Warner’s decision to release all of its major 2021 movies directly onto HBO Max was a controversial one, despite the studio’s assurance that it will return to a more traditional release model the following year. DC is a big part of Warner’s movie division, and DC Films boss Walter Hamada has now revealed the plans for future releases.
Speaking to the New York Times, Hamada explained that from 2022 onwards, DC will release up to six movies a year. Four of these will be the studio’s big tentpole superhero movies, such as The Suicide Squad, The Batman, and Aquaman 2. In addition, “riskier” films, focusing on lesser known heroes, will be produced specifically for HBO Max. These could include upcoming projects such as Static Shock or Batgirl.
This is in addition to HBO Max shows that are being produced as spin-offs to the big movies. There are already two in development–James Gunn’s Peacemaker, which will focus on John Cena’s character from The Suicide Squad, and a Batman spin-off about the Gotham police department. “With every movie that we’re looking at now, we are thinking, ‘What’s the potential Max spinoff?'” Hamada said.
While the DC movie universe hasn’t been nearly as well curated as Marvel’s, Hamada also makes it clear that the studio intends to unify all these different films and series by having a series of concurrent multiverses. So while Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Ben Affleck’s Batman exist in one universe, Pattinson’s Batman is in another. The upcoming Flash movie will allow some of these universes to overlap, and will also feature the Batman played by Michael Keaton in Tim Burton’s films. “I don’t think anyone else has ever attempted this,” Hamada stated. “But audiences are sophisticated enough to understand it. If we make good movies, they will go with it.”
The latest DC movie is Wonder Woman 1984, which hit HBO Max on Christmas Day, as well as theaters internationally. The film has performed well at the box office given the circumstances, and has now been fast-tracked for a sequel. You can read GameSpot’s Wonder Woman 1984 review here.
Beyond that, The Suicide Squad is set for release in August. An official trailer is yet to be revealed, but a behind-the-scenes promo was released during DC FanDome last summer. For more, check out GameSpot’s guide to every upcoming DC movie and TV show we know about to date.
