Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav went on record this week defending the future of DC Films, even as the studio absorbs the financial blow from Supergirl's poor performance at the box office this summer.
Zaslav was asked directly about DC's trajectory during the company's Thursday earnings call. He did not address Supergirl by name, but pointed to upcoming projects as reasons for confidence, according to a report by The Wrap.
"On the DC side, James is focused on 'Man of Tomorrow.' I saw some pictures yesterday that looked amazing. Actually, yesterday was James' birthday, and he's out working. He's working 16, 18 hours a day. It looks fantastic. We're super excited about it. Matt Reeves, I spoke to over the weekend, and he's working very hard on Batman," Zaslav said.
He went on to mention the next two DC projects set to reach audiences. "We have 'Clayface' coming up soon, which looks terrific. We got 'Lanterns' launching in the next few weeks on HBO, which Casey [Bloys] and Sarah [Aubrey] are super excited about. So DC feels very good, and we have a robust pipeline, and Peter and James are hard at work."
Supergirl was directed by Craig Gillespie and grossed just $126 million worldwide against a production budget above $170 million. It received poor reviews. The film was the second entry in the DC reboot being built by Gunn and producer Peter Safran, following last year's Superman, which Gunn directed and which performed well.
Notably, Zaslav did not tout Gunn and Safran's 10-year plan for DC during the call, something he has referenced on several previous earnings calls.
Next up is Lanterns, an HBO drama series centered on Green Lantern starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, which launches later this month. On the film side, Clayface arrives in October. That film is directed by James Watkins and was not originally part of Gunn and Safran's slate. It was greenlit after horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan submitted a completed script with a fresh take on the character.
After Clayface, Gunn's Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow is currently in production and is scheduled for release in July 2027. Matt Reeves' The Batman: Part II follows, though that film sits outside the continuity of the Gunn and Safran DC universe. It was originally set for release next fall but was pushed back to February 2028.
The pressure on the DC slate comes at a complicated moment for Warner Bros. Discovery, which could see new leadership if Paramount's acquisition of the company closes.
