Even if you exclude the movies that are already scheduled for release, Warner Bros has nearly two dozen cinematic DC Comics tales in some form of development. Obviously not all of those will end up being made, but sometimes it’s hard to get a read on what’s being prioritized for the superhero film franchise. Well, according to a new report, The Flash and Green Lantern Corps still finds themselves in the priority category.
Both The Flash and Green Lantern Corps were part of the initial DC Extended Universe film slate that was announced in late 2014, but the DC Films landscape has changed a lot in the last five years, and both movies were ultimately removed from their respective calendar slots. While new release dates haven’t been assigned to either just yet, according to Variety, Warner Bros is still keen on delivering The Flash and Green Lantern Corps to the masses.
Of the two movies, The Flash has been a more frequent topic of conversation in rumors and reports. The last major update on the Scarlet Speedster front was that IT’s Andy Muschietti has been tapped to helm the project, and Variety’s report revealed that Bumblebee’s Christina Hodson, who also penned Birds of Prey, will write The Flash screenplay before returning to work on Batgirl.
After cameoing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, Flash, a.k.a. Barry Allen, finally made his full DCEU in Justice League. With Ben Affleck retiring from the Batman life, and no clear future for Henry Cavill’s Superman and Ray Fisher’s Cyborg, Ezra Miller’s Flash is the last Justice Leaguer who could join Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and Jason Momoa’s Aquaman in having a life beyond the 2017 team-up.
However, just because The Flash is a prioritized DC movie doesn’t mean it takes precedence over the other huge Warner Bros franchise Ezra Miller is part of. The actor won’t tackle The Flash until he’s done with Fantastic Beasts 3, which means that the earliest the Fastest Man Alive’s movie could start shooting is in 2021. Nevertheless, WB and DC are keen on keeping this incarnation of the hero going rather than reboot him.
As for Green Lantern Corps, it was revealed in summer 2018 that Geoff Johns, who wrote a game-changing Green Lantern comic book run that lasted nearly a decade, was tasked with rewriting that project’s script, with David Goyer and Justin Rhodes previously handling writing duties. Variety’s report states that Johns will deliver his Green Lantern Corps script by the end of the year.
Arguably the bigger piece of news is that Green Lantern Corps will be presented to J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot production company (which have a first-look deal with Warner Bros) to see if they’re interested in producing the project. Abrams and Bad Robot are also allegedly mulling over tackling a new Superman movie, so it’ll be interesting to see if the filmmaker and his crew pick either option.
Although a few members of the Green Lantern Corps cameoed in Justice League’s flashback battle, the hero’s cinematic reputation is still tainted by the critically maligned Green Lantern movie that starred Ryan Reynolds. It’s been nearly a decade since that movie was released, so the Emerald Knight is certainly due for some big screen redemption, and the plan is for Green Lantern Corps to star both Hal Jordan and John Stewart.
That said, there’s also a live-action Green Lantern TV series in the works for HBO Max, which Geoff Johns and Greg Berlanti are working on together. So with that and The CW’s The Flash, which is currently airing its sixth season, both heroes are/will be getting the small screen stage to themselves, but Warner Bros also reportedly wants them being spotlighted on the silver screen.
Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on The Flash, Green Lantern Corps and other DC movies are in development. You can bring yourself up to speed on what’s coming down the pipeline with our comprehensive guide.
