A new year means a new slate of comic book movies. Though Warner Bros. has been reshuffling their schedule of DC comic book inspired releases (and canceled some, like Batgirl, altogether), there are still plenty of projects on the way. Many of those projects are sequels to previous DC outings, but even those sequels are featuring new heroes.

Shazam: Fury Of The Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom are all confirmed for 2023 releases on the big screen. It’s unlikely that any other DC projects in development will also end up with 2023 releases at this point.

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Mary Marvel

A split image features Mary as Lady Shazam in DC Comics, Michelle Borth as Mary in live action, and Grace Fulton as Mary and superhero Mary in live action

She likely won’t be called Mary Marvel on the big screen as that name is a holdout from when Shazam was called Captain Marvel. With Captain Marvel being a Marvel comic book character name as well, the use of that particular name gets confusing.

Mary Bromfield is one of Billy Batson’s older siblings. Fans of the first Shazam movie will remember that he shared his power with his new siblings so that they could all join him in the fight. That sharing of his power continues in the sequel, but there is a change this time around.

When kids use the power of Shazam, the power makes them look like their ideal version of their adult selves. Michelle Borth played the adult version of Mary as a hero in the first movie. This time around, the superhero version of Mary is played by Grace Fulton, the same actress who played the teenage version of the character. That change means that Mary is more comfortable with herself and is embracing her role as an adult. Her power set appears to be similar to Billy’s with flight, enhanced strength and durability, and speed. She might not be a brand-new hero for the big screen, but she is a new incarnation of the character.

Shazam: Fury of the Gods lands in theaters on March 17, 2023.

Supergirl

Sasha Calle as Supergirl on the set of The Flash

Following the cancelation of Batgirl, it also appears that Supergirl doesn’t have an HBO Max movie on the way. Fans will still get to see the character in action though. Sasha Calle’s version of the character is set to appear in The Flash.

While TV fans have seen the Melissa Benoist take on the character on the CW, Calle’s version is inspired by a Supergirl from a different comic book timeline. That’s fitting since The Flash is set to take on a Flashpoint inspired storyline, with different timelines playing out as Barry Allen attempts to save his mother’s life in the past.

Like most “Super” characters in the comics, Calle’s version of the hero is expected to have the hallmark Kryptonian abilities of flight, strength, and speed, powered by Earth’s sun. Rumor has it the character won’t be at her full power level though, so whether the audience gets to see things like x-ray vision in the movie remains to be seen.

The Flash is scheduled to hit theaters June 16, 2023.

Blue Beetle

Blue Beetle First Teaser Poster James Gunn

There was also some doubt that Blue Beetle would make it to the screen, but the movie is set to get a theatrical release as well. There are multiple incarnations of Blue Beetle in the comics, and while the best known might be Ted Kord, he isn’t the version at the center of the movie. Instead, that’s Jaime Reyes, played by Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña.

The Blue Beetle is a superhero whose abilities come from a scarab. While the comics used to paint the scarab as from an archeological site in Egypt, it has since been revealed to have an alien origin. Jaime ends up with the scarab after the death of Ted in the comics and takes on his mantle, despite being a teenager.

The scarab actually attaches to the spine of the hero and gives the user armor that resembles a blue beetle to protect them in danger. That armor can also “grow” other appendages or weapons to use in a fight and allows the user the gift of extrasensory sight. The downside is that when danger is past and the scarab goes dormant again, it causes the person attached to it a great deal of pain.

The scarab and the hero can also communicate, not unlike Marvel’s Venom symbiote communicating with his host, and Jaime and the scarab actually become friends in the comics.

Blue Beetle lands in theaters August 18, 2023.

Stingray

Aquaman 2 logo

DC Extended universe fans will know that the Aquaman sequel was originally scheduled for a 2022 release, but has been pushed back significantly. Long time comic book fans will know that Stingray is actually the name of a Marvel comic book hero and might have been a little confused when the character was announced as cast in 2021. It’s not the same used by a mainstream character in DC Comics. In fact, the only Stingray in DC is actually a Bruce Wayne in another timeline who takes up that mantle instead of Batman.

Played by Jani Zhao, Stingray is a new character created for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. As a result, the character could be a hero or a villain. Considering the movie features the return of Orm, Black Manta, and Dr. Stephen Shin, all of whom are villains for the titular Aquaman in the comics, as well as the DCEU debut of the villain Karshon, it seems unlikely that yet another villain would be added to the mix, but this character could go either way.

Stingray could very well be an ally for Arthur Curry and Mera on their way to find the Lost Kingdom.

Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom will hit theaters on December 25, 2023.

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