The problem with planning your superhero franchises so far into the future is that sometimes things leak a little early. And apparently, AT&T decided to go ahead and basically confirm some rumored DC superhero projects that are in the works at WarnerMedia during an Investors Day presentation, including “Batgirl,” “Zatanna,” and more. Oops.
Normally, when a studio announces something like “Batgirl” or “Zatanna,” it would be a major news release that got fans super psyched. Well, AT&T inadvertently spilled the beans about those projects being in the works during their recent Investors Day presentation where a graphic went up featuring the logos of all the DC superhero content WarnerMedia is currently working on. You know, things like “Black Adam,” “Static Shock,” “Aquaman 2,” “Peacemaker,” and “The Batman.” But you see, comic book fans are an observant, detail-oriented bunch. And some noticed that also included in the graphic were logos for projects like “Batgirl” and “Zatanna,” both of which were rumored but not formally announced.
“Batgirl” makes the most sense, however. It’s been years since reports surfaced that Warner Bros. approached Joss Whedon about writing and directing a “Batgirl” film that would somehow integrate with the larger DCEU. However, the filmmaker eventually left the project. Eventually, in 2018, it was reported that “Birds of Prey” writer, Christina Hodson, was going to write the script. But there was hardly any news about the projects over the past three years. But hey, graphics don’t lie, right? And it appears the project is still definitely in the works.
The real shocker is the logo for a “Zatanna” project. That’s a project that was floating around the rumor mill but not really confirmed by any trades as in development. It’s unclear if the “Zatanna” logo referenced a TV series or a film, but it does appear that something is in the works. “Zatanna” would presumably follow the magical hero of the same name, who is a lesser-known hero in the DC comics universe. That said, she does have a strong fan following, and factors into “Justice League Dark,” which is a project that has been in and out of development for years.
Obviously, none of this is earth-shattering news, right? “Batgirl” is a known quantity that WB would be completely bonkers to not try to develop into a film or TV series, especially with “The Batman” coming next year. And while “Zatanna” isn’t a household name, she’s a unique character that is ripe for adaptation. Let’s be real, at some point, most every major DC superhero has been discussed as a possible film or TV series, and these aren’t the last to get developed. But hey, I’m sure WarnerMedia would have liked a more formal announcement than this.