Warner Bros. reportedly wants to put more focus on DC's side characters after their merger with Discovery Inc.
Warner Bros.' new owners are reportedly looking to explore more supporting DC characters to expand the DCEU. About a week ago, AT&T announced they closed a deal to merge Warner Bros. Media with Discovery Inc. Former Discovery Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav will run the newly created subsidiary, called Warner Bros. Discovery Inc, combining their popular properties under one umbrella.
For years, DC has been one of Warner Bros.'s most lucrative franchises, whether it be Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy or the more recently established DC Extended Universe. Starting with Man of Steel in 2013, Warner Bros. worked closely with Zack Snyder to build a DC cinematic universe to rival the MCU. Warner Bros. had a rough start with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and later Justice League getting lackluster reviews.
Movies like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and 2023's The Flash will still connect to the larger DCEU storyline, yet Warner Bros. has taken steps in recent years to expand on other characters that don't directly tie to the Snyder's original plan. Projects like Shazam! and The Suicide Squad's spinoff Peacemaker still reference pre-established DCEU characters, but their stories don't add much to the larger DC narrative. Most recently, Warner Bros.
The mention of revitalizing Superman doesn't sound good for those hoping to see Henry Cavill return. However, focusing on side characters could be a great way to expand the universe, especially on HBO Max if Warner Bros. Discovery isn't confident enough in the character to put them on the big screen.