Warning! This article contains spoilers for shows like Superman & Lois, Joker: Folie à Deux, Creature Commandos, and The Penguin.
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DC has been quietly working towards the launch of the DCU
since James Gunn took over DC Studios in 2022, but 2024 actually saw a lot of incredible stuff play out under the DC banner. DC has always had a presence on the big and small screen since the early days of the publishers history. Just 10 years after their premiere superhero debuted, Superman, the character began to appear in adaptations. However, modern audiences are also familiar with the more recent iterations of Superman and Batman, which have continued to keep these characters in the public eye.
However, when Gunn stepped into the role of co-CEO of the newly created DC Studios, he announced plans to completely overhaul the media that came from DC. This included movies, TV shows, and video games, which meant the versions that were already established needed to end. With that, the DCEU was slowly shut down, with the final releases coming out in 2023, and the popular Arrowverse was concluded. But, despite the new DCU not having a theatrical release scheduled until mid-2025, 2024 actually had many memorable moments for DC.
You are watching: 10 2024 DC Movie & Show Storylines That Will Go Down In History
10
Superman & Lois’ Ending Kills Superman Off Permanently
The final live-action TV project left standing after the DCU was announced had a loose connection to the Arrowverse, due to the lead actors having appeared in other Arrowverse shows before, but Superman & Lois stood apart from the other shows. The series saw the Kent’s move home to Smallville in Kansas, where Clark grew up. And, with the story exploring a more mature Superman narrative, it also starred Clark and Lois’ sons, Jonathan and Jordan.
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The show had an incredible four-season run, and while they might have had more time if it weren’t for the DCU, it delivered the perfect send-off for the Man of Steel. After years of having his story adapted, changed, and adjusted in numerous ways, Superman & Lois delivered the first live-action story where Superman dies for good. After protecting his family, and spending long happy years with his wife and grandchildren, Superman eventually passes away, due to his heart having been replaced decades earlier to revive him from certain death.
9
Joker: Folie Á Deux Becomes The Most Controversial Sequel In Superhero History
DC is no stranger to having some hit movies followed up by lackluster sequels. For many, The Dark Knight Rises failed to live up to the spectacular The Dark Knight. Wonder Woman 1984 fell flat when Wonder Woman soared. And Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was a commercial failure, barely earning one third of the box office for the original Aquaman. However, all of these sequels still had redeeming qualities, and vocal fans who spoke up on its behalf. Joker: Folie à Deux had neither.
After the spectacular success that was Todd Phillips original Joker, the audience had high hopes for the sequel. However, the huge shift in tone, the departure from the original story, and the way that this film essentially erases the 2019 movie all added up to what was quickly branded as the worst sequel from DC. That is not to say that there were no fans of the movie, but it did go from being the most profitable R-rated film of all time, winning 2 Oscars, to earning one fifth of the earlier film’s box office, and being generally lambasted by critics and the audience.
8
Creature Commandos Launches The DC Universe
Image via Max
Despite Superman being one of the very first projects announced for the newly formed DCU, 2024 actually saw the new universe launched thanks to another project which was written and directed by James Gunn, Creature Commandos. The animated series follows the formula of many of Gunn’s most beloved superhero projects, with an obscure superhero team given the limelight. However, this animated series has the honor of being the DCU’s first ever official production.
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What do you think about Creature Commandos’ new DCU roster?
Creature Commandos season 1 ended by revealing some new recruits to Task Force M who will presumably be joining The Bride, Doctor Phosphorus, and Weasel in the confirmed season 2. This includes the vampiric Nosferata, the mummy Khalis, a rebuilt and upgraded G.I. Robot, and none other than Nanaue, aka King Shark from 2021’s The Suicide Squad. I’m extremely excited about these new team members, most notably Nanaue, who seems like a perfect fit for Amanda Waller’s specialized team of monsters.
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Technically, everything else that comes out in 2024 is considered DC Elseworlds, with no tangible connection to the DCU. Meanwhile, the animated series was able to introduce heroes, villains, and surprising twists that will be expected to have an impact on the rest of the shared universe. However, the animated format and the fact that it has aired exclusively on Max may mean Creature Commandos does not get the recognition it deserves.
7
The Penguin Proved That He Is The Most Heartless Villain In Matt Reeves’ Batverse
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Image via Max
In the Elseworlds, one of the most popular movies to be released under the DC banner in recent years was Matt Reeves’ The Batman. While the DCU is set to create a vast universe full of heroes from every corner of the Earth, the Matt Reeves Batverse has a much more narrow focus on Gotham and the villains who rise up to battle against the Batman. And the expansion of this universe began in 2024 with the release of The Penguin.
The series stars Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb, who sees an opportunity to grab power over Gotham after the chaos that saw the city fall apart, and former mob boss, Carmine Falcone, murdered in the streets. But as evil as the Riddler was, and the extensive reach that Falcone had, nothing quite compares to the brutal ambition of Oz as seen in The Penguin’s finale. After taking over the gangs of Gotham, Oz sits with his friend and protégée, Victor Aguilar, who states that Oz is like family. While echoing the same sentiment in return, Oz cruelly crushed Victor’s neck, murdering the young man in cold blood to avoid having anything in his life that could hold him back.
6
Batman: Caped Crusader Marks Hamish Linklater’s Debut After Kevin Conroy Passed Away In 2022
Custom image by Yailin Chacon
For many years, the voice of Batman in animated cartoons was distinct, and largely performed by one man. Yes, others have occasionally played the character, but there is no denying that Kevin Conroy was the voice of Batman for a few generations of fans. But when Conroy passed away in 2022, it left a void, which saw several other actors cast to play the role, but none had a similar level of command, gravitas, and intensity as Conroy.
