Warner Bros. and DC will officially no longer move forward with Ava DuVernay's fourth world adaptation New Gods and James Wan's Aquaman spin-off The Trench. The two films were previously part of Warner Bros.' upcoming slate of DC films, which also includes James Gunn's The Suicide Squad and Matt Reeves The Batman. The cancellation is likely part of the recent effort for DC and Warner Bros. to restructure their ongoing movie universe.
DuVernay had been developing New Gods since 2018, co-writing the script with comic book author Tom King. She was set to direct the film, which would have adapted stories and characters from Jack Kirby's epic Fourth World Saga. Kirby's epic sci-fi story introduced characters such as the villain Darkseid, whose recent appearance in Zack Snyder's Justice League may point to the reason for the New Gods cancellation, as the studio might want some breathing room between new appearances.
DuVernay responded to the news on Twitter, saying "Tom, I loved writing NEW GODS with you, I’m upset that the saga of Barda, Scott, Granny, Highfather, and The Furies ends this way. Diving into Kirby’s Fourth World was the adventure of a lifetime. That can’t be taken away. Thank you for your friendship. And remember... #DarkseidIs." DuVernay is still developing a Naomi TV show for the CW based on the DC comic of the same name. The Trench, which was being developed by Aquaman director James Wan, was set to be a spin-off of the 2018 aquatic superhero film. The project was said to have had horror elements, focusing on a group of deep-sea monsters who first appeared in the 2018 film. However, Wan is still set to direct the upcoming sequel to Aquaman, which is set to begin production later this year. According to The Hollywood Reporter, sources close to Warner Bros. claim that the upcoming sequel was considered enough and that going forward, the studio would weigh the popularity of these Atlantean stories before pursuing more Aquaman-related projects.
Despite the cancellation, Warner Bros. seems to be leaving the door open for potential future development, perhaps via streaming. Several upcoming DC projects are, after all, being developed with interconnected streaming projects. This includes James Gunn's upcoming Suicide Squad sequel, which will tie in with the HBO Max series Peacemaker starring John Cena in the title role and Matt Reeves' The Batman, which is set to have its own spin-off series focusing on the Gotham City Police Department. As well, the state of the DCEU is kind of up in the air. While future projects like The Suicide Squad and Aquaman 2 will connect to established DC movie continuity, Reeves' Batman is being set in an alternative universe and will serve as a standalone film.
Even though Justice League fans have been eager to #RestoreTheSnyderVerse in the wake of the Snyder Cut, the studio doesn't appear to have any plans on developing future Snyder projects, so future Justice League films may be out of the picture for the time being. The upcoming Flash solo movie may also serve to clean up the DCEU, as the film will reportedly be focusing on the multiverse, which may help to establish a new status quo for future DC films.
Other upcoming projects that are still on the slate include Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Blue Beetle, Batgirl, Supergirl, Green Lantern Corps, and Static Shock. A Zatanna film penned by Promising Young Woman director Emerald Fennell was also recently announced and a third Wonder Woman movie is in development with Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot attached. An upcoming Superman reboot from producer J.J. Abrams and screenwriter Ta-Nehisi Coates is also in the works, however, it's unclear if that film will connect to the greater DCEU or if it will be standalone like Reeves' Batman movie.
The Suicide Squad will be released in theatres on August 6th, 2021.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter