films planned on Black Adam and Shazam appearing in a future film together. In October 2022, Johnson confirmed future plans for Black Adam to fight Superman in the DCEU, and reaffirmed plans for the character to crossover with Shazam. That month, producers Hiram Garcia and Beau Flynn stated that the sequel was in development, with plans to fast-track production on the project. Johnson publicly revealed that December that the character would not be a part of the initial slate of projects lined up for the new DC film universe under Gunn and Safran. He added that both DC Studios and his production company Seven Bucks Productions would continue collaborating in the future, and that the studio intended to "continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized in future DC multiverse chapters". • By August 2021, an HBO Max-exclusive film centered around Dinah Lance / Black Canary entered development with Jurnee Smollett reprising her role from Birds of Prey, Misha Green writing the script, and Sue Kroll producing. In May 2016, Zack Stentz was hired to write the script, while Berlanti expressed interest in directing the project. The script had been completed by March 2018. In November 2022, after co-CEO of DC Studios James Gunn had conducted a poll on his social media asking fans which characters they would like to see included in the franchise moving forward, the filmmaker confirmed that the most requested was Booster Gold, noting that DC Studios intends to follow what the audience is wanting. In January 2023, a similar project was revealed to be in development for the DC Universe franchise, in the form of a titular television series. • In January 2021, Gunn revealed that he was developing ideas for more spin-off installments of The Suicide Squad, while Warner Bros. officially confirmed that there would be additional DC projects created by Gunn in August of the same year. In January 2022, Gunn confirmed he was developing another television series intended for HBO Max, while stating that the tone would be more serious than his previous work. By June of the same year, the filmmaker revealed that he will serve as writer and director for the show and confirmed that characters from Peacemaker will feature into the plot, while stating that the show is separate from the Amanda Waller project that was revealed to be in the works in May 2022. The project ultimately became an animated series, and was released as a part of the DC Universe franchise. The potential film was teased at DC FanDome in October 2021 with key art drawn by Jim Lee, depicting stitched together vignettes of characters both from the DCEU and other continuities such as Robert Pattinson's Batman. The plot would have similarly incorporated the multiverse and iterations of the main characters from alternate realities. Following Hamada's departure from the studios, the project's future realization is dependent on Gunn and Safran's plans for the franchise. • In April 2014, Ray Fisher was cast as Victor Stone / Cyborg, In October 2023, however, it was reported that no cast members from Justice League would reprise their roles in the DC Universe. • By December 2016, a film centered around Floyd Lawton / Deadshot was in development, • 'Untitled The Flash sequel': By October 2022, the script for a sequel to The Flash had already been completed by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, with Warner Bros. anticipating a successful box office run for The Flash. In January 2017, David S. Goyer and Justin Rhodes were hired to write the screenplay, based on a story written by Goyer and Geoff Johns, with Goyer intended to also serve as producer. The plot was stated to feature various members of the titular team, with Hal Jordan and John Stewart planned to be the lead characters, while Warner Bros. described the film as "Lethal Weapon in space". By June 2018, Geoff Johns was hired to do a rewrite on the script in addition to serving as producer, stating that the script at that time was influenced by his work on the New 52 Green Lantern comics. In July 2019, Christopher McQuarrie stated that he had worked on a pitch over a year prior, where the story would have connected to the Man of Steel sequel that was also in development, explaining that he had since moved on to other projects due to what he perceived as no further movement by Warner Bros. to proactively develop the film. By November 2019, Johns was expected to deliver his script to Warner Bros. before the end of the year. Green Lantern Corps was originally scheduled for a July 24, 2020, release, A similar project was later announced as a part of the DC Universe franchise titled, Lanterns. The Wall Street Journal reported in July 2025 that DC Studios was planning to eventually develop a Justice League film set in the new DC Universe (DCU) franchise, while the DCU film Superman introduced a prototype team known as the "Justice Gang." • In January 2013, Guillermo del Toro began developing a film centered on the Justice League Dark and submitted a script in November 2014, Later, Michael B. Jordan had pitched his own take on the character, but was not ready to commit due to an already busy schedule. but later in December, while De Luca and Abdy had worked closely with Cavill to announce his return as Superman, Gunn and Safran instead opted to develop a film with the character at a younger age. Gunn and Safran optioned to move ahead with Superman as a part of the DC Universe franchise instead. • In April 2007, a film centered around the Metal Men entered development with Eric Champnella as screenwriter; Lauren Shuler Donner and Jack Leslie also joined as producers. • In March 2018, Ava DuVernay signed on to direct a film centered around the New Gods. Initially with a script written by Kario Salem, Tom King was later brought to co-write the film with DuVernay. Darkseid was planned to be the main antagonist of the film, and the Female Furies were set to appear. In February 2021, Sasha Calle was officially cast in the role, with the character debuting in The Flash. A similar project was later announced as a part of the DC Universe franchise titled Supergirl, • Untitled Val-Zod television series: By July 2021, a limited series centered around Val-Zod was in development for HBO Max. Michael B. Jordan was set to produce the series and also potentially star, while Darnell Metayer and Josh Peters were attached to write. By May of the same year, it was revealed that a spin-off continuation television series of Peacemaker was in development, which will center around the character of Amanda Waller. Viola Davis was announced to be reprising her role from other DCEU media, in addition to serving as an executive producer on the show. Christal Henry will serve as writer, in addition to executive producing alongside James Gunn and Peter Safran. The project was later repositioned as a part of the DC Universe franchise. • 'Untitled Wonder Woman 1984 sequel': After principal photography on Wonder Woman 1984 was completed, director and co-writer Patty Jenkins said that the plot for a third Wonder Woman film had been written. She revealed that the story arc for Wonder Woman was planned over three films, with the third taking place in the present. Filming was expected to begin in mid-2023, • In November 2018, Warner Bros. was considering developing a film based on Zatanna. By March 2021, Zatanna project was in development as an HBO Max-exclusive film, and Emerald Fennell was hired as screenwriter later that month. The film was to be produced by J. J. Abrams. By October 2022, the film was initially scrapped at HBO Max, but later began being shopped around to other streaming services. == Expanded setting ==
Expanded setting
In October 2014, Geoff Johns explained that DC's approach to their films and television series would be different from Marvel Studios' cinematic universe, stating that their film universe and TV universes would be kept separate within a multiverse to allow "everyone to make the best possible product, to tell the best story, to do the best world". == Timeline ==
Timeline
In the DCEU, the events of the films rarely explicitly make their exact years known. The Flash is set in 2023 and 2013 of an alternative timeline where Michael Keaton is Batman. Blue Beetle is the final film in the DCEU timeline, but Xolo Maridueña will reprise his role in the DCU. == Recurring cast and characters ==
Reception
Box-office performance Critical and public response Accolades == Music ==
Music
Soundtracks Singles == Other media ==
Other media
Novels Comics Video games Podcast == Reboot ==
Reboot
In January 2023, Gunn and Safran announced the initial ten installments for the DCU, which make up a portion of the slate subtitled "Chapter One: Gods and Monsters". They included the films Superman (2025), The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl, and Swamp Thing, as well as the television series Waller, Creature Commandos, Lanterns, Paradise Lost, and Booster Gold. The duo were open to DCEU actors such as Miller, Gadot, Momoa, and Levi reprising their respective roles, In October 2023, Variety reported that no actors from Snyder's DCEU films would reprise their roles in the DCU. == See also ==
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