Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has expressed strong confidence in James Gunn’s Superman film, positioning it as the foundation for DC’s ambitious decade-long initiative celebrating the company’s centennial anniversary in 2035. The thorough strategy, launching at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, will feature yearly thematic showcases chronicling DC’s evolution from 1935 to 2035, with upcoming projects including Supergirl, Clayface movies, and the Lanterns HBO Max series under Gunn and Peter Safran’s leadership. The initiative’s success hinges on audience reception and subsequent project developments.
A thorough decade-long initiative will position DC Entertainment to celebrate its upcoming centennial anniversary through an ambitious campaign that launches at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, featuring yearly thematic showcases that chronicle the publisher’s evolution from 1935 to 2035. Each annual milestone will focus on a specific decade of DC’s history, beginning with the foundational years of 1935-1945 and progressing chronologically until the centennial celebration in 2035.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has expressed strong confidence in the extensive strategy, which centers on James Gunn’s Superman film as the cornerstone for launching DC Studios‘ interconnected cinematic universe. The executive’s public endorsement signals the company’s commitment to revitalizing the franchise under the leadership of DC Studios heads Gunn and Peter Safran, who are overseeing all theatrical and streaming productions.
Warner Bros. Discovery places Superman at the center of its ambitious strategy to rebuild DC’s cinematic universe under new leadership.
The film and television expansion includes upcoming releases of Supergirl and Clayface movies, alongside the Lanterns streaming series for HBO Max, all designed to maintain narrative continuity across platforms. Industry observers consider Superman’s box office performance and critical reception essential for sustaining momentum throughout the decade-long initiative, as subsequent projects depend on establishing audience confidence in the new creative direction.
San Diego Comic-Con will serve as the annual anchor for the campaign, featuring multi-level booth experiences, interactive exhibits, and celebrity appearances that highlight pivotal moments from each historical decade. The convention activations will showcase character debuts, iconic storylines, and artistic milestones while offering exclusive comics and collectibles tied to anniversary themes. Attendees will receive a 1940s-style Daily Planet newspaper featuring original comic advertisements and previews of upcoming DC titles as exclusive memorabilia. The convention programming will include cosplay competitions that celebrate iconic characters from each featured decade.
Central to the strategy is the announced “New History of the DC Universe” project, which aims to realign franchise continuity and address decades of complex canon developments. This initiative will spotlight major story arcs featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and other legacy characters through curated presentations that emphasize both foundational lore and contemporary interpretations.
The extensive approach integrates nostalgia-driven content with forward-looking creative projects, targeting multiple generations of fans through participatory experiences and educational showcases. Warner Bros. Discovery‘s prioritization of DC within its entertainment portfolio reflects corporate confidence in the ten-year vision’s potential to unify disparate storylines while building sustained audience engagement leading to the 2035 centennial celebration.
