The DC Extended Cinematic Universe

[Neon Ignition]

"Blue Beetle" Part Of The New DCU - Dark Horizons
Not news at all for those who have been to see The Flash but the director of Blue Beetle is attempting to prevent audience passiveness by highlighting that his film (and Aquaman II) are the opening chapters of the new DCU - not part of the older one.

[Neon Ignition]

Mangold Sees "Swamp Thing" As Standalone - Dark Horizons
Despite its place in Chapter One, Swamp Thing won't be aiming to tie itself to the other films

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.thewrap.com/david-corenswet-man-of-steel-superman-legacy/

Actor David Corenswet has officially been cast as Superman aka Clark Kent in Superman: Legacy. Alongside him leading the film will be Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane

[Neon Ignition]

No Origin Story In "Superman: Legacy"? - Dark Horizons
Gunn suggests that the next Superman movie will skip Kal-El's origin story as it's been seen too many times now and will open with Superman having existed for several years already

[Neon Ignition]

Warning: It shows too much

[Neon Ignition]

"Superman: Legacy" Casts Three Heroes - Dark Horizons
Nathan Fillion has been cast as Guy Gardner, one of the human incarnations of the Green Lantern, in Superman: Legacy. The role makes Fillion the first actor to be recast in both versions of the DCU having previously played The Detachable Kid in The Suicide Squad.

Additionally, Isabela Merced has been cast as Hawkgirl whilst Edi Gathegi has been cast as Mister Terrific.

James Gunn Shares Excitement Over ‘Superman: Legacy’ & Explains Why He’s Including Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl & Mister Terrific – Deadline
Gunn has also confirmed that Jimmy Olsen will be in this version of Superman

[Neon Ignition]

Anthony Carrigan Joins "Superman: Legacy" - Dark Horizons
Playing Metamorpho

[Neon Ignition]

Embedded Tweet

We start with a young Barbara Gordon in ballet class. She sees the martial arts class through a window and sneaks in. She meets her best friends here, Jason Bard and Alysia Yeoh. With the help of her photographic memory, she uses some moves she saw to take down a bigger kid. Her mom and dad pick her up from class and discuss if Babara should be allowed to go on a patrol with Jim. He's uncomfortable with the idea but eventually gives in, getting Barbara excited. Gordon is almost killed by a gang on patrol but Batman saves him, which amazes Barbara. Later, Jim hears a call over the radio saying his house is on fire. He arrives to see his home in flames and his wife screaming in the window. He struggles to get inside but his front door explodes, knocking him out. Barbara walks in and sees a large man before passing out.

-Cut to many years later-

Barbara now works a desk job at the GCPD, with Jim being retired as he suffered a heart attack. She often stays at home to take care of him, while also spending time with her best friend Alysia and her boyfriend, Jason. Meanwhile we see Ted Carson(Firefly) who works at a grocery store, but is fired for his temper. He tries to get his old job with the Bressi crime family back but is rejected by the boss because he's running for mayor. Ted burns down a pharmacy for his sick wife's meds. Barbara dyes her hair red and attends a Halloween party hosted by Bruce Wayne. She wears a Batman costume, while Jim shows up wearing his normal trench coat with a sign on the back saying "nudist on strike". It's interrupted by Killer Moth, who brought goons to rob the party.

Barbara drops from the ceiling and begins fighting the goons along with Bruce, saving his life. Moth escapes but is incinerated by Firefly, who knew he was on the Bressi's hit list. Ted takes his grill and brings it back to the Bressi's as proof of his kill, being re-hired. Later, Barbara sees Alysia at her bar. She asks if Barbara dyed her hair red to be like Batgirl, as some other people apparently did after the news of the new hero from the party. She plays along to not seem suspicious, but realizes she loves being a vigilante and saving others. Back at GCPD, Barbara breaks in to the GCPD evidence lockers using her photographic memory. She sees Harley Quinn's bat from Suicide Squad and the mallet from Birds of Prey. She grabs an old batarang and also finds Catwoman's cowl, which she uses to make her own cowl.

Having now made her own Batsuit, Barbara goes on patrol for the first time. She's grappled by Batman who tells her to stop being a vigilante ,and then drives off in his classic Batmobile. However, Barbara is able to steal his grapple gun in the process. Barbara begins to investigate Firefly as she believes he's the one who killed her mother. In the process she begins to fall for Anthony Bressi, son of the crime family, who's working to help Gotham's homeless in the sewers. This hurts her relationship with Jason. Barbara is upset with her dad as he says he didn't see anyone on the night her mom died. She lights up the batsignal to ask Batman for help, but he inspires her to solve it on her own. Firefly goes to kill Jim but is stopped by Batgirl, who somehow discovers he was a firefighter.

Barbara investigates Ted Carson's files and sees they were already taken by Jim, finding out her dad was secretly investigating him too. She confronts the corrupt head of the GCFD, and learns that she sent Firefly to kill Jim that night, but Mrs. Gordon was there instead. Despite their relationship being tense, Barbara goes to Jason and tells him about all of this while keeping her Batgirl identity a secret. They find out Firefly is going to enact a massive plan to burn down Gotham. Firefly arrives at the mayoral speech for the head of the Bressi family and kills him with fire. Batgirl chases him on her bike, but he escapes as there's fire bursting out from all of the sewer grates. Jason arrives with a firetruck to try and help, but Firefly boards it.

Jason tries to fight but Firefly hits him in the leg with an axe. He sprays fire all over the city while Batgirl manages to catch up with him on her bike, and they fight on top of the truck for a bit. Barbara and Jason manage to get off the truck before it crashes into a hole. The hole lead to a village for the homeless. Ted is badly injured from the firetruck, and Anthony Bressi arrives with his goons. They hold Batgirl back as he shoots Firefly in the head. Now knowing Anthony's role in all of this, Batgirl tells him she'll stop him one day.

We cut to Christmas, where Barbara and Jason have gotten back together and are setting up decorations along with Alysia and Jim. Gordon believes she can go out on patrol with the GCPD now, but Barbara declines and she uses the database from her desk job to catch criminals. Barbara has now started to work from an old clocktower. Batman arrives, asking if she's ready to be a hero. She accepts and is given a new armored suit but decides to combine it with her old one, keeping the cape and cowl she made from Catwoman's suit. Batman and Batgirl have a discussion about how they've felt lonely for so long, bonding over their traumatic lives.Barbara and Bruce get on a gargoyle and jump off together, gliding through Gotham City as the ending shot for the film.

[teddymeow]

See, after reading that, I'd give it a watch.

[Cassius_Smoke]

Yawn...

https://thenovelsmithy.com/heros-journey-character-arc/

[Dogg Thang]

Am I to read into that that you have an issue with any film that in some way follows the hero’s journey? That’s a lot of films.

[Cassius_Smoke]

Am I to read into that that you have an issue with any film that in some way follows the hero’s journey? That’s a lot of films.

Yes, its boring.
There are ways to do an origin/hero story differently.

Batman begins
Die Hard
Xmen

If it follows it beat for beat, which this sounds like it did, then it's boring.

[Dogg Thang]

You should get yourself to LA and show those boring layabouts how it’s done.

Once the strike is over, obviously.

[Cassius_Smoke]

OK, I'll step in line.
The film sounds awesome. I wish it was coming out. DC don't know what they had on their hands.
All films are brilliant

[Neon Ignition]

Gunn Confirms New DC Is A Full Reset - Dark Horizons
Looks like The Flash's box office issues have taken their toll. Gunn has posted that Superman: Legacy will be a full reset of the DCU and will be the very first film within an entirely new canon. This seems to cast Aquaman II out to fend for itself as additional stories to the existing DCU canon post-events of The Flash. Confusingly it seems like the Waller series and Peacemaker: Season 02 will both retain their casts yet ignore the existing canon including Peacemaker: Season 01, being clean starts in the new DCU canon and therefore Peacemaker will effectively be a new Season 01 for that show. Even more bizarrely, despite this statement of Superman being ground zero, they say Blue Beetle will be part of the new DCU meaning that either Superman: Legacy isn't actually the first film or the cast of Blue Beetle will be kept moving forward but the story of the upcoming solo film jettisoned from Superman: Legacy onward.

So... by new year we might know for certain whether this is still a The Flash subsequent timeline reset or a surgical knife - keep them 100% unrelated - reboot DCU