DC Studios has been steadily expanding its new shared universe beyond the upcoming Superman film over the past year. The focus has largely been on major heroes and flagship franchises, but the studio has also indicated an interest in exploring lesser-known corners of the DC universe. That has led to speculation about which characters could get standalone projects next, as executives continue to build out a wider interconnected slate across film and TV. 

Meanwhile, a surprise update from a top DC Studios executive has sparked fresh excitement about the future of the Superman franchise.

A big Superman project seems to be picking up steam behind the scenes at DC Studios. One of the studio’s top brass has suggested that development on a highly anticipated spinoff seems to be moving faster than previously thought. In a new interview with Pedro Borges aka @GoodNerd23, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran was asked if the Justice League is actually coming to the DCU. 

"We know eventually, you head in that direction. We really are just talking about those movies that we've announced and those projects we've announced,” the executive stressed. He then proceeded to confirm the long-since-pitched Superman TV show.

"We've talked about the Gorilla Grodd show for HBO that we'll start shooting this year. That's big news, by the way. I probably shouldn't have said that," he revealed, visibly giving away information meant to be kept under wraps. His reveal has also given away another vital piece of information, that the project is set to be property of HBO, which may or may not affect the show's distribution trajectory. 

Safran also stressed that DC Studios is playing the long game with its future projects, focusing on great scripts and stories instead of rushing productions into development. Meanwhile, Gorilla Grodd is confirmed for the offshoot, marking the villain's second major live-action interpretation. The project was first revealed to be in development in November 2025, and although an official title for the drama has not yet been revealed, season 1 was said to follow Grodd. 

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Amidst this, the success of Superman's box office run helped establish a strong foundation for DC Studios' ambitious long-term plans. 

The new DC Studios era under James Gunn and Peter Safran began with the 2025 Superman movie. With this being the first theatrical release in the rebooted DC Universe, many looked to its financial performance as a sign of where the franchise was headed and how much the audience would embrace a new take on the iconic superhero. Superman ended its theatrical run with an estimated $618.7 million worldwide against a reported $225 million budget, including $354.2 million domestically and $264.5 million internationally, as per Box Office Mojo.   

The film also had a strong North American opening weekend of $125 million. Additionally, it is said to be the second-biggest Superman movie of all time worldwide, after 2013’s Man of Steel. It later ended the year at number 9 on the list of the top-grossing films of 2025, taking in $616 million worldwide.

Meanwhile, the arrival of another Superman project is a sign of the bigger strategy at DC Studios to build its new universe across multiple platforms and build on the momentum of the success of Superman in theaters. It seems as though James Gunn and Peter Safran have a new direction in mind for the franchise. However, given that the movie is a massive success and spin-offs will soon follow, it appears as though DC may finally be building toward a cohesive future involving some of its most popular and unlikely heroes.

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Could this Superman spinoff become one of the most surprising additions to DC Studios' growing universe? Let us know in the comments.