Rumored Schedule For DC's Upcoming Films Reveals What We Should Expect From The Studio In The Next Five Years

DC and Marvel fans may never truly admit to any of their rivals strengths or their own brand's flaws, but if there's one thing that both companies' fans can agree on in unison it's that Marvel is currently killing it on the big screen. While DC gave us an acclaimed Batman trilogy and a generally will received Superman reboot, they still have yet to expand their universe and give their wide array of characters a chance with movie goers. Well now it seems those years of scratching our heads wondering what plan WB had under their sleeves may finally be worth it, as a rumored schedule for DC's upcoming films has finally been revealed, and fans will certainly like what they see.

Below is the upcoming schedule according to Nikki Finke as well as the possible Batman reboot reported by Latino-Review. Also below is what we know so far about each movie and how they'll tie to the DC cinematic universe: 

May 2016 - Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

From what we know so far the film will of course introduce audiences to our new Ben Affleck Batman, as well as Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor as the villain, and a possible undisclosed secondary villain (Who could be played by Callan Mulvey). It'll also introduce us to our new Alfred played by Jeremy Irons, and three more future Justice League members in the forms of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and Aquaman (Jason Momoa). Rumor has it we could also see a Flash cameo and an appearance by Batman's former sidekick Dick Grayson as Nightwing.

July 2016 - Shazam!

Has no known writer or director attached as of yet, and has yet to officially cast any of it's lead roles. Most likely will star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as either the titular hero, or his arch-nemesis Black Adam (A role that Johnson has been a fan favorite for for years). Will most likely catered to younger audiences with a little less violence and grit and more humor and a light hearted tone. Shazam! could possibly be a member of the Justice League if the film's popular, and could take a similar route the New 52 comics recently did.

Christmas 2016 - Sandman

Most likely will be DC's anti-thesis to Shazam, with a much darker tone and older target audience. Could be directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Don Jon) who's already producing the film and he'll most likely star in the lead role as well. It'll probably stand much more on it's own in comparison to the rest of DC's upcoming releases, and it's highly unlikely that he'll have any involvement with the Justice League. 

May 2017 - Justice League

It's line-up will most likely include Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Cyborg, and Aquaman, with Martian Manhunter as a wild card (Given writer David S. Goyer's recent criticism of the character). Will most likely have all the already cast member return from their appearances in Dawn of Justice (Cavill, Affleck, Gadot, Fisher, and Momoa) along with a newly cast Green Lantern (Replacing Ryan Reynolds). It's unknown whether the Flash TV show universe will be canon with this film, thus it remains to be seen whether Grant Gustin will reprise his role as the Flash. The film will almost certainly be directed by Zack Snyder, and it's villain is rumored to be Darkseid. 

July 2017 - Wonder Woman

Could take place after the events of Justice League or could serve as a prequel/origin story for Diana Prince. Will of course star Gal Gadot, and will most likely feature a predominantly female cast as her fellow warriors in the Amazons. It'll most likely feature a lot of mythological Greek lore including gods such as Zeus, Artemis, and Ares. The film will probably introduce Prince's human love interest Steve Trevor, and somehow tie him into the action. Warner Bros. likely is seeking a female director, and Zack Snyder could be involved to some capacity given his past work on 300. 

Christmas 2017 - Flash and Green Lantern team-up

As surprised as many people have been about this project, a year ago we actually had a feeling DC and Warner Bros. would take this route once Batman v. Superman was announced. This is seemingly a way for the studio to give more screen time to two of their newly rebooted characters, without having to take the risk of making another Green Lantern film following the failure of the first film. Ryan Reynolds will almost undoubtedly not be returning for this film, and it's still unknown whether Grant Gustin's Flash will be involved with the cinematic universe. While it's believed we'll be seeing the Barry Allen and Hal Jordan versions of these characters on screen, WB may be considering using their equally as popular (If not more well known thanks to the Justice League cartoon) successors Wally West and John Stewart. 

