DC Studios will not be repeating the past mistakes of the superhero genre, as James Gunn has clued fans in on the DCU’s movie release plan. “Superhero fatigue” is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot online, and is the cause of much debate. While some believe the specific genre fatigue is real (citing that the same thing has happened to Westerns, Rom-coms, and Musicals in the past), others equate the genre’s recent rough patch to lazy storytelling which prioritizes selling toys and future movies. Regardless of which side of the proverbial fence you sit on, one thing is for sure: we’ve watched a LOT of superhero movies over the past few years.

Taking to Threads, James Gunn said “no more” to the over-saturation of the genre on DC Studios’ part. The director often uses the social media platform to answer fans’ questions about upcoming releases. When asked, “Are we getting 3 DCU films every year in Chapter 1 or not?” by a fan, the director and co-president of DC Studios gave a clear-cut answer. “No way. That was never even a consideration,” responded James Gunn. Looking ahead at the DCU’s release schedule, its movies and shows are few and far between. Creature Commandos will kick off the rebooted, multi-medium universe when it debuts on Max this December. The DCU’s first big cinematic release will come by way of Gunn himself, when Superman flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.

Related The DCU Movie Slate Isn’t as Secure as Fans Thought James Gunn clarifies his past comments about the “Gods & Monsters” phase, and it has left fans nervous.

While Gunn didn’t explicitly say it, the DCU’s movie timeframe goes against the MCU’s release slate from the past decade. Many equate the recent superhero fatigue to the overabundance of Marvel movies hitting theaters every year. While 2024 was the anomaly, with only Deadpool & Wolverine releasing in theaters and stealing the money straight out of our wallets, the heyday of the MCU saw an average of three movies released annually. This was doubled when Marvel Studios made the move to interconnected television, first releasing WandaVision in 2021, giving audiences even more homework to do before the next movie.

Marvel Studios Have “Learned” From Past Release Mistakes

Marvel Studios has spent the last decade overwhelming fans with new movies and shows, but, according to Disney CEO Bob Iger, the company is slowing down its release schedule. To combat superhero fatigue, Iger said, “the first step that we’ve taken is that we’ve reduced volume, we reduced output, particularly in Marvel.” The comment was made in February of this year, and it appears that the studio might have already forgotten its own promise.

2025 is looking to be a packed year of superhero movies and shows by Marvel Studios. The DCU only has its premiere film, Superman, releasing in the new year, but Marvel is going back to its three movie ways. The MCU will kickstart 2025 with Captain America: Brave New World (releasing on February 14). The franchise’s newest team-up will then get their debut outing in Thunderbolts* (May 2). Finally, Marvel’s first family will make their long awaited MCU debut in Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25, 2025). Blade was also scheduled for release in 2025, but not even Marvel Jesus knows when that film will see the light of day.

Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in Warner Bros.’ rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill’s departure from the role, honoring the character’s roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way.”Release Date July 11, 2025 Cast David Corenswet , Rachel Brosnahan , María Gabriela De Faría , Edi Gathegi , Nicholas Hoult , Frank Grillo , Nathan Fillion , Milly Alcock , Sara Sampaio , Pruitt Taylor Vince , Skyler Gisondo , Anthony Carrigan , Wendell Pierce , Beck Bennett , Sean Gunn Expand