The DC Universe, as helmed by producers James Gunn and Peter Safran of DC Studios, is still just starting out, and yet it has already evolved far beyond its original conception. Fans will remember that Gunn initially announced a packed slate of movies and TV shows for his rebooted DC franchise in 2023, very much in the style of the MCU, with this lineup ambitiously labeled as DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. Since then, however, many other projects have been added to the Gods and Monsters slate, while several more have been removed.
The DCU is proving to be made up of some extremely eclectic productions, with those on the immediate horizon including horror film Clayface, buddy-cop show Lanterns, blockbuster sequel Man of Tomorrow, and more from animated series Creature Commandos. But this chocolate-box approach to universe-building means that DC Studios' schedule of movies and shows is constantly shifting, leaving some projects behind in the dust. Supergirl was something of a stumble for the DCU, so it remains to be seen if that will result in a further shrinking of the slate, but as things stand, there are six DCU films and TV series that have been canceled or delayed so far.
6 The Authority (Movie)
Status: PAUSED INDEFINITELY
James Gunn is famous for his affection for the more obscure corners of comic book-dom — hence Guardians of the Galaxy and Peacemaker — and it looked like he had found his next D-list property to transform into a fan-favorite when he announced he was working on a film about the Authority. Originally occupying DC's WildStorm universe before being folded into mainstream DC canon, the Authority is a superhero team that doesn't possess the same scruples and rigid moral code of the Justice League. Their roster includes team leader Jenny Sparks, as well as Apollo and Midnighter — essentially Superman and Batman if they were a couple.
An Authority movie was announced as part of the DCU's Gods and Monsters lineup in January 2023. The project appeared to get a major leg-up when the Engineer, a member of the Authority in the comics, appeared as Lex Luthor's henchwoman in Superman. Unfortunately, The Authority movie has since become the only DCU project that Gunn has directly confirmed is, if not canceled, then put on the furthest burner at the back. The DC Studios chief has admitted that his overarching plans for the DCU have changed so much that The Authority no longer has a place on the roadmap. Still, he did once describe this one as a "passion project" of his, so it's feasible that other Authority characters — like the Engineer — will show up elsewhere in the DCU.
5 Blue Beetle (Animated Series)
Status: PRESUMED CANCELLED
Despite releasing as part of the DCEU, Blue Beetle can be considered a step-child of the DCU as James Gunn has declared that Xolo Maridueña's Jaime Reyes exists within the canon of his rebooted universe. Gunn is such a fan of the 2023 film that he quickly added a continuation of it to his DCU plans, with an animated sequel series announced in 2024. Unfortunately, the show — intended to cater to younger viewers — hit a snag when HBO Max made moves to shift away from children's and family-friendly projects in 2025. Although Gunn has yet to confirm this news himself, it's since been reported that the Blue Beetle animation has "quietly stalled" and will not be moving forward.
The good news is that Jaime Reyes is returning to live-action instead. Maridueña has announced that he will be reprising his role in 2027's Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow. Considering the large ensemble of characters set to appear in the film, fans should probably only expect an extended cameo at most, but with any luck, this will lead to more opportunities for the character to appear in future projects. The animated show may never happen, but Blue Beetle lovers should thank Gunn for his bullish determination to get Jaime into the DCU somehow.
4 Booster Gold (Live-Action Series)
Status: CURRENT VERSION CANCELLED
Booster Gold is the kind of DC character who seems tailor-made for the spotlight in James Gunn's DCU. A washed-up sports star from the future who travels to the present-day to gain fame and fortune as a superhero, Booster is a classic Gunn anti-hero through and through. That's why it was no surprise that a Booster Gold TV show was announced as part of the DCU's Gods and Monsters lineup. Described as an "outright comedy," Danny McBride (The Righteous Gemstones) was initially tapped to showrun before David Jenkins (Our Flag Means Death) replaced him. Things seemed to be plain-sailing on the BG front for a while there, with Jenkins officially submitting the pilot script in June 2026.
Unfortunately, in July 2026, Jenkins confirmed that his version of the show would no longer be moving forward, suggesting some kind of creative disagreement had occurred between him and the DC Studios management. Gunn is believed to be seeking out new talent to helm the show, so this one isn't wholly dead just yet. However, the project will have to start again from scratch, so don't expect it anytime soon. Booster Gold seems like a slam-dunk for the DCU, but for whatever reason, this is one project in need of a boost.
3 Sgt. Rock (Movie)
Status: CURRENT VERSION CANCELLED
The DCU's brief love affair with Sgt. Rock is possibly the franchise's most unexpected detour to date. Though not unveiled alongside the rest of the Gods and Monsters lineup, a Sgt. Rock film was announced in fall 2024, with Challengers director Luca Guadagnino set to helm. Daniel Craig, who had worked with the director before on Queer, was circling the title character. The movie was set to follow the eponymous World War II soldier as he raced to find the legendary Spear of Destiny before the Nazis did. Filming was due to start in 2026.
Sgt. Rock has already made his DCU debut. Creature Commandos Season 1, Episode 3, "Cheers to the Tin Man," revealed that GI Robot served alongside him during WW2.
Unfortunately, Sgt. Rock stalled when Craig pulled out of the project, leaving The Penguin star Colin Farrell to be pegged as his replacement. Gunn then announced that the film was on hiatus due to problems he had with its creative direction. It seems Gunn and Guadagnino weren't able to see eye to eye as the latter officially exited the project by mid-2025. Gunn has stated that Sgt. Rock is still moving forward, but given that this one only gained traction initially thanks to its director/star package deal, it seems unlikely that it's much of a priority at this point.
2 Waller (Live-Action Series)
Status: DELAYED
Viola Davis' Amanda Waller is another DCEU character that James Gunn adopted as his own. After featuring her in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker Season 1, Gunn started work on a solo series for the ARGUS director, which was originally envisioned to bridge the gap between Peacemaker Seasons 1 and 2. As it happened, due to the 2023 strikes shuffling schedules around, Peacemaker Season 2 came out immediately after Superman, leaving Waller without a purpose.
Gunn has confirmed he's still working on the show in the background, but at the same time, he's admitted that reconceiving the storyline to exist post-Peacemaker Season 2 has been a "bumpy road." By the sounds of it, Gunn has taken this one back under his own wing, after the original plan was to have writers Christal Henry (Watchmen) and Jeremy Carver (Supernatural) serve as showrunners. Of all the canceled or delayed DC projects, Waller may be the one fans are the least sad to let go, as most would surely prefer Gunn to prioritize making more Peacemaker than to start building out a Peacemaker-verse.
1 Paradise Lost (Live-Action Series)
Status: DELAYED
Arguably the most notable absence from James Gunn's initial Gods and Monsters lineup was the lack of a new Wonder Woman movie. Instead, the announcement included a live-action series titled Paradise Lost, a streaming series all about the Amazon warriors from Diana's mystical homeland of Themyscira. Described as a "political drama," Paradise Lost has Kira Snyder (Pacific Rim: Uprising) and Janet Lin (Bridgerton) attached to serve as showrunners.
Fans were slightly bemused by the news, as a Wonder Woman show without Wonder Woman in it sounded like a downright waste of one third of DC's trinity of iconic heroes. It seemed Gunn soon realized this himself, as a Wonder Woman reboot has since been confirmed to be in the works, with Warner Bros. apparently keen for this project to hit the throttle as soon as possible. Supergirl screenwriter Ana Nogueira is penning the script and is working on it alongside her duties on the Teen Titans film that is also in development. As such, it seems like Paradise Lost has fallen by the wayside somewhat. Nevertheless, Gunn has maintained that the show is still on its way.