May 2018 - Man of Steel 2

Will serve as a much more direct sequel to Man of Steel rather than Dawn of Justice, and more than likely will bring the focus back to Superman rather than to any other heroes. Will probably return most of the film's supporting cast including Diane Lane's Ma Kent, Amy Adam's Lois Lane, and Laurence Fishburne's Perry White. Jesse Eisenberg will also probably return as Lex Luthor, perhaps in a less (Or more) prominent role than he'll have in Dawn of Justice. Could see the appearance of many of Superman's most popular villains including Brainiac or even Doomsday. Snyder will most likely return to direct in what could be his last project for the studio, and Supergirl may appear as David S. Goyer has hinted at in the past. 

2019 - The Batman?

This film will of course have no ties to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, and will bring back both Affleck and Irons in their respective roles. It'll likely introduce us too many newly rebooted supporting characters including Lucius Fox and Commissioner Gordon. We'll also most likely see Nightwing return if he is in fact included in Dawn of Justice, and we could see a new Robin working alongside Batman. It's heavily believed that Ben Affleck will direct the film along with starring in it, and could be involved with writing it as well. The film might use a Batman antagonist who has yet to make it onto the big screen, and it's widely believed that Warner Bros. won't use the Joker so soon into the rebooted franchise.

Now of course this is a lot to digest, as we went from knowing almost nothing more than that a Justice League would be following up Dawn of Justice, to now apparently knowing DC's entire plans for the next few years. It's worth noting that these rumors should of course be taken with a grain of salt, and if true will most likely be revealed in part at this year's Comic-Con. Now it's also worth mentioning that filmmaker Kevin Smith seemingly confirmed that these rumors were in fact true, and given his close friendship with Ben Affleck, and his inside knowledge on what's going on at Warner Bros. (He was one of the first people to see Affleck's batsuit), his input should at least help provide some credibility for the time being.

So how do you feel about DC's upcoming line-up for the next few years? Are their any films you feel don't belong on this schedule? Are their in projects your disappointed to not see included? Let us know below!

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Scott Derrickson To Helm 'Doctor Strange'; Jared Leto, Benedict Cumberbatch, & Tom Hardy Up For The Lead Role

With Marvel Studios recently having gone through hell trying to find a replacement for Edgar Wright (At World's End) as the director of their upcoming Ant-Man film, it seems the studio felt it important to reassure fans they're still perfectly capable of signing on directors to their projects. It has now been announced that the upcoming Phase 3 adaption of Doctor Strange has finally found it's director in the form of Sinister's Scott Derrickson. Not only do we now know who will be directing the film, but we also have word of who Marvel's eyeing for the lead role of Dr. Stephen Strange himself.

The first big piece of Doctor Strange related news came courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, who revealed that Scott Derrickson (Sinister) would be directing the film. Following the conclusion of Marvel's extensive search to find a replacement director for Edgar Wright on Ant-Man, its certainly nice to see Marvel land another director for one of their future projects, who will hopefully stick around. While Doctor Strange isn't a horror property, Derrickson's past work on Sinister will certainly carry over into some great supernatural elements for the plot of Doctor Strange.

Derrickson didn't exactly impress with his first action film; the remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still, but he's really made a name for himself after the critical success of Sinister, making him one of the few currently well respected horror directors on the map. With a director like Derrickson now involved with the project, it's become pretty clear that Marvel isn't shying away from a lot of the mystical elements involved in the magic based side of their universe. Marvel's competitors over at DC are too testing out one of their most popular supernatural characters with NBC's Constantine TV shoow, so Marvel's eagerness to kick this portion of their universe into gear for Phase 3 isn't too surprising.   

Of course now with a director attached, the real question on everyone's minds is who will be taking on the lead role of Stephen Strange himself. Early reports have made clear Marvel's desire to make Strange the new face of their cinematic universe once Tony Stark (And Robert Downy Jr.) decide it's time to call it a quits. This would make the role very pivotal in the casting process, and it seems Marvel's looking at some pretty big names. Although we'd heard that names such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Johnny Depp were considered in the past, the first name we've now heard thanks to BadassDigest is that of Oscar winner Jared Leto (Dallas Buyer's Club).

