Summary

• James Gunn and Peter Safran are revamping the DC Universe with a new live-action franchise, introducing several new characters.
• Characters like Vigilante, Amanda Waller, Booster Gold, and Bride of Frankenstein will be part of the new DC Universe.
• Superman: Legacy will start a new canon for DC Studios, and over 30 characters have been confirmed to be part of the new universe.

Several DC Universe characters have been confirmed to be appearing in James Gunn and Peter Safran's new franchise. After several projects in Warner Bros.' DC Extended Universe were met with poor responses, director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran were hired in October 2022 as co-CEOs of the new DC Studios. Together, Gunn and Safran devised a plan for a reboot of DC's live-action franchise, announcing their plans on January 31, 2023. With ten new projects announced, several new characters from DC Comics will be introduced into the DC Universe, and many from Warner Bros.' previous franchise will be recast.

While Gunn and Safran's plans for DC's live-action future were originally expected to consist of a soft-reboot of the DCEU - allowing some to continue in the future - it has been confirmed that 2025's Superman: Legacy will start a new canon for DC Studios. Some actors are reprising their DCEU roles, but they'll be playing different versions of their characters, as 2023's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom marks the end of the road for the DCEU. James Gunn revealed the future of the DC Universe in January 2023, and since then, over 30 characters have been confirmed canon so far.

33 Adrian Chase, A.K.A. Vigilante, Will Return Following Peacemaker

Vigilante Will Be Played By Freddie Stroma

Freddie Stroma debuted as Adrian Chase, a.k.a. Vigilante, in Peacemaker season 1, a TV spinoff from James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. Vigilante was featured as an associate of Cena's Chris Smith in Peacemaker, and Gunn confirmed on Threads (via Reddit) that Vigilante would be returning "probably before Peacemaker season 2." In DC Comics, Vigilante is the former District Attorney of New York City who became an antihero after his wife and children were killed by Scarapelli mobsters. This backstory was changed significantly for Peacemaker, which made Chase a restaurant busboy, but his return to the DCU's future will develop his story even further.

32 Amanda Waller Will Remain A Powerful Figure In The Shadows

Amanda Waller Will Be Played By Viola Davis

Viola Davis appeared several times in the DCEU after debuting as Amanda Waller, the Director of ARGUS, in 2016's Suicide Squad. Davis also showed up in The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, and Peacemaker season 1.

The DCU is set to feature her more prominently, however, as Viola Davis will return in Waller, a Max TV series that will act as an aperitif to Superman: Legacy. This confirmation came during Gunn's January announcement, and since Waller has ties to teams such as the Suicide Squad, the Justice Society of America, and Task Force X in DC Comics, she could have a part to play in several DC Studios projects.

31 Booster Gold Will Make His DCU Debut On The Small Screen

Booster Gold Is Not Currently Cast

Booster Gold was confirmed to be ing the live-action DC Universe during Gunn's January 2023 announcement after previously not being featured in the DCEU. Born Michael Jon Carter in 25th Century Gotham City, Carter traveled to the 20th Century using advanced technology from a museum and became the superhero known as Booster Gold.

Booster Gold will premiere on Max and is set to be an "outright comedy" set in the DC Universe. It's unclear who will portray the futuristic hero in live-action or when Booster Gold might release, but since the character has ties to ARGUS and the Justice League, he is an exciting addition to the DC Universe.

30 Bride Of Frankenstein Will Be Part Of The Creature Commandos

Bride Of Frankenstein Will Be Voiced By Indira Varma

DC Comics' Bride of Frankenstein will debut in 2024's animated series Creature Commandos, which will see Amanda Waller (voiced by Viola Davis) assemble a black ops team of monsters akin to the Suicide Squad. Game of Thrones and Torchwood's Indira Varma will voice the Bride of Frankenstein, one of the leads of the series opposite Frank Grillo's Rick Flag Sr.

In DC Comics, the Bride works for SHADE, a counter-terrorism organization that deals with otherworldly threats and monsters, and the Creature Commandos consisting of its best agents. However, with Waller's involvement, it seems the Creature Commandos could be brought together by ARGUS in the DCU.

