On Nov. 10, 2026, it was officially announced that James Gunn and Peter Safran would be stepping down from their roles as co-CEOs and chairmen of the new DC Universe. That means the two creatives won't oversee the franchise starting Dec. 1, 2026, and former Marvel SVP of Production and Development Jeremy Latcham will take the reins.
For the time being, it hasn't been announced whether there will be any major slate changes or recasts moving forward, but it is clear that whatever comes next could be significantly different from what Gunn and Safran originally envisioned for the saga. This, in turn, raises the question: What exactly were they planning for the DCU in the first place?
Back in 2023, James Gunn published a video breaking down the initial DCU slate, and most of the projects he revealed have already been released or were ultimately canceled. So what was meant to happen moving forward? Well, a new report may have finally given us the answer.
Wonder Woman, Batman, and the Justice League were part of James Gunn and Peter Safran's universe, but way into the future
One of the most common complaints fans had about the DCU is that it kickstarted the franchise by shining the spotlight on obscure characters while heavy-hitters like Batman and Wonder Woman were nowhere to be seen. Well, turns out these two iconic heroes were meant to join the action, and the Justice League would have eventually entered the picture, but that plan would have taken five more years to completely materialize.
According to industry reporter Ben Fritz, Wonder Woman will debut in James Gunn's Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow. This isn't the first time we've heard about Diana Prince finally joining the big screen, as multiple reports have suggested that Adria Arjona is set to bring the iconic hero to life. Moreover, the Dynamic Duo animated movie, starring Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, was originally intended to be released in 2028.
Batman's debut film, The Brave and the Bold, was targeting a 2029 release date. And with DC's trinity finally active in the franchise, the door would have officially been open for the Justice League's creation. To achieve that, there were meant to be two more Superman sequels—one releasing in 2029 and the other in 2031—and these projects would've "evolved" into Justice League.
It's a bit unclear whether the reported Superman sequels would've simply led to the formation of the Justice League further down the line or if the iconic team of heroes was set to appear in them (similar to how the Avengers appeared in Captain America: Civil War, even if the project isn't necessarily an Avengers film). But in the best-case scenario, it seems the Justice League would've finally taken over the screen in 2031—five years into the future and seven years after the DC Universe's first official project, Creature Commandos.
Of course, it's always important to take rumors with a grain of salt. After all, there's a chance that James Gunn and Peter Safran's plans were radically different from what was stated in the report. However, Wonder Woman's debut in Man of Tomorrow was all but a given before the leadership shakeup, and a 2029 release date for The Brave and the Bold seems likely, especially given how little development news we've heard about the film.
If these plans were true, it's likely they will change moving forward (otherwise, there wouldn't have been a leadership change to begin with). But even if DC tries to fast-track projects like a Batman or Wonder Woman solo movie, it's unlikely they will see the light of day until late 2028 or 2029 at the earliest. That means the earliest the Justice League could take over the big screen is still 2030 or 2031, unless DC tries to go down the "Batman v Superman" route again and introduce most of these characters in a single project without any prior setup.
Hopefully, it won't be long before we get official updates on what's next for the franchise after the leadership shakeup. But it wouldn't be surprising if Batman and Wonder Woman are instrumental in those plans.
Man of Tomorrow will be released on July 9, 2027.
Add us as a preferred source on Google