Although Leto has many films to his credit, he doesn't seem like that type who would be interested in a superhero role at this stage of his career. That being said, Leto is the more left field choice for Marvel, and could be a gamble that ends up paying off for the studio. The other two names Marvel's considering according to Deadline should be much more familiar to fanboys, and are that of Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness) and Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises). Cumberbatch has been a fan favorite for the role for quite some time now, where as Hardy is a welcome possibility as well. Both actors fit the mold of the character in their own way, so it'll probably be their upcoming schedules more than anything that will factor into whether they land the role or not.

So how do you feel about Derrickson directing Doctor Strange? Which of the contending actors do you feel is best fit for the part? Let us know below!

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'Game of Thrones' Star Jason Momoa Will Reportedly Join 'Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice' As Aquaman

After weeks of speculation and denial, fans can breathe a sigh of relief, has been confirmed by both Hitfix and The Hollywood Reporter that Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) will be playing Aquaman in DC's upcoming Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. After Momoa consistently denied his involvement with both the role and the film, fans still remained persistent that Momoa would eventually end up with the part. With his work on Game of Thrones showing how well his persona fits the role, as well as his physique fitting the realistic element that Zack Snyder is trying to implement within the new DC film universe, Momoa seemed to be the clear choice.

Being that the original Aquaman was a blonde (Hence why actors such as Matt Damon and Lost's Josh Holloway were rumored for the part), mid range body type, sported a orange scale costume and green gloves, it may be evident that a change in costume design will be evident later on. If fans are correct, Jason Momoa will portray a more barbaric looking Aquaman that fits the description of Aquaman a lot more. Aquaman is described as a individual who boast of his adventures and great war triumphs, as well as proving his rightful ranks amongst other league members.

Hitfix; the site that first broke the news of Momoa's casting, also brought up a few new rumored character details about how Aquaman will fit into the film. Apparently through the events of Man of Steel, The world engine mechanism that General Zod implemented within the ocean in order to reshape the Earth into Krypton landed in the Indian Ocean. This will then lead to conflict between Superman and Aquaman, due to the fact that a piece of his home was destroyed, or aquatic life was effected.

His role in Batman v. Superman is unclear, yet one thing is obvious to fans, and that is the film may be trying to clutter things. With Batman (Ben Affleck) already taking a clear presence alongside Superman in this film, along with future Justice League members Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and now Aquaman, it's possible we could see even more JL heroes make an appearance somewhere in the film. Without having a objectified film aimed at showing the brawl between the two main DC power houses, then it is obvious that this film will become a simple Justice League set up.

So what do you think of Momoa being cast as Aquaman? Do you feel that the adaption that Zack Snyder is making is appropriate? Comment Below!

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'Yes Man' Director Peyton Reed To Take Over For Edgar Wright On 'Ant-Man' With Adam McKay Working On Script

For Marvel and Ant-Man fans, it's safe to say these last couple of weeks have been pretty stressful. It seemed the upcoming film was in tip-top shape, with big stars such as Michael Douglas and Paul Rudd headlining the film, and acclaimed comedy director Edgar Wright finally bringing his vision of the character to the big screen. Yet Ant-Man hit a pretty major and surprising speed bump when Wright decided to part way with Marvel, leaving the studio to resort to an extensive desperate search for a replacement. Well now, fans can thankfully stopping holding their breathe, because Ant-Man has finally landed both a director and new writer.

The news comes courtesy of Marvel themselves, who announced that after hearing several names up to replace Wright, Yes Man director Peyton Reed will be at the helm when filming commences later this year. Not only do we now know who will be directing, but the studio also revealed that Anchorman director Adam McKay (Who was previously thought to be Wright's replacement) will actually be tweaking the film's script. Reed's involvement isn't exactly too reassuring, as his resume of films (Yes Man, Bring It On, and The Break-Up) pale in comparison to Wright's. Yet, McKay involvement certainly helps make up for those concerns, as he has numerous comedy hits to his credit.

