The fate of the DCU has been somewhat in flux amid the now surely inevitable buyout of Warner Bros. Pictures by Paramount. Despite the newly emerging James Gunn-fronted comic book movie franchise having several projects already in the works, we’ve been left wondering what exactly will happen when the seismic studio shift eventually occurs. Well, it seems that the fate of the DCU has now been sealed during the debut of the latest big-screen effort, Supergirl.
While the HBO Max animated series Creature Commandos was the official start of the DCU following the cancelation of Warner Bros. and Zack Snyder’s DCEU, last year’s Superman was the real demonstration of a new beginning. The reboot was met with solid reviews from both critics and audiences alike (83% from the former alongside 90% from the latter on Rotten Tomatoes), and while the box office results sparked much debate, it was largely seen as a successful relaunch of the iconic character. Thanks in large part to the pitch-perfect casting of David Corenswet as the Man of Steel.
With the release of the second DCU movie, Supergirl, now imminent, and with the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount gradually jumping over all the necessary hurdles, Supergirl executive producer Lars P. Winther has now confirmed that Paramount Skydance chairman and CEO David Ellison has spoken with DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, revealing that Ellison is “pretty open” to what the DCU is doing (via THR).
“He came to Trilith [Studios] already. That’s where we shoot all our movies that James directs. He came to Atlanta, we showed him everything, and we’re having discussions with him.”
“He’s pretty open to what we’re doing. We do have a slate and a lot of it — obviously, Clayface is already coming out. We already have the Lanterns TV show. On those things, the train’s left the station. So we’re good. But he’s a big fan, he’s been great with us. He’s giving us kind of what we want. So far, everything’s good.”
While the words “pretty open” aren’t likely to fill anyone with much confidence, Winther adding that Safran is “a big fan” of the DCU confirms that the franchise isn’t going anywhere. Even after Superman and the rest of the DC icons shift from WB to Paramount. The studio is now expected to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery following a bidding war with Netflix, with the deal having been approved by the U.S. Department of Justice. While there are still some legal walls to break through, including the European Union antitrust review, it certainly sounds like the controversial studio shift won’t stop the DCU from pressing on.
- Release Date
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June 26, 2026
- Runtime
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108 minutes
- Writers
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Ana Nogueira
- Producers
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James Gunn, Lars P. Winther, Nigel Gostelow, Peter Safran