29 Bruce Wayne, A.K.A. Batman, Will Debut With A Family

Batman Is Not Currently Cast

Batman is one of the most coveted superhero roles, and though it's unknown who will assume the role of the Caped Crusader in the DC Universe, The Brave and the Bold will introduce a new actor as Batman. Ben Affleck portrayed Bruce Wayne in the DCEU, a billionaire who became the vigilante Batman to protect Gotham City.

Robert Pattinson also portrays Batman in Matt Reeves' The Batman, which will continue to develop as a DC Elseworlds project. The Flash director Andy Muschietti has been confirmed to direct The Brave and the Bold, which Gunn mentioned would be a "strange father and son story," introducing the Bat-Family to the DCU.

28 Christopher Smith, A.K.A. Peacemaker, Will Return Following His Solo Series

Peacemaker Will Be Played By John Cena

After debuting in The Suicide Squad and headlining his own series with Peacemaker, John Cena is set to return as Christopher "Chris" Smith in Peacemaker season 2. James Gunn confirmed on Twitter that Cena would be reprising the role in season 2, though it's unclear when season 2 will release as Gunn has dedicated his time to working on Superman: Legacy. Christopher Smith aims to bring peace to the world and is willing to use extreme violence to complete this mission. With DCU canon resetting with Superman: Legacy, it's unclear exactly what Peacemaker will be up to when he's reintroduced.

27 Clark Kent, A.K.A. Superman Will Kick Off The DCU

Superman Will Be Played By David Corenswet

Perhaps the most highly-anticipated addition to the new DC Universe is Clark Kent, a.k.a. Superman. Henry Cavill portrayed the Man of Steel in the DCEU but was controversially dropped from the role in December 2022. Gunn announced that he would write and direct Superman: Legacy, the first film in the DCU, and that the film would revitalize the iconic hero.

Born on Krypton, Superman's powers are gifted to him from Earth's sun, making him a superior hero in every way. In June 2023, it was announced that David Corenswet had been cast as Superman, a younger, more vibrant, and more optimistic version of the character than Cavill's portrayal.

26 Damian Wayne, A.K.A. Robin, Will Put A Unique Twist On The Batman Formula

Damian Wayne Is Not Currently Cast

Damian Wayne will be introduced to live-action for the first time in Andy Muschietti's The Brave and the Bold. The son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul in DC Comics, Damian was raised by his mother and the League of Assassins and was introduced to his father after being trained as a cold-blooded killer.

Although Damian became the Robin to his father's Batman, the pair constantly had trouble connecting with each other. It's unclear what storyline will unfold in The Brave and the Bold, but this will be the first time that the father and son dynamic has been seen on the big screen in live action.

25 Doctor Phosphorus Seems To Be A Bold New Take On A DC Villain

Doctor Phosphorus Will Be Voiced By Alan Tudyk

Doctor Phosphorus will be featured as a member of the eponymous team in the DCU's Creature Commandos and is set to be voiced by Alan Tudyk. In DC Comics, Phosphorus is a villain to Batman with no connection to the Creature Commandos apart from in 2011's Flashpoint event.

He gained his powers after a nuclear plant that he insisted be built melted down, shifting his body's chemical components from silicon to phosphorus. It's unclear how he'll the DCU's Creature Commandos, but he also has ties to the Secret Society of Super Villains in DC Comics, which could be set up as foes to the DCU's Justice League.

24 Eric Frankenstein Brings A Literary Icon To Life

Eric Frankenstein Will Be Voiced By David Harbour

Known only as Frankenstein in DC Comics, Eric Frankenstein is set to debut in the animated Creature Commandos, voiced by Stranger Things and Black Widow's David Harbour. Based on Mary Shelley's literary Frankenstein's monster, Frankenstein was a member of the Creature Commandos in 2011's Flashpoint event, but also worked with organizations including SHADE, the Justice League, and Justice League Dark in the main DC continuity.

This could set up an exciting future for Eric Frankenstein in the DC Universe, particularly since he will have a connection to the DCU's Amanda Waller following her appearance as the team's benefactor in Creature Commandos.