The DC Movie and TV universe is unifying into one cohesive world under the leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for DC stories that take place beyond the main universe. After all, there are many adventures to be had in DC Comics. It would be a shame to limit our on-screen adventures to just one iteration of each. But, as we’ve seen from the MCU example, telling one coherent story can be critical. To handle this, as reported by Deadline, the DC universe and James Gunn look to the comics. For DC Comics, the Elseworlds imprint serves as a place to tell tales that don’t take place in the main universe continuity. And now Elseworlds will carry the same meaning for the new and improved DCU. Any project that explores DC characters on-screen but tells a story outside the main on-screen storyline will get an Elseworlds tag.
Happily, across areas of the DC world, including Batman, Superman, and more, Elseworlds projects are full steam ahead. Let’s see what’s in the works.
What Is In DC Elseworlds?
The DC Elseworlds universe is already populated with many upcoming and current movie and TV projects. Should we call it the new DCEU? Or is that DCELU to avoid confusion? Matt Reeves’ The Batman 2 lives in DC’s cinematic Elseworlds. The anticipated sequel to The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, also has a fresh release date to go along with its Elseworlds inclusion. The Batman 2 will release on October 3, 2025. But we don’t have any new plot information about it yet. There will also be a new Batman in the main DC Universe, but it’s a relief to know Battinson is not going anywhere.
Joining The Batman 2 in DC Elseworlds is Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux, which will release on October 4, 2024. The Joker 2 will star Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. Additionally, the animated Teen Titans Go! series joins DC Elseworlds. And a non- main-universe Superman project from J.J. Abrams and written by Ta-Nehisi Coates will also remain in the works for the standalone arm of the DC world. James Gunn recently confirmed on Threads that it was still in development. We’re happy to hear it’s moving forward.
So what is the DC Elseworlds, ultimately? It’s a way to make sure the universe remains rich but focused. The DC Elseworlds will let us continue to explore the vast world of DC’s heroes and stories, while still getting to maintain one main storyline. Sounds like a great idea to us.
Originally published on January 31, 2023.