All 17 Announced DCU Projects, Ranked by Excitement

The DCU has officially kicked off with the release of James Gunn's Superman. With that film flying it's way through the box office, I thought it was time to look at the future of this new, exciting DC Universe. This is what I've wanted from DC: a complete reset with a Kevin Feige-esc figure at the head. James Gunn is that, so I truly have hope for what this franchise could look like in five-ten years. That said, here's my ranking of every announced DCU project by my excitement level.

17. Mister Miracle

I don't know anything about this besides it being animated

I don't know anything about Mister Miracle or the run that this TV show is supposedly based on, so, naturally, I'm not really excited for this at all. It's an adult animated series, and, as you'll see very soon, those are not always my favorite, so I just don't have a ton of interest in this project. Supposedly Tom King's run that they are adapting is really good, so I'm not not excited for it, but I just don't really have any interest in it.

16. Creature Commandos Season 2

Season one wasn't great, so, naturally, excitement for season two is low

I thought Creature Commandos was decent. I love James Gunn, but he sometimes gets too weird for me, and I think Creature Commandos was a bit too weird. It felt like a strange "start" for the DCU, because it's a very niche, very R-rated animated series, and I am just not that interested in a second season. The characters are fun and compelling, but I just find the story to be a bit too bleak and sad for my liking. The typical James Gunn "weird group of outcasts finds a family with each other" is just a bit overplayed after three Guardians of the Galaxy movies and The Suicide Squad, so I just really don't have much interest in the next season of this show. It's a good show, but there are so many other things I want to see before the return of this series.

15. Sgt. Rock

DC's Nick Fury? Maybe?

One thing I'm excited to see in James Gunn's DCU is the appearance of these C-list DC characters that I've never heard of. I know absolutely nothing about Sgt. Rock. I've at least heard of Mister Miracle before, but reading up on this announced film was the first time I've ever learnt anything about Sgt. Rock. Luca Guadagnino of Challengers fame is attached to direct, and I've always found him to be an interesting talent. For that reason alone, this is higher than both Creature Commandos and Mister Miracle.

14. Untitled Bane and Deathstroke Movie

Villain movies always feel like a risk

I have absolutely zero clue where this is going. After the epic fail that was the Sony Spider-Man Universe, I am just always cynical when it comes to villain movies. Now, Bane and Deathstroke are awesome characters, but I have no clue as to how they will star in their own movie or even star in a movie together. This seems like a really odd pairing. On top of that, the writer of this movie has very few writing credits, but he worked on both Captain America: Brave New World and Moon Knight...neither of which were written very well. I don't know. I want to be excited about this project, but, for right now, I just can't.

13. Clayface

Mike Flanagan is great, but this is just a strange idea

This movie would be last on this list if it weren't for Mike Flanagan being given a writing credit. Mike Flanagan is, in my opinion, one of the best working filmmakers today. He is one of my personal favorites, and I think him writing a DC movie will be frickin' awesome. I am confused as to why the project he is attached to is Clayface, however. The shapeshifting monster barely even talks, so it's very strange to have him starring in his own movie. I don't know why we have two announced Batman villain movies, but I am curious to see what they do with this property.

12. Waller

Could be interesting, but not the most exciting of the announced projects

The only thing I have hesitations about when it comes to this new DCU is James Gunn not being able to let go of the DCEU projects that he worked on. This means some of The Suicide Squad is canon, and Waller is carry-over from that. I'm not really sure how Amanda Waller starring in her own TV show will work, because she's not the most scene-stealing character, but I do think that this has the potential to be a very fun and interesting series.

11. Booster Gold

A chance at a fun, different type of superhero story

The concept of Booster Gold is honestly all that has me sold on the show. Gunn has called this an "outright comedy", which just has me excited, because James Gunn is good at making things funny. On top of that, the idea of a person traveling back in time to present as a superhero using basic future technology sounds like a really interesting idea that could allow for some really cool character exploration. Cast Glen Powell as Booster Gold and I am one hundred percent sold.

10. Blue Beetle TV Show

Jaime Reyes needs to come back

Blue Beetle was a supremely underrated film, because it came out in the days of the dying DCEU. Everybody and their mother overlooked it, but it was a really fun and somewhat emotional throwback superhero flick that had a really strong familial bond behind it. Xolo Maridueña is just tons of fun to watch in this role, so I'd love to see him return, even if it is an animated series. Again, not really sure how it'll bridge the gap between the DCU and the DCEU, but besides that, I'm excited.