This all began with the unexpected departing of director Edgar Wright from Ant-Man, who's best known for his work on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, The Worlds End, Shaun of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz. The director's exit came as a major shocker to fans, especially considering the fact that Wright had been working on the film since 2006. Fans have yet to get a solid answer as to why Edgar Wright left the film, but the buzz around the film world suggests that Marvel wanted to add ideas in which did not fit his style of film-making, or he saw unnecessary to be implemented. While many had already been a bit concerned that Wright's 2006 script for the film wasn't going to fit in the current mold of the MCU, Marvel Studios president Kevin Fiege had assured fans that they'd make adjustments through rewrites, so perhaps this could've been the source of this script rewrite conflict.

Now of course many fans as well as fellow Marvel directors (Particularly James Gunn and Joss Whedon) have addressed their disappointment in not being able to see Wright carry out his vision, but Marvel still remained determined that the show must go in. In the last couple of weeks we've seen Marvel go through several American comedy directors to take over the reigns, with McKay (Who's now writing the film) having passed on directing the film along with fellow contenders Rawson Marshall Thurber (We're The Millers) and Nicholas Stoller (Neighbors). Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) was also in contention at a point, but has now gone on to be the frontrunner to direct Ghostbusters 3, and there was no word on how close Michael Dowse (Goon) had been to landing the gig.

With the confirmed involvement of both Reed and McKay, and considering all the directors Marvel was considering for the Ant-Man gig, it's become increasingly clear that Marvel plans on making this a comedy film. Yet it's a bit discomforting knowing that neither of the two have had as much experience in the action department as Wright had, although this certainly isn't the first time Marvel has taken a risk hiring slightly inexperienced directors. Avengers director Joss Whedon had a background primarily made up of TV show before helming the major blockbuster, where as Captain America: The Winter Soldier director Joe and Anthony Russo merely had a few episodes of Community under their belt. And who could forget Jon Favreau, who directed Iron Man (The film that started it all) following his work on the family films Elf and Zathura.

So how do you feel about Peyton Reed and Adam McKay now working on Ant-Man? Would you have have preferred if one of the other contenders got the gig? Let us know below!

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'Terminator: Genesis' Set Photos Show Kyle Reese, Sarah Connor, The T-800, And John Connor All Back In Action

With the recent resurgence of time travel and artificial intelligence in films these past few months, it's safe to say now's as good a time as ever for a new Terminator movie. The upcoming fifth installment of the franchise initially sounded like a more confusing movie than anything else, with most of the original characters being recast by actors who's ages didn't correlate with that of the first films, and a middle aged Arnold Schwarzenegger surprisingly making his return as the T-800 itself. Yet slowly but surely, the vague mist surrounding this film has finally begun to clear up, and with these new set photos, we have a much better idea of what time of narrative we're in for this time around.

Below are the first set photos from Terminator: Genesis featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, and Jason Clarke: 

From what we know so far, Terminator: Genesis seems to be taking a very Back to the Future II-esque approach to it's story line. What I mean by that is the characters of the film will be revisiting previous events from the original films, including some iconic scenes such as the first appearance of Arnold's T-800, and his fight with the T-1000 from Judgment Day (Possibly played in rebooted from by Byung-hun Lee). The primary group of time travelers in this film apparently will be Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese (The parents of John), who as well all know, were alive decades apart from each other. It stills remains unclear just how the two of them met back up in the first place, but considering the fact that this film has been called a semi-reboot, the writers may have taken a few liberties with Connor and Reese's relationship.

The specifics of why the trio will even be traveling through time in the first place has yet to be revealed, although it seems in these set photos that the they won't just be traveling to the past. We know for certain that this version of the T-800 has been around for a lot longer than the previous version we've seen, as Schwarzenegger has confirmed that the robot does in fact age. The set photos show us Reese and Connor not too pleased with their son John as they point their guns at him, which already applys that we'll be seeing scenes with them in the future opposite their adult aged son. We also know that Dayo Okeniyi's Danny Dyson; son of the creator of Skynet, will be featured in this future timeline to some degree, possibly involved with future John Connor.