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However, Batman: Caped Crusader was launched as a spiritual successor to Batman: The Animated Series, and appears to be trying to set up a new core Batman for DC’s animated stories. And honestly, after Hamish Linklater’s performance as Batman was unveiled, it feels like a return to form for the animated character. The distinction between his voice for Batman and Bruce Wayne is perfect, in addition to his gruff tones and his commanding voice. No one can truly replace Conroy, but Linklater at least appears to be a worthy successor.
5
Michael Cudlitz Delivers One Of The Darkest Lex Luthor Performances Of All Time In Superman & Lois
Returning to Superman & Lois, the show featured a range of rivals for Superman to battle over the four seasons, but the final season finally introduced Superman’s true archenemy, Lex Luthor. Lex has been portrayed in TV and films for decades, with the character being played by notable actors including Gene Hackman, Jesse Eisenberg, Michael Rosenbaum, and Jon Cryer to name just a few. But all of these versions focused on different aspects of the character. From a goofy comedic ambition, to extraordinary intelligence and arrogance, they all helped to shape the character for modern audiences.
However, in Superman & Lois, Michael Cudlitz played a version of Lex Luthor unlike anything to appear on the screen before. His Lex was brutal, violent, relentless, full of hatred and anger, and determined to murder Superman, along with his beloved wife and children. This is a much darker, more intense version of the character who even goes toe to toe with Superman in a brawl in the streets of Smallville. It’s a refreshing take on the character, and one that makes them feel like a serious threat, despite Superman’s near immortality.
4
Creature Commandos Killed The Justice League
Speaking of battling the world’s greatest heroes, Creature Commandos also included a cameo that featured Superman, along with his allies in the Justice League and a handful of other heroes. However, the heroes were murdered, and then hung out to dry in order to teach the world a lesson. While this may seem like an odd introduction to the characters who should be leading the DCU, in a show that precedes any other DCU projects, fortunately, it all happened in a vision.
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Which Creature Commando do you want to see in live-action the most?
While it’s hard to pick just one, I think I would most like to see David Harbour’s Eric Frankenstein debut in live-action in a future DC Universe project after Creature Commandos. It would be very cool to see him fight Superman, like he does in the comics. However, Doctor Phosphorus is a very close second as it would be amazing to see him brought to life in live-action as well.
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But, that doesn’t mean that the Justice League are entirely in the clear. The vision came from Circe, a powerful being who comes from Themyscira. Apparently, the vision predicted a future where Princess Ilana of Pokolistan would take over the world, and kill the heroes, with some help from allies like Gorilla Grodd. While Creature Commandos saw Ilana handled, there are other villains still at large in the DCU who are likely to cause trouble for the Justice League.
3
Joker: Folie Á Deux Rewrote History For Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight
Image Made By Zoe Miskelly
In addition to sparking outrage in the fanbase over the way Joker 2 trampled on the story from the 2019 film, the sequel also took a crack at rewriting the history of earlier DC projects. While Arthur acknowledges that he made up the character of the Joker to take back some control, Arthur himself rejects the ideology and actions of the exaggerated character that inspired anarchy in Gotham. But that doesn’t stop other people from taking those ideas and running with them.
So, in the film’s final moments, with Arthur back in Arkham, another patient approaches him and tells an odd joke. Then, he stabs Arthur to death, proving once and for all that Arthur is not the powerful Joker people expected him to be. But, this nameless villain then takes the knife to his own mouth, carving a smile into his face, and suggesting that somehow, this version of the Joker is the one that appears in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Yet again, this did not go down well with fans of the Nolan films.
2
The Penguin Finally Succeeded In Taking Control Of Gotham
The Penguin is one of the best known villains in Gotham. He has appeared in various Batman movies and shows, and while he has a mean streak, he also tends to be submissive, working in the shadows, and helping others to rise to become the big powers in Gotham. The Penguin has occasionally been able to get more control over one gang, or sections of Gotham, but never before has a live-action version of the character taken over the entire city.
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I’m So Glad 2025 Broke A Joker Movie Record We All Needed To End
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But in The Penguin, he does exactly that. The Batman introduces the Penguin as a feeble ally of Carmine Falcone, who ran the Iceberg Lounge on behalf of the Falcone crime family. But, with the help of allies like Victor Aguilar, Penguin was able to stage a coup, and pit rival gang bosses at odds in such a way that the other gangs broke down. Trusted advisors turned on their gang leaders, and everyone rallied behind Oz Cobb as a new leader. And now, he stands as the supreme kingpin of crime in Gotham.
1
Three Different Batman’s Exist In Different DC Universes
Many actors have tackled the role of Batman over the years, but it wasn’t until the last decade that so many versions all existed at once. Ben Affleck’s Batman starred in movies at the same time as Robert Pattinson’s Batman movies were released, and when The Flash came out, it brought back Michael Keaton and George Clooney for that film. However, 2024 actually contains three versions of Batman too.
Matt Reeves films starring Robert Pattinson are currently actively working on their sequel, and The Penguin show may not feature his Batman, but he does exist within that world. Meanwhile, Hamish Linklater lends his voice to the hero in the animated series, Batman: Caped Crusader. And, while the official actor who will play Batman in the DCU has yet to be announced, the character did appear in the animated series, Creature Commandos. All things considered, it was a pretty big year for DC, despite the lack of theatrical releases and the DCU just beginning.
Upcoming DC Movie Releases
-
Superman
Release Date
July 11, 2025
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Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Release Date
June 26, 2026
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The Batman Part II
Release Date
October 1, 2027
Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment