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The future of Warner Bros.' DC Films is becoming clearer. The studio announced release dates this week for the long-delayed "Flash" movie and a "Shazam!" sequel, both for 2022.
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DC movies have been trending upward since the DC Extended Universe experiment backfired with 2017's superhero team-up movie, "Justice League," which disappointed at the box office after extensive reshoots and was blasted by critics. While passionate fans still insist that Warner Bros. release Zack Snyder's director's cut of "Justice League," Warner Bros. has moved forward with standalone blockbusters like "Joker" and comedic, critical hits like "Shazam!"
As the DC franchise enters a new decade, it's sticking with what has worked.
A "Wonder Woman" sequel will hit theaters this summer after the first movie exceeded expectations at the box office. Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn was the standout of 2016's critically panned "Suicide Squad," and she'll be the face of February's "Birds of Prey" movie.
And there might be more DC movies on the way that Warner Bros. hasn't set release dates for. An "Aquaman" spin-off about the ancient Trench creatures is in the works and could be released before the "Aquaman" sequel, producer Peter Safran told The Hollywood Reporter in March.
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And while a "Green Lantern" TV series is in development at WarnerMedia's upcoming streaming service HBO Max, Warner Bros. is still eyeing a movie based on the character, Variety reported last month (the studio tried once with 2011's "Green Lantern," starring Ryan Reynolds, but was a critical misfire and box-office flop).
Needless to say, the DC movie future looks bright. It will need to be to compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which dominated the last decade at the box office and also has a full slate of movies over the next few years.
Below are eight DC movies with confirmed release dates hitting theaters:
"Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)" — February 7, 2020
Director Cathy Yan's "Bird of Prey" finds Margot Robbie reprising her "Suicide Squad" role of Harley Quinn, only this time she's not attached to the Joker's hip. The movie makes her front and center leading a group of female vigilantes as they take on a crime boss played by Ewan McGregor. It's expected to be R rated.
"Wonder Woman 1984" — June 5, 2020
The "Wonder Woman" sequel reunites director Patty Jenkins and stars Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, but shifts the story forward from World War I to the 1980s. The first movie was a critical and box-office hit, raking in $821 million worldwide. The first trailer debuted this week. Watch it here.
"The Batman" — June 25, 2021
Robert Pattinson will play Batman in a new film from "War for the Planet of the Apes" director Matt Reeves. Pattinson takes over from Ben Affleck, who played the Dark Knight in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Justice League." Reeves has assembled an all-star cast that also includes Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, Paul Dano as the Riddler, and Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon.
"The Suicide Squad" — August 6, 2021
Robbie will again play Harley Quinn for this "Suicide Squad" sequel from director James Gunn, who was hired by Warner Bros. after Disney fired him from the third "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie (he was then re-hired, but is finishing "The Suicide Squad" first). Gunn is assembling a team of new and old faces. Returning are Robbie's Quinn and Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang, among others. Out is Will Smith, who played Deadshot. Newcomers include Idris Elba and John Cena. "The Suicide Squad" will likely be rated R, according to Variety.
"Black Adam" — December 22, 2021
After years of teasing the long-delayed project, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson confirmed the release date for his anti-hero movie "Black Adam" on Instagram last month. Black Adam is a frequent foe to Shazam, who starred in a movie earlier this year and will return for a sequel in 2022.
"Shazam!" sequel — April 1, 2022
With $364.5 million worldwide, "Shazam!" wasn't a box-office smash like "Wonder Woman" or "Aquaman." But it was successful enough for Warner Bros. to greenlight a sequel for 2022. "Shazam!" was a hit with critics and has a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.
"The Flash" —July 1, 2022
The "Flash" movie has gone through several different directors but it finally has a release date for 2022. Ezra Miller is expected to reprise the title the role from "Justice League" and "It" director Andy Muschietti is attached to direct.
"Aquaman" sequel — December 16, 2022
2018's "Aquaman" grossed over $1 billion globally, so a sequel was inevitable. It will hit theaters in 2022, topping off what will be a busy year for DC movies. Director James Wan is expected to return.
