Warner Bros and DC Films Reportedly Have Big Plans For Future With 'Batman' Spin-Offs And R-Rated Films

Banishing a few rocky years, DC Films reportedly has big plans in the pipe to build on recent commercial and critical wins.

Variety reported Tuesday Warner Bros. and DC Films' future projects include Matt Reeves’ “The Batman.” The report said chatter within DC and Warner indicates if the film works, spinoffs may not be far behind.

Reeves’ film will feature several prominent villains, including Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, and Colin Farrell as the Penguin, who will appear alongside Robert Pattinson’s Batman. Warner reportedly is interested in spinoff films headlined by the villains, akin to 2019’s “Joker,” should “The Batman” prove successful.

This idea also reportedly includes the cast of “Birds of Prey,” due out in February.

Speaking of “Joker,” more R-rated films are said to be of interest to studio heads following the villain-centric film’s success. The report specifically mentions James Gunn’s upcoming film, “The Suicide Squad,” as very likely getting the R-rating when it releases in 2021.

“There’s a huge appetite for R-rated superhero movies and if Marvel isn’t going to step up, that presents an opening for DC to tap into that audience,” Exhibitor Relations analyst Jeff Bock told Variety.

A new Green Lantern film is also said to be a priority, the report said. DC Comics and Films exec Geoff Johns reportedly has been working on a script for a proposed “Green Lantern Corps” film, pulling on Johns own time writing the Green Lantern comics in the 2000s. Warner reportedly is interested in JJ Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot, to produce the film given Abrams’ history with the “Star Trek” and “Star Wars” franchises.

The report goes on to reiterate commitment to an “Aquaman” sequel, which will reportedly start shooting in 2021 with James Wan returning to direct while Warner searches for a director to a horror-centric spinoff titled “The Trench.” Cameras are also expected to start rolling on “The Flash” in 2021 with “It” director Andy Muschietti and star Ezra Miller while the film’s scribe Christina Hodson moves on to begin writing “Batgirl.”

However, there are still questions surrounding the future of Superman on the big screen following 2017’s “Justice League.” While Henry Cavill recently affirmed his commitment to continue playing Kal-El, Warner and DC have made no announcements about another possible film. The report mentions Michael B. Jordan approached Warner with a pitch on the superhero, but nothing reportedly has come of it.