DC doesn’t know the meaning of the word restraint. From Jonah Hex to Batman and even the fluffy Super-Pets, it appears like every DC character has received their own feature film at some point in time. Yet, like every other comic book movie fan around the world, we’re greedy — we want and demand more from the powers that be. Give us “Zatanna.” Put a brand-new “Swamp Thing” film into production. Heck, greenlight “Black Adam 2” while you’re at it — actually, maybe scratch that last one, because we don’t need the hierarchy of power to flatulate again.
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While we’re always in the mood for new projects, there’s a special allure about the what-ifs — you know, the cancelled DC movies of the past. Look, there’s no guarantee that these films would have been any good or even mildly watchable, but there’s something about them that keeps the brain pondering the possibilities. Seriously, looking at the magic that George Miller created with “Mad Max: Fury Road,” can you imagine what “Justice League: Mortal” might have turned out to be? Also, how could anyone say no to seeing Nicolas Cage’s long-haired and dashing Superman slug a giant spider? Take our money right now, and we’ll be back for a second viewing later.
Maybe it’s wishful thinking. Maybe it’s a hype that would never have been fulfilled. Whichever way, we can’t let go here. So, with that being said, let’s check out the cancelled DC movies we still want to see.
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George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal
In 2007, Warner Bros. envisioned the granddaddy of all team-ups: a Justice League film! Directed by “Mad Max” visionary George Miller, “Justice League: Mortal” would have seen D.J. Cotrona as Superman, Armie Hammer as Batman, Megan Gale as Wonder Woman, Adam Brody as the Flash, Common as Green Lantern, and Hugh Keays-Byrne as Martian Manhunter. Throughout the years, various details about the movie have found their way online, including the leaked script and pictures of the various actors in costume.
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The reason behind the film’s cancellation isn’t too scandalous, as George Miller revealed in a past interview. A writers’ strike loomed on the horizon, so Warner Bros. moved fast to get “Justice League: Mortal” into production, but matters were complicated by an Australian government legislature change that impacted the rebate system. Then, a little movie known as “The Dark Knight” blew everything out of the water and pulled in over a billion dollars in 2008, so the studio’s focus shifted in that lucrative direction.
It’s a shame that “Justice League: Mortal” never found its way onto the big screen. Miller sounded confident in his vision and the script — plus, knowing what he’s done since then with the likes of “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” there’s no denying he would have delivered a visually epic film. What’s even worse here is how Warner Bros. fumbled the Justice League’s first-ever movie in 2017 following all the internal drama and strife.
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Chris McKay’s Nightwing
After Chris McKay dazzled with “The Lego Batman Movie,” Warner Bros. hired him to direct a “Nightwing” movie from a script by Bill Dubuque of “The Accountant” and “Ozark” fame. Set in the DC Extended Universe, the film would have followed Dick Grayson who is no longer in Batman’s shadow as his sidekick Robin but is now his own hero. The internet went wild with fan casting choices, naming everyone from Dylan O’Brien to Lewis Tan as potential candidates to play the former Boy Wonder. It was a wonderful time for Nightwing fans, as it would have given the character the center stage he deserved in his own solo film.
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Unfortunately, “Nightwing” became a casualty in Warner Bros.’ inability to decide what to do with what is now known as the Snyderverse. Like a game of “Twister,” studio executives tangled themselves up in this universe to the point in which a reboot was the only sane solution. Resultantly, James Gunn and Peter Safran came in as co-CEOs of DC Studios and wiped the slate clean, starting over in an attempt to build something more cohesive and avoid the sins of the past.
McKay hasn’t given up on “Nightwing,” though. “Look, I am still hoping to do something with it,” McKay told SFX Magazine in 2023. “Now that James Gunn is involved … I haven’t had any conversations with him or anybody over there, but I love that character. I hope I can do something with him.”
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Boaz Yakin’s Batman Beyond
In 1999, “Batman Beyond” dominated the small screen. Fans couldn’t get enough of Terry McGinnis who becomes the Batman of Neo-Gotham after Bruce Wayne retires the cape and cowl and serves as his mentor. Considering how the Dark Knight’s last live-action movie in the ’90s went straight to the cooler, leaving everyone’s blood chilled and nipples chafed, it’s unsurprising that Warner Bros. looked to the futuristic “Batman Beyond” as a way to bring the character back to the land of cinema.
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The studio approached “Remember the Titans” director Boaz Yakin to direct and co-write the film with Paul Dini and Alan Burnett from the animated series. Yakin’s grand ambition would have seen this turn into the “Blade Runner” of comic book movies. Oh, and he wanted the legendary Clint Eastwood to play the old Bruce Wayne in “Batman Beyond” too. Yakin’s biggest obstacle lay in the fact that Warner Bros. remained indecisive about what to do with Batman, since they had other pitches on the table, including a dark one from Darren Aronofsky and Frank Miller. The studio toyed with the various possibilities, ultimately giving the keys to the Batmobile to Christopher Nolan.
