A fast breakdown of every DCU Chapter One project, in order, for readers who want the key facts before diving into the details.
Quick Reference Table
| Chapter | Title | Type | Release | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Creature Commandos | Animated Series | Dec 2024 | HBO Max |
| 2 | Superman | Film | Jul 2025 | Theatrical |
| 3 | Peacemaker Season 2 | Series | 2026 | HBO Max |
| 4 | Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow | Film | 2026 | Theatrical |
| 5 | Clayface | Film | 2026 | Theatrical |
| 6 | Lanterns | Series | 2026 | HBO Max |
| 7 | Man of Tomorrow | Film | Jul 9, 2027 | Theatrical |
| 8 | Creature Commandos Season 2 | Animated Series | Post-Jul 2027 | HBO Max |
| TBA | Waller | Series | Unscheduled | HBO Max |
| TBA | Swamp Thing | Film | Unscheduled | Theatrical |
| TBA | The Brave and the Bold | Film | Unscheduled | Theatrical |
| TBA | Booster Gold | Series | Unscheduled | HBO Max |
| TBA | Teen Titans | Film | Unscheduled | Theatrical |
Introduction
Three years ago, James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios with a bold promise: for the first time, DC would tell one single, connected story across film, television, and animation — not the loosely stitched-together DCEU of the 2010s. That promise is now DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, and it’s well underway. From an animated black-ops team to a reimagined Man of Steel and a genuinely unsettling body-horror villain film, here’s your complete guide to everything happening in the new DC Universe.
Genre, Platform
- Genre: Superhero / Sci-Fi / Horror / Comedy (varies by project)
- Platform: HBO Max, theatrical release
What Is the DCU, Exactly?
When Warner Bros. Discovery formed in 2022, it appointed Gunn and Safran as co-chairmen and co-CEOs of the newly created DC Studios, tasking them with giving DC something it had never really had on screen: a planned, cohesive, interconnected continuity. In January 2023, they announced the first official slate — Chapter One: Gods and Monsters — structured from the ground up, with every movie and show connected by a single, continuous story, echoing the way Marvel built the MCU in “Phases.” The title “Gods and Monsters” evokes the central theme of the emergence of superpowered beings and the often grotesque consequences that come with them, signaling that this DCU won’t lean purely toward optimistic superhero tales — it will also explore the flawed, darker sides of power.
Crucially, not everything DC-related belongs to this new continuity. Matt Reeves’s The Batman franchise and Todd Phillips’s Joker films exist in their own separate continuities, dubbed “DC Elseworlds” — standalone stories that don’t connect to the main DCU timeline.
The DCU Timeline So Far
Creature Commandos (December 2024, HBO Max) — Chapter 1
Creator: James Gunn | Voice Cast: Viola Davis, Frank Grillo, Steve Agee The actual starting point of the entire DCU, despite being animated. This seven-episode series, created by Gunn himself, follows a team of monstrous, morally compromised operatives assembled by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) for black-ops missions, establishing the DCU’s willingness to blend horror with superhero storytelling from day one.
Superman (July 2025, Theatrical) — Chapter 2
Director: James Gunn | Starring: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult | Runtime: 2h 9m | Box Office: $579M worldwide DC Studios’ first theatrical feature in the new continuity. David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent/Superman opposite Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane, with Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The film introduces Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific, and Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, establishing the DCU’s tone and roster early. It became the highest-grossing superhero film of 2025.
Peacemaker Season 2 (2026, HBO Max) — Chapter 3
Creator: James Gunn | Starring: John Cena, Nicholas Hoult (guest) John Cena reprises Christopher Smith/Peacemaker in a season Gunn has confirmed feeds directly into Man of Tomorrow — making its finale essential, non-optional viewing. Lex Luthor even appears in Season 2, Episode 6, tightening the connective tissue between projects. The season’s cliffhanger ending reportedly sets up major future DCU storylines around metahuman containment and cosmic threats tied to the planet Salvation.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (2026, Theatrical) — Chapter 4
Director: Craig Gillespie | Starring: Milly Alcock | Based On: Tom King’s comic run Directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, based on Tom King’s acclaimed comic run. The film digs into the trauma Kara faced after Krypton’s destruction and the slow-burning demise of Argo City, offering a grittier, more hardened Kryptonian perspective than her cousin’s.
Clayface (2026, Theatrical) — Chapter 5
Director: James Watkins | Writer: Mike Flanagan | Producer: Matt Reeves | Starring: Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie Directed by James Watkins and written by Mike Flanagan, produced by Matt Reeves. A body-horror entry following a washed-up actor who becomes the shape-shifting villain Clayface after a desperate deal goes wrong — widely discussed as one of the most strategically important and boldest genre departures on the entire 2026 slate.
Lanterns (2026, HBO Max) — Chapter 6
Showrunner: Chris Mundy | Starring: Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre A live-action series bringing the Green Lantern Corps into DCU continuity, centering on Hal Jordan and John Stewart investigating a mystery in rural America with cosmic-level implications. Gunn has described it as more of a character-driven crime drama than a traditional space epic.
Man of Tomorrow (July 9, 2027, Theatrical) — Chapter 7
Director: James Gunn | Starring: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Lars Eidinger The direct Superman follow-up, announced by Gunn in September 2025. David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult all return, joined by Lars Eidinger as Brainiac. Gunn has described it as “a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat.” Filming began in April 2026.
