James Gunn Leaves DC: What Happens to Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman?

David Corenswet will don his Superman cape and trunks in next summer’s sequel “Man of Tomorrow,” written and directed by Gunn. The new Man of Steel headlined Gunn and Safran’s reboot of the DC Universe and turned out to be a moderate box office hit. It seems likely that Latcham would keep Corenswet in the role, considering Superman was essentially the face of the new universe and one of DC’s crown jewels. Cornswet’s take on the hero was warmly welcomed by fans, as was Nicholas Hoult as his nemesis Lex Luthor. The two will pair up to take down the evil alien genius Brainiac in “Man of Tomorrow,” alongside several of the “Superman” supporting cast. Now fans will just have to wait patiently until Superman can team up with DC’s other major stars, Batman and Wonder Woman.

Batman is DC’s most popular — and lucrative — character, but his future is almost as murky as the shadows he creeps in. Robert Pattinson starred in Matt Reeves’ blockbuster “Batman” movie, which grossed $772.8 million globally. Excitement for Reeves and Pattinson’s sequel has been high, but it’s been beset by several delays. “The Batman: Part II” is slated to release Feb. 18, 2028, but Reeves had to step away from production due to a family matter; Steven Soderbergh then stepped in to help finish the shoot.

However, Pattinson’s Caped Crusader predated Gunn and Safran’s DC tenure and is completely separate from their universe. Reeves has spoken about having plans for a Batman trilogy, but now it’s unclear whether it would continue under new leadership. Gunn also planned to cast a new Batman in the rebooted DC Universe in a “Brave and the Bold” movie that would inhabit the same world as Corenswet’s Superman. Fans have long called for Pattinson to cross over into the main DCU, but would he stick firmly in Reeves’ universe and then hang up the cowl? His gritty take on the hero may be at odds in the Gunn-created world, but stranger things have happened in comic book movies.

Part of DC’s Big Three superheroes, Wonder Woman has been absent from the DC Universe since 2020’s poorly received “Wonder Woman 1984,” starring Gal Gadot. The love for the character is there, considering Gadot’s first movie made a whopping $823 million globally, but there haven’t been any concrete plans to reintroduce the Amazon hero to the DCU. Gunn had slated a “Paradise Lost” TV series about Wonder Woman’s early days at HBO, but it was officially scrapped this summer. There are also rumors that Adria Arjona may secretly debut as the character in next year’s “Man of Tomorrow,” but she could also just be playing an alien warrior queen named Maxima from the “Superman” mythos. Arjona’s star has been on the rise since breaking out in “Andor,” “Hit Man” and next year’s “The Thomas Crown Affair,” and it might be an easy win for DC to introduce her as Wonder Woman then put her in a standalone movie — if the rumors are true.

“Superman” introduced the Justice Gang, a rough-draft version of the Justice League that included the Man of Steel, Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) and Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion). “Man of Tomorrow” will look to bolster the ranks with characters like Supergirl, John Stewart, Blue Beetle and maybe even Wonder Woman. That seems like a solid start for the Justice League, but it lacks the traditional founding members like Aquaman, Flash and Cyborg (who all starred in Zack Snyder’s “Justice League” movie). The DCU can set itself apart with its fresh team of heroes, but no Justice League can be complete without Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Without the latter two heroes cast in the universe, don’t count on seeing a standalone “Justice League” movie for a few years.

The Green Lanterns made a major comeback in Gunn’s universe, with Nathan Fillion playing Guy Gardner in “Superman” and Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler’s “Lanterns” HBO series. They played John Stewart and Hal Jordan, two of the most famous members of the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps, and Pierre will reprise the role in “Man of Tomorrow.” “Lanterns” was a decent ratings hit for HBO, but a Season 2 renewal hasn’t been announced. With the leadership changes and a bigger budget needed for sophomore season, the Green Lanterns’ light may be dimming for now.

After the success of last year’s “Superman,” all eyes were on “Supergirl” to begin a box-office hot streak for the DCU, but it went cold. The movie, starring Milly Alcock as Superman’s cousin, only made $126 million, a major flop. She’ll return in “Man of Tomorrow,” but it would be surprising if Supergirl takes flight again in a solo movie.

Released just last month, “Clayface” has been a low-budget success and proved that not all superhero movies have to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Starring Tom Rhys Harries as a shape-shifting monster, “Clayface” was planned as a standalone villain movie without any Batman connections, so don’t expect to see him to take shape in another DC film.

Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn was the lone bright spot of the 2016 “Suicide Squad” movie, and she popped back in for “Birds of Prey” and Gunn’s 2021 “The Suicide Squad.” She hasn’t reprised her role since, but DC fans loved her take on the Joker’s chaotic partner. Robbie may be retired from playing Harley, but it might be an easy win for the DCU to bring her back à la Hugh Jackman in “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

“Blue Beetle” had the bad luck of releasing during the actors strike, so the cast and star Xolo Maridueña didn’t do much press for the movie — and it underperformed at the box office with $130 million. In a surprise move, though, Maridueña is returning for “Man of Tomorrow,” but it seems far-fetched that he’d suit up again in another movie.

Gunn created “Peacemaker,” starring John Cena as his violently patriotic “Suicide Squad” character, before he took over DC Studios. The show debuted on HBO in 2022, and the second season arrived four years later after on HBO in the wake of “Superman.” The show’s future is unclear: It was never renewed for Season 3, but it was also never canceled. Without Gunn at DC, though, “Peacemaker” will probably not return.

Gunn’s “Creature Commandos” animated series was the first official project in the new DCU when it dropped on HBO in December 2024, and it was renewed for Season 2. The follow-up season is expected to air next year after “Man of Tomorrow” hits theaters, but a potential Season 3 seems tough with Gunn’s exit.

Several other DC movies were announced during Gunn and Safran’s tenure, but no official greenlights or many other details were ever set. Director James Mangold was attached to a Swamp Thing movie, while other projects on Batman villains like Bane and Deathstroke and the Teen Titans team were in the works. With a new leader and vision for the DCU, the status of every unconfirmed project is up in the air, but without a clear slate it seems unlikely they’ll come to fruition.