Every few years rumors surface that Warner Bros. might be committing to a “Batman Beyond” movie, but it never comes to fruition. Yakin’s vision sounded like it would have stayed true to the animated series, while bringing a blockbuster feel to the film. It wasn’t meant to be, though — and that’s not schway.
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Ben Affleck’s The Batman
Ben Affleck’s casting as Batman in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” divided the internet. Say what you want about the movie, but he more than proved he was the right choice for this gruff, world-weary version of the character. At this point, Affleck looked to be all in on the DC Extended Universe too, as he was set to write, direct, produce, and star in a solo film titled “The Batman.” When you take into account Affleck’s pedigree as a filmmaker, it appeared like the Dark Knight’s future was in good hands.
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Joe Manganiello, who had been cast as Deathstroke, revealed mouth-watering details of what sounded like a unique comic book movie. Manganiello compared Ben Affleck’s “The Batman” to David Fincher’s “The Game,” explaining how it would have been a darker, mature affair that leaned more in the thriller genre.
The drama surrounding the release of 2017’s “Justice League” sucked Affleck into its vortex, though, as murmurs swirled that Affleck would no longer be directing “The Batman” after that experience. Eventually, the news became official — Affleck was out as the writer-director, and Matt Reeves was in. Affleck claimed he’d still play Batman, affirming he would be an ape for Reeves if he asked him. But yeah, that statement aged like milk, as Affleck departed “The Batman” altogether and Robert Pattinson took over. Look, Reeves’ version of “The Batman” is spectacular, with a Gotham City that’s grimier than a public bathroom toilet, but Affleck’s version could have also been something special.
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Tim Burton’s Superman Lives
In the ’90s, anything was possible. Proof? Warner Bros. gave the go-ahead to a Tim Burton-directed “Superman” film — from a Kevin Smith-penned script — that would see Nicolas Cage play a long-haired Kal-El. If you ask Cage, though, he claims that he personally chose Burton to direct “Superman Lives,” because Warner Bros. wanted Renny Harlin instead. Whichever way, the story of this film has become the stuff of legend, even receiving its own documentary titled “The Death of ‘Superman Lives’: What Happened?” which was directed by the late Jon Schnepp.
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Undoubtedly, this is one of the most bonkers Hollywood tales about a cancelled DC movie that could easily be turned into an episode of Seth Rogen’s “The Studio.” From arguments about including a giant spider in the final act that couldn’t be called a giant spider to debates about whether or not Superman should fly in the movie, “Superman Lives” would have set X on fire had it existed in the ’90s and the film had been released.
Now, nothing about “Superman Lives” sounds like it would have honored canon, but this is one of those situations where morbid curiosity takes over. Perhaps it would have become one of the best ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ movies of all time? Cage’s Superman cameoed in Andy Muschietti’s “The Flash” — to fight a spider-that’s-not-a-spider creature no less — but to see an uncaged Man of Steel in the ’90s would have been the perfect gift from the cinema gods.
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Guy Ritchie’s Lobo
By 2009, Hollywood realized the tides were changing in terms of comic book movies. The mechanisms of the Marvel Cinematic Universe started to turn in a positive direction, while “The Dark Knight” filled up Warner Bros.’ coffers to the brim. Warner Bros. pondered what other characters could get the big-screen treatment, so the studio settled on the bad bastich, Lobo. And who would bring the Main Man to life here? Guy Ritchie.
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Don Payne, who had written numerous episodes of “The Simpsons” and co-written “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” produced a draft of a “Lobo” script that Ritchie would apply his cinematic flair to. Unquestionably, Ritchie had the humor, wit, and visual acumen to turn the intergalactic bounty hunter’s adventures into a fraggin’ good time. This project lingered in the Phantom Zone for a few years, though, before Ritchie departed for “Sherlock Holmes 2.”
Next up was director Brad Peyton, while Dwayne Johnson confirmed that he was set to play Lobo in Peyton’s film. Not long afterward, Johnson left. After that, the film lingered in the periphery of the studio before news broke that Michael Bay would tackle a “Lobo” movie in 2018. That didn’t happen either, but since Jason Momoa is now confirmed as the Main Man in the DC Universe, there’s a chance that a “Lobo” film could happen with one of the previously mentioned directors.
