“Hourman”
Unless you’re a diehard fan of DC Comics, you’re probably not really familiar with Hourman. However, that doesn’t mean WB isn’t ready to turn him into a big deal franchise superhero. According to a recent report, Gavin James and Neil Widener have been hired to write a new film, “Hourman,” which is based on the DC Comics character that takes a magic pill that grants him superpowers for one hour at a time. The character is also linked to the Justice Society of America, with some of those characters expected to show up in “Black Adam.” Though, it’s unclear if Hourman will be linked to the JSA in the film continuity.
Release Date: Considering the film was just announced with no director attached, this is looking like 2024, at the earliest.
“Justice League Dark” TV Series
A version of “Justice League Dark” has been floating around for years at Warner Bros. At one point, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro was attached to direct a film based on the comic book series of the same name. Now, it appears the film is being turned into a TV series, with JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot handling the producing duties. “Justice League Dark” is the inverse of the regular “Justice League.” Instead of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, ‘Dark’ features a team of supernatural anti-heroes, such as Swamp Thing, John Constantine, and Zatanna, fighting more horrific villains.
Release Date: This is still early in development, but there have been enough iterations of ‘Dark’ to provide plenty of inspiration for the TV series. Perhaps, this is something that could possibly come in 2023?
“Plastic Man”
Last year, the idea of the “Plastic Man” movie actually getting made seemed highly unlikely. Originally announced in 2018, the film about the very stretchy, shape-shifting goofball superhero seemed like a fun idea that would play as a counter to the grim DCEU. However, with no movement on the project for two years, it seemed destined to hit the shelf. Alas, back in December 2020, it was announced that filmmaker Cat Vasko was hired to direct the film, and the new version of the film would be female-led. So, maybe, just maybe, “Plastic Man” (or “Plastic Woman?”) will actually see the light of day?
Release date: With a director attached and a finished script, we could see this film arrive in 2023, though it’s hardly a done deal.
“Static Shock”
A relatively unknown DC superhero, Static is an electricity-based hero that has already starred in a pretty popular animated series that debuted in 2000 and ran for 4 seasons. And it appears that thanks to Michael B. Jordan and Reginald Hudlin, “Static Shock” is getting the feature film treatment. The proposed film, written by Randy McKinnon, will follow the electric superhero and is being made as an HBO Max exclusive. Not much else is known about the film at this time, though with Jordan attached to produce, it is definitely a project that has a strong likelihood of getting made.
Release Date: Still in the early stages, but WarnerMedia is desperate for HBO Max superhero content, so don’t be surprised if this sneaks into 2023.
“Supergirl”
At one point, it seemed that WB was ready to write off Superman and focus its energy on making sure his cousin, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, was the person sporting the big ‘S’ symbol in the DCEU. Well, it appears that a new “Superman” film is definitely happening (more on that later), but with the announcement of Sasha Calle starring as Supergirl in “The Flash,” we can assume that WB is ready to continue developing the solo film focused on the young female superhero. Originally, the film was expected to be written by Oren Uziel, but it’s unclear who might be behind a new version, considering the Calle news.
Release Date: With Sasha Calle debuting in 2022 as Supergirl, it’s unlikely we’ll get a film based on the character until 2023 or 2024.
Untitled “Superman” Sequel
Despite Henry Cavill making it known that he’d like to continue on as Clark Kent, aka Kal-El, aka Superman, in the DCEU films, it appears that Warner Bros. has other ideas in mind for the character. Much like the studio has done for Batman, giving Matt Reeves authority to reboot the character in his own universe, it appears the studio is doing the same for producer JJ Abrams and writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, who were announced as the folks behind a new “Superman” film that will reimagine the character. Not much is confirmed about what folks can expect in Coates’ version of Superman, but the assumption is the title character will be portrayed by a Black actor, which is clearly a bold direction for the franchise. Does this mean Michael B. Jordan is being looked at to star (which was previously rumored)? That’s unclear. It’s not even clear whether the film will follow Clark Kent or another DC Comics character such as Calvin Ellis, aka Val-Zod, a Black man that took up the Superman mantle in an alternate universe. Regardless, it appears the days of Cavill dressing up in the cape and ‘S’ are done.
Release Date: It’s unclear how far along Coates is with the scripting of the film, but considering Superman is one of the biggest superheroes (if not THE biggest) in the world, clearly WB is going to want this to move quickly. At this point, it doesn’t seem like anything earlier than late-2023 is a possibility.
