What Happens to Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman? Here’s DC’s Future After James Gunn’s Exit

DC Studios is entering its biggest shake-up since the DCU launched, and fans are asking which heroes survive the handoff. James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as co-CEOs and chairmen after a four-year run.

Their tenure produced a mixed scorecard. ‘Superman’ earned $618 million worldwide last summer, while ‘Supergirl’ flopped in July with $126 million on a $170 million budget. Skydance CEO David Ellison has chosen Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham to replace them as president and chief creative officer, effective Dec. 1.

Variety has now compiled a character-by-character look at where DC’s biggest names stand, and the picture is far from settled. With little firm continuity in place, Latcham can take the universe wherever he wants.

The brightest news is for the Man of Steel. David Corenswet is likely to keep the cape, since Superman was the face of the new universe and one of DC’s crown jewels. His sequel, ‘Man of Tomorrow’, is set for July 9, 2027, with Gunn writing and directing.

Batman is a thornier case. Matt Reeves has spoken of a trilogy, but it is unclear whether that plan continues under new leadership. Robert Pattinson’s Batman lives in Reeves’ separate film universe, with ‘The Batman Part II’ slated for Oct. 1, 2027. Latcham will have to decide whether to keep both versions of the Dark Knight or change how Batman fits into DC’s future.

Colin Farrell’s schedule on that sequel has already pushed ‘The Penguin’ Season 2 to 2028, according to reports.

Update sur le futur des personnages et des projets DC suite au changement de direction de DC Studios: • Superman: Variety indique qu’il est "probable" que Latcham garde David Corenswet dans son rôle • Batman: Il est désormais "difficile" de savoir si la trilogie de Matt Reeves pourra se poursuivre sous la nouvelle direction • Wonder Woman: Adria Arjona pourrait incarner le personnage dans ‘Man Of Tomorrow’ (il pourrait aussi s’agir de Maxima). La série Paradise Lost a été abandonnée cet été • Justice League: tant que Batman et Wonder Woman ne sont pas introduits dans l’univers, il ne faut pas s’attendre à un film Justice League dans les prochaines années • Green Lantern: Une saison 2 n’a pas encore été annoncée. Avec une nouvelle direction et des implications financières plus fortes, une S2 est encore incertaine • Supergirl: Kara reviendra dans ‘Man of Tomorrow’ mais un deuxième film solo "serait surprenant" • Clayface: Variety estime qu’"il ne faut pas s’attendre à retrouver le personnage dans un autre film DC." • Harley Quinn: son retour serait une opportunité à saisir pour DC, même si Margot Robbie "aurait peut-être définitivement tourné la page" • Blue Beetle: Le personnage reviendra dans ‘Man Of Tomorrow’ mais un retour de Xolo Maridueña dans un autre film est "peu probable" • Peacemaker: Une saison 3 n’a jamais été confirmée. "Sans James Gunn à la tête de DC, il est probable que Peacemaker ne revienne pas." • Creature Commandos: La saison 2 devrait être diffusée en 2027, après MoT mais une saison 3 semble "compromise" après le départ de Gunn • Swamp Thing, Bane & Deathstroke, Teen Titans (etc…): plusieurs projets DC encore à leurs premiers stades de développement et qui n’ont jamais été officiellement confirmés sont désormais dans l’incertitude. Il est encore incertain si Jeremy Latcham, le nouveau PDG de DC Studios, suivra la feuille de route de James Gunn/Peter Safran ou s’il imposera une nouvelle vision. (Source: Variety)

— Le QG des Supers (@LeQGdesSupers) November 9, 2026

Wonder Woman has been largely absent since ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ in 2020, even though Gal Gadot’s first solo film earned $823 million worldwide. The planned HBO series ‘Paradise Lost’, set on Themyscira, was scrapped this summer, and a new film has no confirmed casting or release date.

Adria Arjona joined ‘Man of Tomorrow’ and has been reported as playing the villain Maxima. Many fans suspect she is really Wonder Woman, but Gunn has pushed back on those rumors, and DC Studios has not confirmed the role. Without Batman and Wonder Woman locked in, a standalone ‘Justice League’ movie looks unlikely for a few years.

Xolo Maridueña is set to return as Blue Beetle in the sequel, which keeps the character in the DCU even if another solo outing looks less certain.

‘Peacemaker’ is in limbo. Season 2 arrived on HBO after ‘Superman’, but the show was never renewed for a third season and never canceled either. Because Gunn created it, Variety expects the series probably won’t return without him, and an industry report said there are no current plans for Season 3.

‘Creature Commandos’ is in better shape. The animated series was the first official DCU project when it debuted in December 2024, and it has been renewed for Season 2, which Gunn has said is in production. Reports suggest it will be the next release after ‘Man of Tomorrow’ in 2027.

‘Lanterns’ premiered its first season on Aug. 16, 2026, and a second season is reportedly in the works. If it happens, it will lose co-creator Damon Lindelof. ‘Waller’ and ‘Paradise Lost’ are no longer active priorities, while ‘The People v. Gorilla Grodd’, starring Skyler Gisondo and Jimmy Tatro, is on the 2027 calendar.

Latcham joined Marvel Studios in 2004 and rose to senior VP of production and development, working closely with Kevin Feige to launch the MCU. He was an associate producer on ‘Iron Man’ and an executive producer on ‘The Avengers’, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ and ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’.

He will oversee DC’s film, television and animation slate, including the creative pipeline, production, talent and strategy. Ellison praised Gunn and Safran for the passion they brought to DC, pointing to ‘Superman’, ‘Lanterns’ and ‘Creature Commandos’ as highlights of their era.

Gunn and Safran also listed ‘Clayface’ among their accomplishments, and that film had its world premiere in Los Angeles on Oct. 13. Gunn has said he and Safran are working on another DC project that he is writing, though details remain unclear.

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