While the DCU doesn’t have an upcoming Justice League movie on its slate, it’s already building its roster before the inevitable project happens. In January 2023, James Gunn announced the upcoming slate for Chapter 1 — Gods and Monsters — of the DCU. The announcement revealed several notable projects, including Superman and Lanterns, but it didn’t include the Justice League. This starkly contrasts the DCEU, which was already setting up the superhero team by its second film, Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
It’s also different from the MCU, which included The Avengers at the end of its first phase. Gunn and Peter Safran could be taking their time building the universe, as rushing a team-up project created significant problems for the DCEU. While the DCU’s Justice League movie may not happen for a while, Gunn’s announcement does include hints at which members could be part of the team’s initial roster. Some more recent casting announcements give the DCU three characters who would likely appear in an inevitable Justice League project.
The DCU’s Justice League Roster Is Growing
The DCU Has Cast Some Of Its Most Powerful Characters Already
The DCU begins this December with Creature Commandos, but its first significant film will be 2025’s Superman. Directed by Gunn, the film stars David Corenswet as the titular hero and won’t be an origin story. Superman is already an active hero in the DCU and will be joined by other DC characters, like Hawkgirl, played by Isabela Merced. Superman and Hawkgirl are notable members of the Justice League in the comics, and if Gunn chooses to best roster for DC’s premier super-team, both will play important roles in the team’s formation.
The DCU casting announcement for the upcoming Lanterns series brought in the DCU’s Hal Jordan and John Stewart, who will investigate a murder in the American heartland. Kyle Chandler will play Hal Jordan and the hugely impressive Aaron Pierre will play John Stewart. Green Lantern’s casting adds the third member to the inevitable DCU Justice League. As it stands, it’s unlikelt that Hal will joing the fray, given his age, but John Stewart joining the Justice League will be a huge step forward over the DCEU.
All three of the superheroes named were members of the DCAU Justice League, which, frankly, remains the most successful iteration of the team ever brought to screen. It may not have a great deal of competition, but the balance of characters was perfect. Including Hawkgirl may be a less obvious choice for some, but it’s important that the DCU looks beyond its Holy Trinity, and she is a stand-out candidate.
Missing Justice League Members & Where They Can Appear
Many More DCU Casting Announcements Are On The Way
As the DCU grows, more Justice League members will join the universe. Gunn previously announced Batman: The Brave and the Bold but hasn’t shared who will play the Caped Crusader in the DCU. Paradise Lost is an upcoming series focused on the Amazons in Themyscira before Diana Prince, but it’s a confirmation that Wonder Woman will eventually arrive. Supergirl isn’t always in the Justice League, but Milly Alcock’s early casting and her upcoming film, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, suggests Kara Zor-El could be a prominent character.
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10 Missing Justice League Heroes The DCU Can Adapt For The First Time In Live Action
Despite the numerous DC projects, several key Justice League members are missing and could be adapted for the first time in live-action by the DCU.
Another recurring Justice League member who could appear soon is Cyborg. A Teen Titans movie is being developed, and Cyborg is usually essential to that team. Other founding members like Aquaman, The Flash, and Martian Manhunter haven’t been announced for the DCU yet, but Aquaman and The Flash recently had films in the DCEU’s closing chapter. However, these characters will inevitably join the universe at some point, and, hopefully, it’s before the first official team-up.
Why A Justice League Movie Is Inevitable
The DCU Needs To Have A Massive Team-Up Movie
While the MCU and the DCU aren’t directly competing with each other, the DCU will copy some of the steps Marvel has taken to find success. Part of that success is massive Avengers films that bring together the characters audiences have grown to love. Each Avengers film has made over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame making over $2 billion. A Justice League film would be an almost guaranteed success, but the DCU has to build it up correctly.
Justice League wasn’t a success for the DCEU, mainly because the universe rushed to get to a team-up film. Audiences felt no connection to The Flash, Aquaman, or Cyborg, and it was a poor idea to introduce them in a Justice League movie. The DCU will have a Justice League movie, but Gunn is wisely building the roster and the larger universe before having everything come together. It’s not going to happen anytime soon, but superhero crossover movies are wildly successful and Gunn’s too smart to miss that opportunity.