Charting the Future of the DC Cinematic Universe!

Well, by now the fans are getting the experience we've longed for - we're finally seeing DC's Trinity on the big screen! #BatmanVSuperman followed on from Man of Steel as the second part of the growing Cinematic Universe, and whether you like it or loathe it, we now know a lot about where things are going to head...

BE WARNED: MAJOR spoilers for Batman V Superman follow!

Batman V Superman is only the first DC movie out this year, with the promising #SuicideSquad following on. The film follows the antics of an unlikely crew of antiheroes - these aren't Marvel's Thunderbolts, seeking redemption. These are hardened criminals, recruited by Amanda Waller as part of a black ops strike-team.

Where #BatmanVSuperman has brooding drama, Suicide Squad's trailers have been whimsical and off-beat. Most exciting of all is the début of Jared Leto's Joker, sure to be a mainstay in the growth of the DCEU.

Recently, more off-the-wall superhero movies have shown a remarkable success; think Guardians of the Galaxy, or even Deadpool. Will Suicide Squad be more of a crowd-pleased (and critic-pleased) than Batman V Superman?

Wonder Woman (2017)

With Batman V Superman unveiling Gal Gadot's #WonderWoman, fans are getting pretty excited for this movie. We've already had our first glimpse of Themyscira, land of the Amazons.

We know that this movie will be a prequel; because of Wonder Woman's dialogue in Batman V Superman, we have a good idea that she fought in the First World War and then, revolted at mankind's violence, retreated from the world. All of which may make for a rather downbeat movie, frankly.

Justice League Part 1 (2017)

The main event of the DCEU is, of course, the birth of the #JusticeLeague. Batman V Superman ended with Batman and Wonder Woman launching a quest to find the world's metahumans; Cyborg, Flash, and Aquaman. All of whom are looking pretty tremendous.

The smart money's on the resurrection of Henry Cavill's #Superman as part of Justice League Part 1, while Batman strives to prevent the apocalyptic future he glimpsed because of the Flash.

We're sure to see some of the biggest villains in DC make their entrance here, not least #Darkseid. What remains to be seen is how closely DC will follow the Marvel format - Marvel tend to move their films along in real-time, meaning Iron Man arrived on the scene in 2008. That also means the divide between Infinity War Parts 1 and 2 isn't just a marketing gimmick - there's some sort of break-point between the two films, setting up a new status quo for the movies between them. Will DC do the same?

The fact that Zack Snyder remains involved in the Justice League franchise should give the fans pause. Bluntly, the same critics who've arrayed themselves against Batman V Superman are likely to say exactly the same things. This won't be an uncontroversial film, I'm afraid.

The Flash (2018)

Ezra Miller's #Flash will get his own film in 2018, and it remains to be seen whether or not DC will follow the pattern of Wonder Woman - doing an origin story. If so, they're taking a notably different approach to Marvel; introducing viewers to their heroes, and then giving the backstory.

Aquaman (2018)

Regularly derided as a superhero whose power is to breathe in water, #Aquaman is actually something of a powerhouse - as DC's design proves! As before, time will tell whether or not this is an 'ongoing adventure' or an 'origin story' for Jason Momoa's titular hero. Amber Heard is confirmed to play Aquaman's oft-romance, Mera.

Shazam (2019)

With Dwayne Johnson recruited as Black Adam, this movie promises to be about the first 'new' hero since Batman V Superman. #Shazam adds a lot of myth and magic to the DCEU, so should be promising.

Justice League Part 2 (2019)

Continuing from 2017's Justice League Part 1, this likely builds on the concepts and ideas of the first part - with Darkseid remaining the 'big bad'.

Cyborg (2020)

It's actually quite interesting that Cyborg has been left to so late in the game - he's less well-known than iconic heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman.

Curiously enough, Cyborg is likely to be an important figure in the DCEU. In his brief appearance in Batman V Superman, we see him integrated with a Mother Box from Apokalips - Darkseid's realm.

Green Lantern (2020)

Again, it's telling that Green Lantern has been left to the end of this wave of films - likely to give the audience as much time as possible to forget the last (disastrous) outing.

Where's Batman?

The real surprise in this timeline is that DC have yet to schedule a solo Batman movie as part of the DCEU. Given Ben Affleck's been almost universally acclaimed in Batman V Superman, I'll be very surprised if that doesn't change.

There's an easter egg where we see a marred Robin outfit, potentially setting up the classic Under the Red Hood arc.

So there you have it - the future films of the DCEU! Now, it's often said that no plan of battle long survives contact with the enemy; even Marvel proved that, when Ant-Man's surprise success led to them changing their plans and adding a sequel. With DC's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice seeing mixed reception, it's going to be interesting to see whether or not DC change their plans...