DCEU: Ranking the rumored movies in development

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 04: Actors Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck, Ray Fisher and Henry Cavill attend the ‘Justice League’ photocall at The College on November 4, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images), DCEU

The DC Extended Universe has struggled to build momentum with more misfires than hits with its superhero films. With plenty more DCEU projects rumored to be in development, we rank which ones could best save the day.

While upcoming releases like Aquaman, Shazam!, and Wonder Woman 1984 all seem promising when it comes to getting the DCEU back on track, fans have been down this road before. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and Justice League all generated buzz that led most to believe that Warner Bros. and DC Films were on the right path. But critical backlash and underperforming box office numbers have forced the studio to rethink the future of the shared universe. Leading the way is Walter Hamada, charged with setting the DCEU’s course for the future.

“In development” means that these films have been discussed by the studio or at least rumored to be on the table. Script ideas are being considered but no official announcements have been made. We’ll stay away from ranking movies that are confirmed or nearing production like Matt Reeves’ The Batman or Birds of Prey. Those titles could very well be just what the DCEU needs. But whether they succeed or fall short of expectations, there are a number of DC properties that have yet to be capitalized on by Warner Bros.

And that brings us to our list ranking the DCEU movies rumored to be in development. We’ll weigh factors like the popularity of the characters, the potential for sequels and further world-building, and most importantly what can result in a great superhero movie.