8 Scrapped DCEU Movies That Should Be Revisited In DC Studios’ New DCU

The DCU looks set to be all about giving this franchise a fresh start, but there are some ideas from the DCEU era we’d very much like to see given another chance by DC Studios’ James Gunn and Peter Safran.

Warner Bros. has formed DC Studios with an eye to creating a comic book franchise every bit as successful as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That requires a plan, hence why James Gunn and Peter Safran are now in the midst of putting together an 8-10 year plan for the DCU.

The DCEU’s time is at an end, and while we still don’t know which characters and actors may survive this transition period, there are a number of movies that deserve to be revisited in the coming years. 

If the DCEU became well-known for anything, it’s the projects that failed to materialise. Cyborg, Nightwing, and Deadshot are among the many big screen stories that we were promised, only for them to never get any further than being an idea! It’s been a frustrating time for fans, but there are some good ideas that Gunn and Safran shouldn’t overlook. 

To find out which of those we hope to see happen in the new DCU, hit the “Next” button below! 

8. Gotham City Sirens

Despite not receiving a particularly warm response from critics, 2016’s Suicide Squad was a box office hit. The plan from there had been for director David Ayer to return to the DCEU for a spin-off focused on Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy titled Gotham City Sirens. 

Based on social media posts from the filmmaker, Black Mask was being lined up as the movie’s big bad. However, at least some of this project’s ideas were borrowed by Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey. 

As a result, some changes would need to be made, but bringing Ayer back to finally deliver this movie…well, it might help put an end to those #ReleaseTheAyerCut demands. That happening in the DCU seems highly unlikely – DC Studios is all about a fresh start, remember – so Gotham City Sirens would be a good compromise and a great showcase for Margot Robbie.  

7. The New Gods

Warner Bros. never had much of a plan for the DCEU, hence why we started seeing movies take shape that contradicted what other filmmakers had planned. Zack Snyder, for example, had huge ideas for Darkseid and Apokolips, but Ava DuVernay was still given the green light to move forward with The New Gods. 

In a DCU that’s starting from scratch, Gunn and Safran can make sure there are no further clashes, giving DuVernay and comic book writer Tom King the chance to revisit what sounded like a fun take on this corner of the DC Universe. 

Darkseid was going to be front and centre in this Jack Kirby-inspired tale, with Mister Miracle and Big Barda serving as the lead protagonists. Regardless of whether there’s a change in the creative team, we’d say a cosmic tale like this is exactly what DC Studios needs.  

6. Deathstroke

Joe Manganiello was cast to play Slade Wilson by Zack Snyder and Ben Affleck, with Justice League originally set to lay the groundwork for Deathstroke to take aim at Batman.

That story was supposed to play out in Affleck’s version of The Batman, and everything we’ve heard about that movie sounds great. While it won’t become a reality now, we would like to see Gareth Evans’ solo outing for DC’s Terminator finally happen under the new regime at DC Studios. 

A lower-budgeted project, Deathstroke would have mashed up the DC Universe with The Raid, and Manganiello’s badass take on Slade Wilson is one we’re sure comic book fans would have appreciated. The DCU slate needs to be made up of more than big-name superheroes, and this project would be a great way to add a little variety.  

5. Green Lantern Corps

Gunn has already hinted that there are plans for Green Lantern in the DCU, albeit without Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan! That was to be expected, but the characters who make up this corner of the DC Universe have sat on the sidelines for far too long.

Green Lantern Corps was supposed to revolve around Hal Jordan and John Stewart, with Sinestro likely set to serve as the lead villain. HBO Max’s Green Lantern TV series recently underwent some big changes (rumour has it the show will now focus primarily on John instead of Alan Scott and Guy Gardner), but we’d scrap that and go down the big screen route.

Enough time has passed since 2011 for moviegoers to give the franchise another chance, especially if it’s marketed in the right way and has a totally different tone from its predecessor.  

4. Super Max

Green Arrow: Escape From Super Max (which surprisingly isn’t based on a similar comic book arc) actually predates the DCEU, and it would have seen the titular superhero framed for a murder he didn’t commit. From there, it was set to focus on his quest to escape from the high-security prison he’s placed in.

Along the way, the hero would have faced off against a number of instantly recognisable comic book villains, including The Riddler, Lex Luthor, and the Joker. Skipping an origin story altogether, Super Max was set to get straight to the point and David S. Goyer and Justin Marks’ script was more of a prison escape movie than a typical superhero outing.

It’s a real shame this never became a reality, but this would be a badass way to introduce Green Arrow to the DCU and flesh out the franchise by introducing some high-profile villains.  

3. Batgirl

When Warner Bros. was acquired by Discovery, we expected some big changes, but the decision to scrap the near-completed Batgirl remains one of the year’s most shocking news stories.

Despite featuring In the Heights’ breakout star Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon, Michael Keaton as Batman, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, and Brendan Fraser as the villainous Firefly, the studio came to the conclusion it simply wasn’t worth finishing and releasing the HBO Max movie. 

A lot of fans and filmmakers were left reeling by that, and a great way to restore the studio’s reputation would be to finish Batgirl off and give it a big screen release. Gunn can punch up the script for reshoots if needed, but the curiosity just to see what all the fuss was about would go a long way in making this a guaranteed hit.  

2. Supergirl

We don’t have a lot of details about this one beyond the fact it was going to star Sasha Calle as the Girl of Steel, but it would be an awful shame for the project to remain cancelled in the new DCU.

The original (dumb) plan had been to have Supergirl replace Superman in the DCEU. There would be nothing wrong about giving the character her own franchise alongside the Man of Tomorrow’s, regardless of whether that happens with Henry Cavill or not, though we’re guessing DC Studios will wait and see how The Flash does first.

From what little we’ve seen of Calle as Supergirl, she’s a great choice to play this hero. Plus, a female-led franchise like this in the DCU would be welcomed.  

1. Batman Beyond

Fans have spent years hoping for a Batman Beyond movie, and it turns out the previous DC Films bosses were planning to head down that route with Michael Keaton’s Caped Crusader. 

After serving as a mentor to Barbara Gordon in Batgirl, Batman was going to then train Terry McGinnis as his successor, giving the DCEU a new Dark Knight (allowing Robert Pattinson to continue playing Bruce Wayne in The Batman franchise). Adding salt to the wound is the fact Michelle Pfeiffer was being eyed to reprise the role of Catwoman!

This would be a great standalone feature for the DCU, and while we’d probably tap a new screenwriter in place of Christina Hodson, there’s still potential for this concept moving forward.