Batgirl, static shock among DC’s “riskiest” films to be made exclusively for HBO Max

With Wonder Woman 1984 now in theaters and on HBO Max, the future of DC’s cinematic universe is becoming clearer. As reported by the New York Times, Warner Bros. will begin accelerating its DC movie release schedule, with up to four new films hitting theaters each year (starting in 2022) and two more “riskier” films debuting on HBO Max. according to the president of DC Films, Walter Hamada, who points to Batgirl and Static Shock as two properties with great potential to become exclusive to HBO Max. These films will still have some connection to DC’s live action cinematic multiverse, but switching to HBO Max would allow for smaller budgets or less traditional forms of narrative.

“With each film we’re seeing now, we think, ‘What is Max’s spinoff potential?’” Hamada told NYT.

Originally, Joss Whedon was hired to write and direct the film Batgirl, but Whedon dropped out in February 2018 after failing to unravel the story. Later that year, Bumblebee writer Christina Hodson was chosen to write a new script, but there have been few words about the project since then. Meanwhile, Creed star Michael B. Jordan has signed on to produce the film Static Shock.

We are already seeing the first fruits of this unified theatrical / streaming approach, as The Suicide Squad of 2021 and The Batman of 2022 will have a prequel prequel series on HBO Max. Peacemaker will focus on John Cena’s brutally patriotic vigilante, while Gotham PD will dig deeper into the corruption that plagues Gotham City during Batman’s first year at work. Hamada’s comments now confirm that HBO Max will play independent DC films as well as spinoff series.

Hamada also confirms previous reports indicating that Warners will focus less on a single shared universe and more on a multiverse in which multiple incarnations of various heroes and villains can coexist. We already know that Batman is a complete reboot in a separate universe from the DCEU, although Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton are expected to reprise their respective roles in Batman in The Flash of 2022. This approach will likely be the norm, not the exception, from now on front.

“I don’t think anyone else tried that,” said Hamada. “But the public is sophisticated enough to understand. If we make good films, they go along. “

However, any DCEU fans who hope that the launch of Zack Snyder’s Justice League will lead to future sequences set in that particular fragmentary cinematic universe may need to keep expectations in check. According to the NYT, Snyder is not involved in any other project with DC, and Warners executives are referring to The Snyder Cut as “a dead end for storytelling – a street that leads nowhere”.

This interview comes shortly after Warner Bros. President Toby Emmerich announces a third Wonder Woman movie, with director Patty Jenkins and star Gal Gadot returning. Previously, Jenkins indicated that the third Wonder Woman movie will not be a period piece like its predecessors, but will take place in the current DC Universe. Jenkins is also linked to a film derived from Amazons, which now appears to be a clear candidate for the treatment of HBO Max.

For more information on 1984’s Wonder Woman, check out the full details of the IGN ending and see all the WTF questions we still have after watching WW84.

Jesse is a well-educated copywriter at IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to his intellectual undergrowth following @jschedeen on Twitter.