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When Zack Snyder first madeMan of Steelwith Henry Cavill in the lead, he had no intention of making it into a cinematic universe. However, the DC executives were eager to catch up to their rival Marvel’s successful MCU. Several missteps were taken in this rushed approach and it often resulted in the studio making course corrections and canceling several projects.
Furthermore, with the DCEU being restructured as DCU under new CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, many anticipated DCEU projects were canceled. The studio has so far canceled or abandoned 25 such projects.
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DC Canceled Sequels ToJustice League, Henry Cavill’sMan of Steel, And Gal Gadot’sWonder Woman
#1Justice League Part 2–Zack Snyderand Chris Terrio initially conceivedJustice Leagueas a two-part film. However, when it was decided as a self-contained film, Snyder was left with ideas for a second film. With Snyder’s departure and the poor performance ofJoss Whedon’s version, it was certain thatJustice League 2was not happening.
#2Man of Steel 2– According to Snyder,Henry Cavill‘s Superman would have fought Brainiac in this second film. The sequel would have eventually happened, if not for the restructuring of DCEU into DCU underJames Gunn.
#3Wonder Woman 3– Despite its success in the DCEU, a thirdWonder Womanproject was canceled after the DC restructuring, according toThe Hollywood Reporter.Patty Jenkinsconfirmed that the project was dead, and the new DCU will not featureGal Gadot’s Wonder Woman.
#4 Ben Affleck’sThe Batman–Ben Affleck’sBatmanmovie was part of the original DCEU roster. However, the reception ofBatman v. Supermanand the controversies surroundingJustice Leaguemade the task difficult for Affleck, who was also affiliated as the director.
#5Deathstroke– Gareth Evans was attached to a solo film featuring Joe Manganiello’s character fromJustice League. Before the solo film, the character was supposed to feature in Affleck’sBatman. Despite a planned budget of $40 million, Manganiello confirmed toTHRthat the project was canceled.
#6Nightwing– Originally announced in 2017, the film about Batman’s first sidekick was intended as a spinoff of Affleck’sBatmanmovie. In 2023, director Chris McKay hinted at carrying the story into DCU. However, sources suggest that the project is dead.
#7Cyborg– TheCyborgfilm was also part of the original DCEU slate, butRay Fisher’s experience on theJustice Leagueset made the possibility of him returning for a solo film highly unlikely.
#8Green Lantern Corps– The firstGreen Lanternproject in the DCEU was announced in 2016, before theBatman v. Supermanpremiere. However, no creative team was attached to the project. A show was later in WBD’s plans, but it also went nowhere.
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WB Discovery’s Restructuring Resulted In Many Cancelations Including A CompletedBatgirlFilm
#9Batgirl–Batgirlfell victim to the new WB Discovery regime’s tax write-off scheme. The film is the only completed film on this list to get shelved. It was scheduled for an HBO Max release in 2022, but its cancelation was reported in August 2022 by theNew York Post. The film featured Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon, alongsideJ.K. Simmons,Brendan Fraser, andMichael Keaton.
#10Justice League Dark– AJustice League Darkmovie was initially planned byGuillermo del Toro. In 2016, Doug Liman took over the directing duties from del Toro. Liman left the movie a year later.J.J. Abramswas approached for a TV project after three more years. In February 2023, plans for both the movie and the HBO Max series were canceled.
#11Zatanna– It was a spinoff project announced in theJustice League Darkuniverse. Academy Award-winning writer Emerald Fennell was hired to write the script. The project was canceled in October 2022, following WB Discovery’s decision to scrap expensive HBO Max projects (via The Hollywood Reporter).
#12Wonder Twins–Riverdalefame KJ Apa and1883fame Isabel May was attached to this HBO Max movie announced in February 2022. It was also canceled as part of scrapping expensive streaming films.
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SeveralSuicide SquadSpin-Offs Were Canceled
#13Harley Quinn vs The Joker–Margot RobbieandJared Letowere set to return in thisSuicide Squadspinoff, which explored their relationship and break up. The film, announced in 2017, hired Glenn Ficarra and John Requa as the writers, but no further updates came out of the movie.
#14Jared Leto’s Joker– A soloJokermovie, with Leto returning, was reported byVarietyin 2018, but Warner Bros. instead went ahead with Todd Philips’ project withJoaquin Phoenix.
#15Gotham City Sirens–David Ayertweeted a picture of Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Ivy Poison in 2016, signaling aGotham City Sirensmovie in development. He followed it up with other cryptic tweets, including a picture of the villain Black Mask, but the project never happened.
#16Deadshot–Will Smithconfirmed a solo spinoff movie for his character fromSuicide Squadin 2018. Reports suggested that the film didn’t happen due to Smith’s huge salary demand of $20 million.
#17Black Canary– The film was a spinoff ofBirds of Prey, intended to be released on HBO Max. Jurnee Smollett-Bell was set to return to her role as Dinah Lance / Black Canary. The last update on the project came in May 2022, but the DCU reboot may have essentially canceled the project.
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Other Canceled Or Abandoned Projects
#18Batman Beyond– Michael Keaton was set to play a dark and gritty version of a retired Batman in this film. The story explores Keaton’s Batman training Terry McGinnis, the next Batman. The film was canceled in January 2023 after the new regime took over.
#19The Trench– Based on one of the kingdoms of Atlantis fromJames Wan’sAquaman,The Trenchwas announced in 2019. Wan was attached as a producer, but the studio later announced the cancellation of the project in a 2021 press release (via The Hollywood Reporter).
#20New Gods– Announced in 2018, the film explored the world of parademons introduced inJustice League. Ava DuVernay was attached as a director and was set to co-write the script with comic book author Tom King. Its cancellation was also announced in the same press release asThe Trench.
#21Static Shock– The project was announced at the DC FanDome in 2020, withMichael B. Jordanattached as the executive producer. The latest update in 2022 suggested that the project was in development, but it is highly unlikely thatStatic Shockwill be part of the DCU.
#22Hourman– TheHourmanfilm was announced by WBD in March 2021 about a superhero who can use his power only one hour at a time. Gavin James and Neil Widener were attached as the writers, but the movie did not take off.
#23Lobo– Warner Bros. had been trying to make a movie about the alien bounty hunter since 2009, and a $200 million movie was planned at one point at DC. Rumors suggest that Gunn might revive the character for the DCU, potentially castingJason Momoain the role.
#24Plastic Man– The film was first announced in 2018, but news came in 2020 that the movie may gender-swap the hero. There were no further updates about the movie.
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#25Val Zod– Another project with Michael B. Jordan attached as an executive producer wasVal Zod. Darnell Metayer and Josh Peters were attached as the writers on the HBO Max show. It appears thatVal Zodwill not make it to James Gunn’s DCU.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
