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Edited by Robert Beach
On Tuesday, I talked about movies DC had already announced we might see in their open slot in October 2018. Today, I set my sights even further forward to the fall of 2019 where DC has another unclaimed movie slot for November 1st. Given how far out that movie is, it’s a lot less likely to be tied up with the various pre-announced films or tied to the recent crop of DC movies.
Even though WB isn’t working to Marvel’s “phase” scheduling system, they are subconsciously structuring their films in groups of set-up with every movie from now to the end of 2018 spinning out of Man of Steel. 2019 looks to be the start of something new for WB with movies like Shazam and Green Lantern Corp on the horizon. As such, whatever film we’re getting in 2019 will probably be a new feature, something removed from the current crop of DC features.
NIGHTWING
This is one of those inevitabilities I feel like more people really ought to be making a bigger deal out of existing. In case you’d forgotten, Batman v. Superman confirmed that in the DC Entertainment Universe, Robin was a character and was killed by the Joker, which is what prompted Batman’s retirement.
Now it’s impossible to know which Robin it was that got killed by the Joker in this world, but it seems more likely to have been Jason Todd, given his insane merchantability as the Red Hood than anyone else. If Jason Todd has existed as a Robin in this world, that probably means Dick Grayson existed as well. Rumors circulated that he was set to appear in Dawn of Justice as Nightwing at one point.
Obviously, that didn’t happen. The fact that it was considered looms large over the film and DC’s newfound rush to try and produce more Batman-related content would fit with him getting his movie. Even if we don’t see the Ben Affleck Batman solo film till the 2020s, DC has made an effort to reframe stuff like Suicide Squad as being more of a product of the Batman universe, so cranking out a Nightwing movie would fit that playbook.
What’s more, Ben Affleck is getting older, and people still seem on the fence about him as Batman. It’d probably do well to have a young and inexpensive Bat replacement like Dick Grayson on hand.
GREEN ARROW
I really wouldn’t have thought Green Arrow could handle a movie before Arrow became a five-season, multiple spin-off success story. Arrow star Stephen Amell recently made comments about the possibility of the character being recast for the DCEU, which would certainly indicate far more interest in a Green Arrow movie than I would’ve initially assumed.
It does make sense based on Green Arrow’s attendant universe now includes heavy hitters like Ras Al Ghul and popular heroes like Black Canary. Green Arrow is pretty notable as a hero in that he was the first new hero to join the Justice League after its founding. However, none of that makes up for how similar Green Arrow is to Batman. At the same time, I don’t think DC is looking to make-up for that.
Firstly, having Arrow work as “fun Batman” could make him a solid Iron Man stand-in if DC hopes to fill the hole Robert Downey Jr. is going to make when he leaves that part. Really, he’s a billionaire CEO superhero with an obsession with gimmicks and gadgets, yet he’s bright and cheerful about it. He's a Batman that can smile.
Additionally, Arrow could fill Batman’s shoes if WB wanted to feature him less in their shared universe and more in his own adventures or if Ben Affleck doesn’t re-up his contract. Much like Nightwing, Green Arrow could become the “I can’t believe it’s not Batman” of the DCEU’s future installments.
PLASTIC MAN
Consider this one more wishful thinking than a likely turn of events, though there were brief plans for a Plastic Man movie believe it or not. The Plastic Man movie was pitched by the Watchowskis starring Keanu Reeves back in the 2000s, and it was absolutely terrible (Jupiter Ascending looks like high art by comparison.) Aside from the awful script, the big reason Plastic Man didn’t get an adaptation back then was that he wasn’t really a well-known commodity, but I think that’s turned around in the decade or since then.
While Plastic Man still isn’t necessarily a big name, he’s definitely gotten a lot more exposure thanks voice actor Tom Kenny’s performance as the character in a pilot and several DC Nation shorts. Kenny also played Plastic Man in Batman: The Brave and the Bold where he stole the show as one of the real breakout characters. That might not seem like a big deal, though it’s produced a whole generation of kids with way more awareness of the character in the vein of the Teen Titans after their animated show.
Plastic Man just feels like the character DC needs in this moment. He’s wacky, humorous, and whimsical, all of which are tragically missing from the DCEU at this moment in time. What’s more, Deadpool made a ton of money this year, and Plastic Man is about as close to Deadpool DC has without getting into the really obscure characters like Ambush Bug.
THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES
Okay, this one is a bit of a cheat. WB did announce plans for a Legion of Superheroes movie, yet that was back in 2014. There’s been zero forward momentum.
It was announced in the wake of the universally positive response to Guardians of the Galaxy and was pretty clear a plan to try and cash-in on the space opera genre while it was hot. That’s one of the weird things about the DCEU. Because of its complete incompetence, even the stuff that seems consistent like not copying Marvel, isn’t actually consistent.
Even if the original pitch is dead, I still think this franchise could be big money for WB, especially given the Legion’s history as big money makers for DC. Back in the ‘60s, the Legion was the king of teen superhero teams, more popular than the X-Men. In fact, the X-Men only became popular when they started ripping off the Legion in 1975.
As such, DC has a chance to try and actively compete with the X-Men films, a franchise with so little quality control that even the lamest Marvel films are usually superior. Combine that with an optimistic future setting and an uplifting ethos of inclusivity that would resonate in these times and this could be a major win for WB.
HARLEY QUINN
This is my second “cheat” of the list. In my defense, this was also just announced, and I think a lot of folks have already forgotten it’s happening. If you’re one of those people, the wake of Suicide Squad’s success brought Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn to the solo film spotlight.
It wasn’t clear who was going to be in the film with folks like the Gotham Sirens and the Birds of Prey getting mentioned. This was a quick announcement, coming even before the movie hit US theaters and hitting not too long after Man of Steel 2 was announced and saw some serious press coverage.
It wasn’t clear who was going to be in the film with folks like the Gotham Sirens and the Birds of Prey getting mentioned. This was a quick announcement, coming even before the movie hit US theaters and hitting not too long after Man of Steel 2 was announced and saw some serious press coverage.
If this is happening, it would honestly make the most sense for the 2019 slot given the DCEU’s current state. Depressingly, it’s starting to seem like WB really just can’t make profitable superhero movies that don’t relate back to Batman in some way. We’ll see if they can turn that around with Wonder Woman. If it is the case, a Gotham Sirens/Birds of Prey movie would be the best response.
It’d use the Batman connection as a shield and audience draw while filling the actual film with the amazing characters from Batman’s extended universe. It’d be a chance for folks like Huntress, Black Canary, Lady Blackhawk, Hawk and Dove, Oracle, and Cassandra Cain to get the big screen treatment while also rehabilitating mishandled favorites like Poison Ivy and Catwoman.
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