The DC Universe helmed by James Gunn has officially launched worldwide as of today. After the final DCEU movie in 2023, James Gunn quickly began work on establishing a new, interconnected universe for DC characters. This manifested as the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, which officially began in July of 2025.

Upcoming DC movies will expand the scope of the DCU’s Chapter One, with additional projects scheduled for release in both 2025 and 2026. This will allow the DC Universe to, hopefully, become a mainstay as a comic book franchise come to life. First, though, the franchise needs to be kick-started. July 2025 will see to that, with the official start of the DC Universe releasing worldwide.

Superman Is The True Start Of The DC Universe

The Man Of Steel Begins It All

In July 2025, James Gunn’s Superman movie marked the true start of the DC Universe. Although Creature Commandos was released seven months earlier on HBO Max, Gunn has always considered Superman as the true beginning of the franchise. After all, it is the first project Gunn began work on after being hired as DC Studios’ creative chief.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly that teased Creature Commandos, Gunn insisted that the show was simply a taste of the DC Universe. Gunn went on to say that “Superman is the true start of everything…”, proving how the DCU officially begins as of July 11, 2025.

Upcoming DC Universe Releases Explained

The Future Of DC Looks Bright

Concerning what Superman will lead to, there are several upcoming DC projects with confirmed release dates. On both the TV and cinematic side of the franchise, Gunn and his various filmmakers have been working tirelessly to bring the first Chapter of DC’s new slate to life. Concerning movies, the next released project is Supergirl.

Previously тιтled Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Supergirl will star Milly Alcock as Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El, in a sci-fi adventure that releases in theaters on June 26, 2026. After that, Clayface will release in September 2026, focusing on the тιтular Batman antagonist. Beyond that, the DCU has a promising future in television as well.

Peacemaker season 2 is the most immediate DC Universe project to be released after Superman. The show is set for release in August 2025, a month after Superman‘s theatrical debut, following on from the story of Peacemaker season 1. The only other DCU TV show with a confirmed release window is Lanterns.

Centered around Jon Stewart and Hal Jordan, two Green Lanterns, Lanterns was confirmed to release around the same time as Supergirl, placing it in mid-2026. These are only a handful of the DC projects that have been confirmed, yet they are the only four with solid release dates.

After Superman‘s release and the true beginning of the DC Universe, more news about various movies, shows, the characters they involve, and their release dates should be expected.