2027 is ready to be an enormous yr for DC followers. In July, the follow-up to Superman (although James Gunn says it is not a sequel), titled Man of Tomorrow, will open in theaters. It can then be adopted by Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Half II in October, the long-awaited sequel to 2022’s The Batman. Despite the fact that these two characters will likely be in separate universes (sorry, merger followers), it’s a massive deal, as it is going to mark the primary time a Superman and Batman film has opened in the identical yr.
Whereas one may technically argue that 2014’s The Lego Film or 2016’s Batman v. Superman: Daybreak of Justice must be included, these movies characteristic Superman and Batman collectively. But the thought of DC’s two greatest heroes getting their very own solo movies in the identical yr is monumental. Each will likely be given the highlight in separate tasks, as DC and Warner Bros. can plan a complete yr of promotional materials round their two greatest superheroes and long-running movie franchises.
Rumors have circulated that DC desires 2027 to additionally characteristic a Surprise Lady film, so it might be the yr of the DC Trinity. For now, it’s simply Superman and Batman. Nevertheless, this is not the primary time Warner Bros. has tried to launch a Superman and Batman film in the identical yr. In reality, the 2 movie properties have a singular relationship. The Batman: Half II has been delayed a lot that it’s now popping out alongside the follow-up to the film it was initially meant to accompany.
‘The Darkish Knight Rises’ and ‘Man of Metal’ Had been Supposed To Launch within the Similar Yr
The concept of a Superman and Batman film popping out in the identical yr truly dates again to 2012. In 2010, throughout improvement on the script for The Darkish Knight Rises, David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan began sharing concepts for a Superman reboot (as a result of even these in command of billion-dollar franchises procrastinate). Their tackle a first-contact storyline caught WB’s consideration, which was struggling to determine the best way to reboot Superman once more following the disappointing field workplace efficiency of Superman Returns.
Warner Bros. employed David S. Goyer to put in writing the Superman reboot, Man of Metal, and Christopher Nolan was to function government producer. They needed to offer Superman the Batman Begins type remedy, carried out by the identical artistic group. WB additionally had a plan to tie the 2 tasks collectively, despite the fact that they might be set in numerous universes. Warner Bros. slated The Darkish Knight Rises for July 20, 2012. Then they set Man of Metal for a December 2012 launch date.
The plan was to have a Batman and Superman film in the identical yr. It additionally gave them two Christopher Nolan-related tasks, one for the summer time film season and one other for the vacations. It was additionally symbolically the top of 1 franchise with The Darkish Knight Rises, and the start of a brand new franchise (quickly to be universe) with Man of Metal. So what occurred? Why did Warner Bros. delay Man of Metal?
Properly, it was possible The Hobbit. Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema had dated The Hobbit: The Sudden Journey for December 14, 2012, all the way in which again in April 2010. With how massive The Lord of the Rings trilogy was, Warner Bros. seemingly did not need to take away the eye from their long-awaited Hobbit film. In July 2011, Warner Bros. formally introduced that Man of Metal can be delayed from its December 2012 launch date to June 14, 2013. By this level, Man of Metal was absolutely solid, and filming was about to start in August 2011. Man of Metal completed filming in February 2012, and as a result of delay, it acquired over a yr of post-production time.
This delay, although, modified the strategy to Man of Metal. The film’s first teaser trailer was launched alongside The Darkish Knight Rises, 11 months forward of Man of Metal‘s launch date. This now meant that Nolan’s The Darkish Knight Rises really stood out because the ending of a DC legacy, which might be adopted up the following yr with the beginning of one thing new.
Superman and Batman Have a tendency To Commerce off Years
The Superman and Batman movie franchises are intently linked. The Superman movie collection spanned 4 movies from 1978 to 1987. Two years after the discharge of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, which appeared to have killed the superhero style, Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman gave the style new life and gave Warner Bros. its new massive franchise. Like Superman, the unique Batman collection would additionally run for 4 movies, from 1989 to 1997, earlier than it fizzled out with the discharge of Batman & Robin.
But following Batman Without end, when Batman had been reinvented, WB pushed ahead on a brand new Superman film. Titled Superman Lives and set to be directed by Batman‘s Tim Burton and starring Nicolas Cage, WB slated the movie for a summer time 1998 launch date. This was meant to be launched a yr after Batman & Robin, with WB possible hoping {that a} fifth Batman movie would open in 1999, giving them a brand new superhero film yearly, and the 2 DC heavyweights would commerce off. But Batman & Robin bombed critically and commercially, not solely inflicting WB to scrap plans for a fifth movie but in addition pulling the plug on Superman Lives.
Then, in 2005, Warner Bros. launched Batman Begins, adopted by Superman Returns in 2006. The Darkish Knight opened in 2008 and the plan initially was for the Superman Returns sequel, titled Superman: Man of Metal, to open in 2009, as soon as once more having Batman and Superman movies comply with each other with the hole years between the films possible being saved for different DC heroes (2007 was initially deliberate for both Joss Whedon’s Surprise Lady or David S. Goyer’s Flash). Nevertheless, after Superman Returns disenchanted, the plans had been scrapped; but, the custom of 1 after one other continued with 2012’s The Darkish Knight Rises and 2013’s Man of Metal.
The Batman: Half II was initially slated for October 2025, that means it could have opened the identical yr as the discharge of Superman. It was then delayed to October 2026, inserting its launch a yr after the Superman movie and persevering with the alternating-year sample between the Caped Crusader and the Man of Metal. But The Batman: Half II was delayed once more to October 2027, as soon as once more premiering alongside a Superman film. The Batman: Half II has been postponed so many occasions that it has nearly been launched in the identical yr as a Superman film, then pushed again to the yr after a Superman film, solely to be launched as soon as once more in the identical yr as a Superman film.
Is 2027 Shaping up To Be the Greatest Yr for Superhero Motion pictures in A long time?
With Man of Tomorrow and The Batman: Half II, DC has two of its greatest heroes, arguably two of the most important superheroes of all time, entrance and heart. 2027 additionally sees the discharge of Spider-Man: Past the Spider-Verse, which, like The Batman: Half II, is a long-delayed sequel. 2027 will conclude with Avengers: Secret Wars, which can unite numerous corners of the Marvel multiverse, together with the X-Males, Implausible 4, and the Avengers.
In terms of superheroes, 2027 will see the 4 greatest names within the style — Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and the Avengers — all open new entries. There was a dialog round superhero fatigue and whether or not audiences are rising uninterested in the style. The place as soon as it felt like every superhero, irrespective of how obscure, may crack $700 million worldwide, that’s now not a assure in 2025. Even The Implausible 4: First Steps‘ $500 million worldwide gross is seen as a slight disappointment, regardless of being the most important Implausible 4 movie of all time. After titles like Thunderbolts*, Blue Beetle, The Flash, and The Marvels all underperformed, a standard sentiment on-line emerged: “the one heroes which might be assured to be hits are Batman and Spider-Man,” with Superman and the Avengers usually added to the record.
Properly, in 2027, that will likely be put to the take a look at. Will the mixed would possibly of Man of Tomorrow, The Batman: Half II, Spider-Man: Past the Spider-Verse, and Avengers: Secret Wars rebound the general public’s notion of the superhero style? Will it reinforce the concept that solely big-name heroes can draw out audiences? Or will one or two of those titles underperform to expectations and trigger extra panic? Loads may occur in two years, however 2027 will likely be a superhero yr for the books.