Well, isn’t this something else.
Details have emerged recently over DC’s big plans as far as an expanded universe. It looks like DC hasn’t been looking from Batman V.S. Superman: Dawn of Justice up until the Justice League movie: they’ve been looking well and beyond past that.
Multiple outlets have reported that DC has released not only it’s planned release schedule for it’s upcoming lineup of projects up until 2020: they’ve also revealed new cast members alongside anticipated release dates. The full schedule from now to 2020 is as follows:
• Batman V.S. Superman: Dawn of Justice
Directed by Zack Snyder. Starring Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck. Releases March 2016.
• Suicide Squad
Directd by David Ayer (End Of Watch, Fury). Releases August 2016.
• Wonder Woman
Starring Gal Gadot. Releases June 2017.
• Justice League: Part One
Directed by Zack Snyder. Starring Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot and Amy Adams. Releases November 2017.
• The Flash
Starring Ezra Miller. Releases March 2018.
• Aquaman
Starring Jason Momoa. Releases July 2018.
• Shazam
Starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Releases April 2019.
• Justice League: Part Two
Directed by Zack Snyder. Releases June 2019.
• Cyborg
Starring Ray Fisher. Releases April 2020.
• Green Lantern
Releases June 2020. Details TBA.
There’s a few interesting things to notice about this piece of news. First of all, Justice League is divided into two parts, which is an idea I’ve never heard about until just now. Wonder Woman is getting her own movie too, and it will be released before the Justice League rather than after, and they’re also rebooting Green Lantern. Excellent.
Few questions I know people will have that I will try to answer. First of all, who is the Suicide Squad, and how do they tie in to the DC universe? The Suicide Squad is a villain-turned-antihero team who handles black ops missions for the government in return for a deduction in their prison sentences. A few members who have been speculated to be a part of the team is Harkness, Blockbuster and Deadshot, many of which are Batman villains. Filmmaker David Ayer is directing, and he’s responsible for the 2012 action thriller End of Watch and 2014’s Fury. This is a definite project fit for the filmmaker.
Another question people might be wondering: who on Earth is Ezra Miller, the guy who is currently assumed to playing the Flash? Miller has been most known in a string of highly successful independent films, among which is the 2011 film We Need To Talk About Kevin starring Tilda Swinton and 2012’s The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, also starring Emma Watson and Logan Lerman. While he definitely has talent and a well-versed acting range, I can’t say I was expecting it, and I can’t explain what on Earth convinced DC saw in him to cast him in the role. Not that he’s a bad choice, but he’s so left field he kind of came out of nowhere (which might be a good thing, because The Flash kind of comes out of nowhere too).
Nevermind that though. Is it wise for DC to be pushing out a plan this fleshed out, this early? DC has announced plans on movies to be made before. Years ago, before Man of Steel was even released, they released an outline for the universe they wanted to make, including a Lobo movie to be released before they hopped into the Justice League. Before that, they included plans of a Green Lantern trilogy before the movie was even released. Both plans expired shortly after both films were released. How do we know DC is going to follow through this time? Not only that, how do we know they’ll be able to keep up quality work for more than 9 films in six years? Aren’t they worried the public will get superhero fatigue at that point?
Questions, questions, questions, all to be answered in the next few years. For now, rejoice as we face an onslaught of superhero movies like we’ve never seen before. Or mourn.
– David Dunn
SOURCE: SlashFilm, Cinemablend
DAVID DUNN 