Currently the doors wide open for Terminator: Genesis to be a hit with audiences, and hopefully bring about a new trilogy as is being planned. As we saw this past month with X-Men: Days of Future Past, teaming up a new cast of young actors (James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Michael Fassbender, etc.) with the older veteran "mascot" of the franchise (Hugh Jackman's Wolverine), and having them deal with time travel is a recipe for success. Genesis is seemingly following a very similar formula, with fresh faces such as Courtney and the Clarkes taking on iconic roles from the original trilogy, and Arnold now returning as much wiser and more experienced version of the T-800.

So what do you think of the new set photos for Terminator: Genesis? Which key moments from the original trilogy would you like to see revisited in this film? Let us know below!

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'Chronicle' And 'Fantastic Four' Director Josh Trank Set To Direct Disney's Second 'Star Wars' Spin-Off

At this point, just about any franchise with potential for a "shared expanded universe" amongst it's characters and films is hard at work following the mold made successful by Marvel Studios. With Sony starting their own Amazing Spider-Man universe, and Fox possibly planning on tying their X-Men and Fantastic Four universes together, it's shouldn't come as much of a surprise that a name as big as Star Wars is taking the same route. Following last week's news that Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) would be directing one of the many spin-off films Disney has in development, not to many people were expecting an announcement of yet another director tackling on of these solo movies.

And that director is Josh Trank, who has been confirmed by the official Star Wars website as the director for studio's next planned spin-off. Trank, like Edwards, seems to be an inspired yet strange choice. Similar to Edward's work on the small budget film Monsters, Trank came to the public eye with the acclaimed superhero film Chronicle. Yet the parallels between the two directors don't stop there, as Edwards has recently made his leap into big budget cinema with Godzilla (And a confirmed spot directing it's sequel), and Trank hopes to do the same with his upcoming work on next year's Fantastic Four reboot. It's a bit surprising that the studio went after Trank before Fantastic Four has even been released, as Fox has already confirmed a 2017 sequel for the superhero team-up film, with Trank so far expected to return.

It's very plausible that both Trank and Edwards may have to drop their position at the director's chair of their upcoming sequel, although neither would've accepted a job as big as this without knowing what they were in for. Unlike with Edward's announcement, it's still unknown when Trank's Star Wars film will be released, although it'll likely be some time after Episode VIII. While it's still unknown what exact schedule of releases Disney is going to follow for their films, it's already been confirmed that their will be a Star Wars related film each year, and that 2015 will see the debut of Episode VII, followed by 2016's first stand-alone film. It's been rumored that the studio aims to follow that same pattern throughout, with a new installment of the Star Wars saga being followed the next year by a new spin-off.

There has of course still been know word on which exact spin-offs either Trank or Edwards are directing, although the possibilities are limited with only Boba Fett, Han Solo, and x-wing films officially confirmed to be in development. It's widely believed that the 2016 film Edwards is directing will be the Boba Fett spin-off, where as many have come to the conclusion that Trank will helming the young Han Solo film. This seems right up Trank's ally, considering the director's only two films have centered primarily on young adolescent characters, and the majority of the actors he's worked with have been very young. Speculation has suggested Trank's frequent collaborator Michael B. Jordan could be playing a young version of Solo's friend Lando Calrissian in the film (As the actor in the past has suggested he'll be involved with a Star Wars film). Personally I believe Jordan would be a great choice for a young Lando, and could work great off an actor like Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) as a young Han.

So how do you feel about Josh Trank possibly directing the stand-alone Han Solo movie? Are you happy with the directors Disney has been choosing so far? Let us know below!

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Josh Brolin Set To Play The Mad Titan Thanos In 'Guardians of the Galaxy' And Upcoming 'Avengers' Sequels

Fans rejoiced during the post credit scene of Marvel's The Avengers, as a Large purple titan was shown grimacing at the audience hinting at a potentially huge villain to come. Yet many average movie goers were left starring absent minded at the screen, rushing home to look up the name "Thanos" on Wikipedia. There's recently been speculation in regards to whether or not the omnipotent figure of Thanos would have a reoccurring appearance in any other future Marvel films, now not only have we received that answer, but we now also no who will be portraying the character.