Creature Commandos Season 2 (Expected shortly after July 2027) — Chapter 8
Confirmed by Gunn via Threads in May 2026, this keeps the fan-favorite animated series actively woven into the DCU’s ongoing narrative immediately following Man of Tomorrow.
Confirmed But Unscheduled Projects
Several Chapter One titles are locked in but don’t yet have release dates:
- Waller — An HBO Max series picking up Amanda Waller’s story directly after Creature Commandos, with Viola Davis expected to return, continuing the Task Force M thread.
- Swamp Thing — Confirmed for the “monster” side of Gods and Monsters, expected to lean heavily into horror, continuing Gunn’s pattern of genre-bending projects.
- The Brave and the Bold — Directed by Andy Muschietti, introducing a new Batman and his son Damian Wayne, inspired by Grant Morrison’s 2006 Batman comic run. May wait until after The Batman – Part II (October 2027, Elseworlds) to avoid overlap.
- Booster Gold — A comedy series following a fame-seeking hero with imposter syndrome, using futuristic technology to stage high-profile heroics. Gunn has confirmed it’s still actively in development after appearing stalled.
- Teen Titans — In active development with Ana Nogueira (Supergirl’s screenwriter) attached, though no director or cast has been confirmed. Likely to feature a younger Robin given The Brave and the Bold’s own Damian Wayne focus.
- Paradise Lost, Blue Beetle-adjacent projects, DC Crime, Mister Miracle, and animated shorts like Krypto Saves the Day! — All part of the wider Gods and Monsters slate in various stages of development.
- Dynamic Duo — An original animated feature directed by Arthur Mintz, produced by Matt Reeves, announced alongside Clayface in December 2024.
- Sgt. Rock — A war-themed project Gunn has spoken enthusiastically about, remaining one of the most anticipated unscheduled titles on the slate.
Highlights of the New DCU Approach
- A single, planned continuity — unlike the DCEU, every project is mapped with intentional connective tissue, mirroring the MCU’s phase structure.
- Genre diversity by design — horror (Clayface, Swamp Thing), comedy (Booster Gold), animation (Creature Commandos), and crime drama (Lanterns) all sit under one roof.
- A clear separation of continuities — Elseworlds titles like The Batman and Joker let filmmakers tell standalone DC stories without needing to fit DCU canon.
- Strong connective payoff already delivered — Peacemaker Season 2 feeding directly into Man of Tomorrow, and Luthor’s Peacemaker cameo, show the interconnected structure is already functioning as intended.
Why This Approach Matters
- If you’re a longtime DC fan burned by the DCEU’s messier continuity, this structure offers real, deliberate planning for the first time in the franchise’s screen history.
- The willingness to blend genres (body horror, crime drama, animated comedy) suggests DC is positioning itself as tonally distinct from Marvel’s more uniform house style.
- Understanding what’s DCU canon versus Elseworlds (Batman, Joker) prevents confusion when trying to follow the “real” continuity.
Recommendations — Where to Start
- New to the DCU entirely? Start with Superman (2025), then Creature Commandos, then Peacemaker Season 2 before Man of Tomorrow.
- Want the full picture before Man of Tomorrow? Add Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Clayface for the fullest connective context.
- Curious about Elseworlds? The Batman (2022) and Joker (2019) are excellent standalone DC watches that exist entirely outside this continuity.
- Want to track what’s next? Keep an eye on Waller, Swamp Thing, and The Brave and the Bold, all confirmed but still awaiting release dates.
Conclusion
Three years into James Gunn and Peter Safran’s tenure at DC Studios, Chapter One: Gods and Monsters has delivered on the promise of a genuinely connected DC Universe — even if a few announced projects remain stalled or unscheduled. With Man of Tomorrow set to bring the first major arc to a head in July 2027, and titles like Waller, Swamp Thing, and Booster Gold still to come, this is easily the most ambitious and carefully mapped era DC has ever attempted on screen.
FAQs
What is the DCU, and how is it different from the DCEU? The DCU is James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC continuity, launched in 2022–2023, replacing the older DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Unlike the DCEU, which lacked a clear roadmap, the DCU is planned from the ground up as a single, connected story across film, TV, and animation.
What order should I watch the DCU in? Creature Commandos, then Superman (2025), then Peacemaker Season 2, followed by Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Clayface, then Lanterns, before Man of Tomorrow.
Do I need to watch Creature Commandos even though it’s animated? Yes. It’s officially the first chapter of the DCU and introduces plot threads and characters that carry into later projects.
Is The Batman part of the new DCU? No. Matt Reeves’s The Batman franchise exists in a separate continuity called “DC Elseworlds,” along with Todd Phillips’s Joker films. These don’t connect to the main DCU storyline.
When does Man of Tomorrow release? July 9, 2027, in theaters.
Is Henry Cavill still playing Superman? No. David Corenswet now plays Superman in the rebooted DCU; Henry Cavill’s version belonged to the earlier DCEU continuity.
What is “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters”? It’s the name of the DCU’s first major story arc, encompassing all projects from Creature Commandos through Man of Tomorrow and beyond, unified by themes of superpowered beings and the complicated consequences of their power.
Are there more DCU chapters planned after Chapter One? Yes. Gunn and Safran have mapped out an 8–10 year plan for the DCU, with additional confirmed-but-unscheduled projects like Waller, Swamp Thing, and Booster Gold expected to continue the story.
Where can I watch DCU projects? Series stream on HBO Max, while films receive theatrical releases before moving to streaming.