The DC Extended Universe is an interesting place. While still very much in its infancy, the shared universe has announced a ton of exciting new projects, although the majority of them are early in development and therefore don't have a release date. Because so many upcoming blockbusters are still up in the air at the DCEU, fans are eager to find out which movies we should actually expect to see in the next few years, and which are long shots. We've got some bad news for Superman fans, because it looks like the sequel to Zack Snyder's Man of Steel isn't coming anytime soon.
This news comes to us from DC producer Charles Roven, who recently spoke to the NY Times about the DCEU, and its future. While plugging this week's release of Justice League, Roven revealed that very little has changed in the development of Man of Steel 2. There is currently no script, but various story ideas are ruminating at the studio. In short, Superman's second solo movie isn't a priority at the moment.
Man of Steel 2's lack of development is a bit surprising, considering the first film started the entire DCEU. Zack Snyder created a dark and morose world for the Kryptonian hero, and shocked hardcore comic fans by having Supes kill General Zodd at the film's conclusion. Eventually, the plan was formulated to expand this world into a shared universe akin to the MCU, and Snyder was brought back for both Batman v Superman and Justice League.
Alas, Henry Cavill's Superman hasn't exactly been the most acclaimed character in the DC Extended Universe. While the last son of Krypton is typically a beacon of hope, light, and morality, Zack Snyder went for a different approach. Instead, we were given a Superman who didn't belong in the world of man, and who feels conflicted about his role as a hero. And despite being one of the universe's biggest entities, Superman had a shockingly small amount of dialogue in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
However, the right director and story may be able to change this. Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn has expressed interest in directing a Man of Steel movie, and has even been in early talks with DC. Part of what makes Kingsman such an exciting franchise is that the film is decidedly light and frothy at the surface, while also having some moments of real heart. If the DCEU hires a director with Vaughn's sensibility to helm the next Superman movie, then maybe the character will more closely resemble the source material.
Superman will return to the DCEU in just a few days. While his role is still a mystery, Superman will appear in Justice League on November 17th-- pre-order your tickets here. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