According to a rumor from Latino-Review which was later confirmed by Variety, veteran actor Josh Brolin (Men in Black 3) is set to play Thanos in the up and coming Guardians of the Galaxy as well as the Avengers sequels to come. We've been aware for quite some time now that the villain of Thanos; who was first featured in The Avengers post-credit scene, would have a role in Guardians of the Galaxy to some degree. Marvel Studios president Kevin Fiege had teased in the past that the role had already been cast, but this is the first time the news was actually made public. 

Up to this point, many fans had a wide array of theories in regards to who James Gunn and Marvel had cast as the Mad Titan. Speculation if went as far as to suggest that one of the actors already playing a role in the film would also lend their voice to the character of Thanos, with Benecio del Toro and Vin Diesel being the prime suspects. Well it seems this won't in fact be the case, as Brolin will now apparently be taking on the challenge of voicing one of Marvel's biggest baddies for the future of their cinematic universe. The role of Thanos was originally portrayed by actor Damion Poitier in The Avengers, and it still remains unknown whether he'll continue his mo-cap work as the character (With Brolin now voicing him), or whether Brolin will also be taking over the motion capture aspect of the villain.

Brolin is of course no stranger to comic book movies, although the only actual comic related film he has to his credit is the lackluster 2010 adaption of Jonah Hex, in which he starred as the lead. Yet Brolin's name has come up for quite a few blockbusters recently, including his initial rumored casting the lead in Jurassic World (A role which has since gone to his Guardians' co-star Chris Pratt), and of course his heavily publicized near casting as our new Batman. It's possible that Brolin's role as Thanos was what accounted for his lack of interest in this other major films, which makes sense considering how long-term this role seems to be (With a part in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers 3 near inevitable).  

So what do you think of Josh Brolin playing Thanos? Is there another actor you would've preferred in the role? Let us know below!

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'Godzilla' Director Gareth Edwards To Helm Untitled 'Star Wars' Spin-Off For A December 16, 2016 Release

In a galaxy far, far away, a franchise once thought to be resting in peace, has been revived by the Hollywood desperate need for films and their destined reincarnations. Recently there was big news looming in the Star Wars universe, that there would be a solo character spin-off focusing upon either a Jedi, bounty hunter, or a Sith lord. To the surprise of many individuals, we've now learned that Gareth Edwards; the director of the 2014 Godzilla reboot, will be the director of one of these spin-off solo films.

While it's still unknown which solo-film Edwards is directing from those we've previously heard mentioned, the possibilities of a Yoda, Han Solo, or Boba Fett film have already been rumored. The Boba Fett films seems the most likely, with the characters mysterious origins having always been of great interest to audiences, and would seemingly be a good fit for Edwards directorial style. Fans have also been requesting a Darth Maul screen adaptation due to his short lived appearances within the franchise and his canceled video game since the closure of LucasArts. Potentially solo Star Wars films can integrate with one another similar to how Marvel Studios assimilates a large body of films by simply intertwining the worlds in which they occur.

Being that Gareth Edwards only real major success is the recently released Godzilla film, he has a lot to fill in, in regards to other directors that have helmed these caliber of films. Director J.J. Abrams was entrusted with next year's Episode VII, which seemed fitting as the director had past experience with large budget films (See Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness). Considering the amount of talented directors who were in the running to direct Episode VII, it's a bit surprising that Disney would go with a name as fresh as Edwards. Yet despite only having two films to his credit, Godzilla was met with both critical praise (For the most part) and financial success, which may have been enough to give Disney full confidence in choosing Edwards.

The film already has a script which has been written by Gary Whitta, the man behind Book of Eli, and unfortunately also responsible for M. Night Shyamalam's After Earth. On top of that, the film is already scheduled for a December 16, 2016 release date, which marks it pretty much exactly one year after Episode VII hits theaters. Edwards involvement in a film with such a close deadline comes as a bit of a surprise, as it's recently been revealed that Warner Bros. already wants to get things going on the Godzilla sequel, with Edwards set to return. So far this still seems to be the plan, so we shouldn't expect to see the Godzilla sequel until a few years after this spin-off hits theaters.

So how do you feel about Gareth Edwards directing a Star Wars spin-off? Which character solo-film would you like to see him direct? Let us know below!

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