This month, DC’s Caped Crusader and Man of Steel are finally duking it out on the big screen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but they aren’t the only Justice Leaguers getting attention in the movie. In addition to Wonder Woman playing a key role, Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg are cameoing. Following the March blockbuster, Wonder Woman will go on her own adventure next June, and after Justice League: Part One, Aquaman and Flash will be the next solo movies up. However, rather than go the prequel route like Wonder Woman, the adventures of Jason Momoa’s King of Atlantis and Ezra Miller’s Scarlet Speedster will be set after their Justice League outing, and will build on that specific story.
During their extensive coverage of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League: Part One writer Chris Terrio, The Wall Street Journal reported that The Flash and Aquaman will "continue the characters’ stories" following the first Justice League movie. This means that moviegoers will miss out on the traditional origin story, though it’s possible those moments will be explored in flashbacks or during the opening credits, Watchmen-style. Instead of being traditional origin-story movies, they’ll branch out on their own and deal with separate business after the events of Zack Snyder's 2017 blockbuster.
Aside from Superman, who debuted in 2013’s Man of Steel, DC is taking the opposite approach of Marvel by introducing their biggest heroes in ensembles rather than in solo movies first. While the existence of superhumans is only just now starting to become public, most, if not all, of these heroes, have been active for some time. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will bring the Justice League members (minus Green Lantern, who will have to wait longer) into the fold, and Justice League: Part One will have them officially join forces. So while Wonder Woman’s first solo venture will explore what the Amazon warrior was up to during World War I, Aquaman and The Flash are moving their respective heroes forward, though as said before, we could still see glimpses of their past.
While plot details on Aquaman and The Flash are still being kept under wraps, their creative teams have already been formed. The Flash, which will feature Ezra Miller as the Barry Allen incarnation, is being directed and written by Seth Grahame-Smith, although 21 Jump Street’s Phil Lord and Chris Miller wrote a treatment for the Fastest Man Alive’s first theatrical movie.
As for Aquaman, director James Wan will helm his underwater adventure, while David Leslie Johnson penned the screenplay. Amber Heard is also being eyed to play Aquaman’s wife Mera, and if she’s cast, she’ll debut in Justice League: Part One. Theres no word yet on who will be part of The Flash’s supporting cast.
The Flash races to theaters on March 16, 2018, while Aquaman swims to the big screen on July 27 that same year. As far as meeting them, though, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is literally only two weeks away from making that introduction.
