The 2014 Comic-Con International is just over a month away and studios are finalizing their announcement plans for their respective panels right now. Even though Warner Bros. has fallen behind Marvel Studios in yearly movie releases of their super hero films, former Deadline founder Nikki Finke reports that she has a source who has unearthed all of Warner's DC super hero movie announcement plans at this year's SDCC panel.
The list shows not one, not two, but three DC hero movies releasing in 2016 and 2017, plus one scheduled in 2018. The release list is as follows (for right now and subject to change per Finke):
May 2016 – Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice
July 2016 – Shazam
Holiday 2016 – Sandman
May 2017 – Justice League
July 2017 – Wonder Woman
Holiday 2017 – Flash and Green Lantern (team-up movie)
May 2018 – Man of Steel 2
Wow! Talk about an ambitious release plan!
Right now, Marvel Studios has fully committed to the idea of release two blockbuster films per year and Warner Bros. looks to top that concept by one. You can bet Disney and Marvel Studios executives will discuss if they will also release three per year.
But there is no Batman solo movie in this projected Warner Bros. release schedule... yet. Obviously one could be added for a 2018 release after Man of Steel 2.
Finke's source also told her the following.
"Like Marvel’s The Avengers, there will be cameos of superheroes for future installments. The cameos will include the already known Cyborg and Flash. Green Lantern [not played by Ryan Reynolds (redacted)] may be introduced. And Aquaman will be seen in the Justice League movie. Problem is, Warner Bros Pictures was still negotiating with the actors for those cameos and future roles, meaning major contracts for multiple JL/character films to follow. The studio didn’t want to move forward until they had more of this secure so they held off starting production for a few months. Seemingly simple reason, but the implications are pretty darn huge.”
If any of this is true, DC comics book fans will be very, very happy that more of their favorite heroes are getting more movies to compete with Marvel's slew of in-studio and licensed-studio films which are released every year.