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Gareth Evans’ Deathstroke
The original plan for Joe Manganiello was for him to play the villainous Deathstroke in Ben Affleck’s “The Batman,” but this pivoted after Affleck departed the project. It wasn’t all bad news for Manganiello’s character, though, as the news broke that “The Raid” director Gareth Evans successfully pitched a “Deathstroke” origin film to Warner Bros. in 2017. In addition, Manganiello’s Slade Wilson made a post-credits cameo in “Justice League,” announcing his arrival to the DC Extended Universe and setting up future appearances.
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On paper, Evans’ “Deathstroke” movie sounded like a dream. The filmmaker revealed that he wanted to make a lean, mean, and stylized motion picture that would capture the natural aggression of the character. Also, who in their right mind wouldn’t want to see a comic book movie about a deadly assassin with enhanced abilities directed by the guy who made one of the greatest action films of all time?! It would be like printing money for Warner Bros.
The post-fallout of the “Justice League” debacle terminated Evans’ “Deathstroke” in its tracks, as the film got lost in the merry-go-round of endless shake-ups. Manganiello held onto hope that something could happen with the character, revealing how he had written a screenplay for the film that DC considered turning into a comic — but he’d been apprehensive about releasing it in case the movie happened. However, he confirmed that it was James Gunn who told him to relinquish this dream.
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Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah’s Batgirl
One of the most famous cancelled DC movies of all time is Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah’s “Batgirl.” What’s wild about this film, which starred Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl and Michael Keaton as Batman, is the fact that Warner Bros. scrapped it in post-production. In other words, the studio spent $90 million to make this, then said, “Nah, we’re good,” when it reached the finish line.
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Warner Bros. claimed that it was a strategic decision to not release “Batgirl,” but the rest of the world figured out it was a carefully calculated tax write-off, since this happened to quite a few projects under the leadership of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. The rumor mill ran amok that the studio didn’t see any value in the film, because it was supposedly bad and deemed a flop in the making. However, this is the same studio that decided to release a CGI-botched “Flash” film and told everyone it would be one of the best superhero films of all time, so take everything said about “Batgirl” with a grain of salt.
Also, let’s be real for a second: El Arbi and Fallah aren’t amateur filmmakers. Their “Bad Boy” films were entertaining and hits among the fans, while their work on “Ms. Marvel” received praise from comic book fans. It’s unlikely that Warner Bros. ever releases this film, but don’t bet against a brave soul uploading it onto Vimeo or YouTube one day.
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James Wan’s The Trench
To say James Wan over delivered with 2018’s “Aquaman” would be putting it mildly. Warner Bros. and DC desperately needed a hit after the “Justice League” fiasco, and Wan produced the highest-grossing film based on a DC character. A sequel was always inevitable, but a spin-off based on a single scene from “Aquaman”?
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In the film, there’s a point in which Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry and Amber Heard’s Mera face off against monsters from the Trench. They’re out at sea, it’s dark and isolated, and the creatures strike. It’s Wan at his peak as a filmmaker, upping the horror ante and creating a spine-chilling sequence. Even so, it was surprising to hear that Warner Bros. a-okayed a horror-themed “Trench” movie, which would have been written by Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald.
To be fair, no one was entirely convinced this film would ever come to fruition, because of the ever-evolving landscape of DC movies at Warner Bros. at the time, so it was an inevitability when “The Trench” washed away back into the sea. In 2021, Wan revealed that “The Trench” was actually an undercover Black Manta film, which would have starred Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Now, knowing that information and Wan’s aptitude for horror, suddenly “The Trench” feels like a lost opportunity to do something different in the comic book movie genre. That said, Wan borrowed elements of Black Manta’s story in “The Trench” for “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.”
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David S. Goyer’s Green Arrow: Escape from Super Max
David S. Goyer is no stranger to the superhero genre, having been involved in everything from “Blade” to “The Dark Knight” and “Man of Steel.” Yet, there could have been another addition to Goyer’s superhero portfolio: Green Arrow. In 2008, Goyer teamed up with Justin Marks to write a script for “Green Arrow: Escape from Super Max.” The plot is in the title, as Oliver Queen gets locked up in a meta-human prison, then needs help from the various villains inside to break him out. According to Marks’ comments to MTV, villains such as Joker, Riddler, and Lex Luthor featured in this story.
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Goyer and Marks viewed “Green Arrow: Escape from Super Max” as a potential start for a DC shared universe to rival what Marvel was doing at the time. Much like Marvel started with Iron Man, who wasn’t exactly an A-list hero prior to his 2008 movie, Goyer and Marks envisioned doing the same with Green Arrow. Oliver would have been earmarked as the centerpiece of the DC Universe.
One wonders how this idea might have shaped the future of comic book films, especially since it wouldn’t have allowed the MCU to have had as big of a head start as it did. Of course, the DC Extended Universe is unlikely to have existed then, but it’s something to mull over. Maybe “Green Arrow: Escape from Super Max” is the cancelled DC movie that could have changed everything.
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