9. The Brave and the Bold

It's Batman, but Andrés Muschietti has me worried

I'm not sure how I feel about this film. I will always, always, always be excited about a Batman movie, and I've been saying that we should get the Bat-Family properly on screen. I trust James Gunn to do it justice...but I do not trust Andrés Muschietti. Muschietti previously directed the It movies and The Flash, and, while I like the It movies (and don't like The Flash), I think his direction is the weakest aspect of those films. He relies heavily on CGI, and that doesn't work, especially when it comes to Batman. I don't know. I'm just worried as to how this could turn out. If they had a better name attached to it, this would be much, much higher, but Muschietti just has me concerned about this project.

8. Peacemaker Season 2

I'm excited, but how does it fit in to the new DCU?

I will ask the same question that I've been asking throughout this ranking: how does the DCU bridge the gap with the DCEU? I personally wish that Gunn would've just left the loose DCEU projects in the dust. I liked the first season of Peacemaker a lot, but after the death of the DCEU, Peacemaker should've also gone. We've seen the trailer for this season. We know that Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl are in this show...but how? It's just confusing, so I hope we finally get some answers as to how these universes connect.

7. Wonder Woman

The project we know the least about

Technically speaking, the project we know least about is the Justice League project that is rumored to be in development, but James Gunn verbally confirmed this as a film. Wonder Woman was really the best character in the DCEU, so if they can continue her characterization in the DCU, this will be very good. I'd love to see Ana de Armas cast as the Daughter of Themyscira, because I think she would nail it. I'm also curious how this connects into the Paradise Lost TV show, because Gunn has said they are separate stories. So I am interested to see the DCU's Wonder Woman.

6. Teen Titans

Potential here for an awesome expansion of the DC Universe

It'd be interesting if we got this film before a Justice League movie, but it'd be kind of cool. DC has tons of teams to explore besides the JLA, so I really want the DCU to lean into that. The Teen Titans are probably their second most popular team, so I will be excited to see them in live-action form on the big screen. I expect it to connect to The Brave and the Bold and expand further corners of the new DC Universe.

5. The Authority

A basically unknown team is the first that we will meet in the DCU

I know absolutely nothing about the Authority...and I think that's awesome. From what I've read, they are this team of vigilantes that believe the world to be broken and the only way to fix it is with the harshest form of justice. There is a really opportunity here to explore the moral complexities of justice and eventually put this team in conflict with the Justice League. As of writing this post, I haven't seen Superman, but I know we are meeting the Engineer in that film, so I'm excited to see how her role in Superman leads into The Authority.

4. Paradise Lost

Game of Thrones plus Wonder Woman? Count me in

Game of Thrones is Game of Thrones. So when you compare something to it, you are setting the expectation bar high. That said, the Amazons and Wonder Woman seem like the best DC property to compare to Game of Thrones. Exploring the political difficulties and conflicts of the Isle of Themyscira could create some really interesting tensions and stories that I am excited to see. I expect this show to come out before the Wonder Woman solo film, so I think it will be really fun to see the Amazons built up before we meet Diana herself. And, if it truly is like Game of Thrones, that will just be something incredible.

3. Swamp Thing

The world needs more superhero horror

A Gothic horror film that gives us the origin of Swamp Thing directed by James Mangold? Sign me up! Comic books can be really terrifying, but comic book movies have rarely leaned into that. Even the Marvel and DC movies that are supposed to be horror-adjacent don't fully lean into the horror. If Mangold can just make a true horror movie about this human turned monster that is Swamp Thing, that will make for one of the most unique and awesome comic book movies I've ever seen. Make it rated R. Make it actually scary. And make it special.

2. Supergirl

Superman's cousin deserves a great film adaptation

I feel like Supergirl is, alongside Green Lantern, the only major superhero without a definitive film adaptation. The Helen Slater Supergirl from the 80s is, if you've seen my other Superman rankings this week, one of the worst movies ever made. So it's about time to give the Girl of Steel the adaptation she deserves. I am really excited to see the tonal difference between Supergirl and Superman. Superman is this hopeful person because he was raised by good people on Earth. Supergirl witnessed the destruction of Krypton and has had to survive on her own for years. She's a much darker character, and I think that juxtaposition will make for an awesome exploration of the character.

1. Lanterns

The Green Lantern Corps have the potential for an absolutely amazing series

This is really the best way to introduce Green Lantern into the DCU. Tease it with Guy Gardner appearing in Superman and Peacemaker. Maybe sprinkle some other Lanterns into other projects. And then give us this epic space cop thriller that is Lanterns. Gunn has described this as True Detective starring the Green Lantern Corps, and that sounds absolutely incredible. This buddy cop thriller with Hal Jordan and John Stewart will just be fantastic. I am so excited to see what this show has in store, just as a show itself and for the wider DCU as a whole.