Casting The Justice League For The DCU's New Era After James Gunn's Exit

Image via MovieStillsDB Published Nov 11, 2026, 11:51 AM EST Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release. He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years. Sign in to your ScreenRant account A new era for the DC Universe is afoot. Just four years after taking charge of DC Studios, Skydance fired James Gunn and Peter Safran in a shocking move. Despite the success of Superman in 2025, the universe struggled to turn Supergirl into a hit, while the low-budget swing on a Batman villain origin film in Clayface has only brought modest success. With Skydance appointing former Marvel Studios executive Jeremy Latcham to run DC, the franchise is turning the page before Gunn and Safran's "Chapter One: Gods & Monsters" could even be completed. This has brought plenty of changes and new expectations for what DC's upcoming movies will look like. Reports have already surfaced that Skydance could completely move on from the GunnVerse and start fresh. It remains to be seen if that happens, with the performance of 2027's Man of Tomorrow certain to play a key role in what DC decides. In the meantime, Latcham has reportedly been tasked with bringing DC's biggest characters and concepts to the big screen as fast as possible. This included a nugget from The Wrap that making a new Justice League movie is a priority. The Justice League never formed under Gunn and Safran's leadership, with the DCU introducing the Justice Gang as a stepping stone to them instead. If a proper Justice League film is among Latcham's biggest priorities at DC Studios, then a full cast of iconic superheroes is needed. Here's who Skydance, DC, and Latcham should look at for the original seven Justice League members: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter. 7 Superman — David Corenswet Let's not overcomplicate this situation. David Corenswet may have become Superman thanks to Gunn, but he shouldn't be removed from the role just because his Superman and Man of Tomorrow director isn't calling the shots now. Corenswet has proven to be an amazing Clark Kent/Kal-El in his two DCU appearances. He has Superman's compassion and hope down, while he also brings a level of emotionality that is welcomed. Add in his superhero-esque stature and build, and the fact that he is only 33 years old, and DC would be foolish to move on. Corenswet is exactly the type of performer that an entire DC franchise can be built around, like Robert Downey Jr. was for the MCU. Audiences have shown that they like his take on the character, too. DC shouldn't even consider recasting Superman again, as they'd have a hard time finding a better choice than one of the Justice League heroes already cast for the DCU. It should help Corenswet that he's already in a strong standing with Skydance, as he's the star of their upcoming sports biopic, Mr. Irrelevant, which has reportedly earned excellent scores in test screenings. 6 Batman — Brandon Sklenar Brandon Sklenar has been a popular Batman fancast for a while now. Working on Taylor Sheridan's 1923 gave him a breakout role to demonstrate how he could be a charming Bruce Wayne and still tackle Batman's darkness and action effectively. The actor has already expressed his desire to play the iconic superhero role, too. Sklenar commented on Batman fancasts in 2025, saying, "It would obviously be a dream to do that—it would be so surreal." At 36 years old, Sklenar is the right age to be a contemporary to Corenswet's Superman and be someone who could play Batman for a decade. Putting aside the fancasts, Sklenar being at the top of DC's Batman casting list would make sense for Skydance. His next two movies, The Rescue and F.A.S.T., come from their two major film divisions, Paramount and Warner Bros. Given his rising star status, it'd be smart to get him in this role before another franchise comes his way. 5 Wonder Woman — Adria Arjona Credit: Julie Edwards/Future Image/Cover Images Adria Arjona may already be Wonder Woman in the DCU. The Andor star joined Man of Tomorrow in a top-secret role, with conflicting reports coming originally about whether she was playing Maxima. She's still not confirmed to be playing Diana Prince in Gunn's next movie, but with reports surfacing that Wonder Woman is in Man of Tomorrow, Arjona is the obvious choice. The 34-year-old actress has demonstrated in the past that she has the strength, warmth, and wisdom to portray Wonder Woman now and into the future. If Arjona is Wonder Woman in Man of Tomorrow, her portrayal is still sight unseen. Skydance could move on from her if they want someone else, but considering how great a fit she is for the role, it would be exciting for the actress to stick around even after Gunn's exit. 4 The Flash — Austin Abrams Image credit: Sony Pictures Releasing / Courtesy Everett Collection The Flash never got introduced under Gunn's DCU tenure, but with a solo movie becoming another of Latcham's expected priorities, DC's speedster will absolutely be part of an initial Justice League roster. The franchise needs someone with a youthful and nerdy energy, who can lean equally into the character's humor and trauma. That's why DC should look at Weapons and Resident Evil's Austin Abrams. The 30-year-old actor has proven to be a magnetic screen presence, making his characters easy to root for and like. While a lot of his biggest roles have been playing people who are out of their depths in a specific situation, there is no reason to think Abrams couldn't bring Barry Allen's brilliant scientific mind to life. He'd be a really fun addition to a DCU Justice League team. 3 Green Lantern — Aaron Pierre Green Lantern was absent from DC's last Justice League team, but and if Latcham and Skydance want the cosmic hero as part of the DCU's roster, there's no sense in looking beyond Aaron Pierre's John Stewart. He was one of the best parts of Lanterns and has a pivotal role on the horizon in Man of Tomorrow. Pierre quickly showed how great he is at conveying John's disciplined mindset, formidable will, and moral compass. Considering how fantastic he was in Lanterns, it would be a shame if DC moved on from him as part of this regime change. The 32-year-old British actor can easily play the space cop for another decade. He's a wildly charismatic actor who could certainly lead a Green Lantern movie franchise on top of handling responsibilities with Justice League appearances. 2 Aquaman — Nicholas Galitzine Zack Snyder's decision to infuse Aquaman with Polynesian culture through Jason Momoa's casting was a stroke of genius, but Skydance and DC could go back to a more classic comic take on Arthur Curry. The next Aquaman actor needs to be regal enough to be a believable future or present king, while also being able to ground any potential silliness of the underwater hero in an emotional drama. Nicholas Galitzine has already shown he can do just that thanks to playing He-Man in Masters of the Universe​​​​​​. With Amazon MGM unlikely to turn the Hasbro fantasy world into a franchise, the 32-year-old actor is freed up for an opportunity like this. This could be a match made in heaven, giving Galitzine a new blonde buff prince from a fantastical kingdom to portray. 1 Martian Manhunter — Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Martian Manhunter hasn't gotten his due on the big screen as a founding Justice League member in the comics. It would make a lot of sense for the new DCU to introduce him, whether it connects to Lanterns' Manhunter story or not. The search to cast J'onn J'onzz would need to revolve around finding an actor who can bring the alien's wisdom, calm demeanor, and pain to life effortlessly. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II would be an excellent choice for Martian Manhunter. He's already done a DC villain with Black Manta and a Marvel superhero in Wonder Woman, and with the latter's future unclear, it would be great to see him get such a powerful role. His Emmy-winning take on Doctor Manhattan in HBO's Watchmen is further proof of how excellent he'd be as the DCU's shape-shifting alien as part of the Justice League and elsewhere. First Film Man of Steel First TV Show Peacemaker Cast Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Zachary Levi, Dwayne Johnson, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor, Idris Elba, John Cena, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Xolo Mariduena Created by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson Character(s) Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Shazam, Darkseid, Amanda Waller, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Black Canary, Black Adam Movie(s) Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, Zack Snyder's Justice League, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Shazam! The Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, Superman, The Brave and the Bold