With the lineup forDC UniverseChapter One becoming increasingly detailed, I am fascinated to see more about the one confirmed upcoming DC release we currently seem to know the least about. Following Creature Commandos' debut - and more details being provided for the impending2025Supermanmovie- the path forward for the DCU is steadily becoming more and more clear, as theDC Universe’s Chapter Onebegins to take off.
Plenty of upcoming projects have had a decent amount about their story, cast, or generally what to expect going forward already unveiled. However, one installment has arguably the least of all of the confirmed releases revealed about it - firstly because it’s still in its early stages, and seemingly in no small part because it follows up directly from other current andupcoming DC releases, meaning we can’t get more details without spoiling the near future for us. As it stands, both these factors only make it all the more tantalizingly mysterious for the time being.
James Gunn Has Recently Confirmed Waller Is Still In Development
Alongside a series of other updates about upcoming DC Universe releases, James Gunn confirmed in late November 2024 onBlueskythatWalleris still in active development, replying “it is yes” to a query about its current status. Other than this, the news that it will take place afterPeacemakerseason 2, and John Economos actor Steve Agee stating in aninterview withScreen Rantthat “I think they’re still doing scripts, so there’s no set time yet,”we still know very little about whatWallerwill contain.
There are rumors the show will adapt the Suicide Squad comic storyline titled The Phoenix Gambit, wherein Batman and Waller work together to re-establish the Suicide Squad and set them up to handle a new vital mission. That said, it seemsWallercould well release before Batman’s solo movieThe Brave And The Bold, which means this doesn’t seem likely to be where he appears since the role appears not yet cast, rendering the chance of the rest of this storyline also at least a little unlikely unless he was replaced.
Waller Vs Wildstorm was notably given as a source of inspiration for Chapter One, being part of the official Gods & Monsterscomic reading list in 2023’sDC Essentials Catalog. As such, it seemsWallermay at least in part draw from this storyline, which sees Waller face off against Stormwatch team leader Battalion after he begins to uncover a scheme regarding a metahuman who was mutilated in order to transplant their abilities to a paying customer. That said, it’s unclear how far this could influenceWaller, since other comics in this selection don’t appear to entirely reflect their respective projects.
Waller Seems To Be The Third Chapter Of The DCU’s First Ongoing Story
It’s been clear since beforeCreature Commandosreleased that Amanda Waller would be a key part of the DC Universe from its first days. As the person who creates and oversees the Creature Commandos, she’s obviously significant for the DCU’s initial release, and the same can also logically be said forPeacemakerseason 2, since thePeacemakerseason 1 endingcrucially saw some of Waller’s underhand dealings become public knowledge - something that’s confirmed to still be a part of the DCU story early inCreature Commandos, with it being why Amanda has to replace Task Force X.
Creature Commandosis set to release weekly until its finale on August 22, 2025.
As such,it seems the narrative revolving around Amanda Waller and the aftermath ofPeacemakerseason 1 is something that will at minimum be an ongoing storyline throughoutCreature Commandos,Peacemaker season 2, andWaller. That said, it’s also possible it could crop up in 2025’sSupermanmovie as well, if the story decides to tie in at least part of its story to this backdrop - which feels viable given Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. is confirmed to reprise hisCreature Commandorole in the movie.
The DC Universe’s Early Release Schedule Suggests Waller Could Be Seriously Important To Its Story
Creature Commandoshas thus far made it clear that Amanda Waller is still in a position of power despite the events ofThe Suicide SquadandPeacemakerseason 1, which culminated with the government seemingly having to do damage control after some of her questionable dealings became public. As such, her prominence - and the number of releases that can tie into her story and status - seem notable, and make her upcoming solo series all the more exciting.
Amanda Waller’s comic story is tied to not only the Suicide Squad but also other interesting groups like A.R.G.U.S or Team 7- which could easily be positioned as a sort of equivalent to the DCU’s version of the MCU’s S.H.I.E.L.D. - and Checkmate, which is a more shadowy spy like group that is, much like these other actions, inherently linked to Waller’s comic story. As such, focusing on Waller’s influence on the world has immensely potent potential to give the DCU more building blocks for its worldbuilding.
With all the potential forWallerto flesh out so many corners of DC history for the DCU - and with her one of the more powerful established characters in the lore in terms of political power - the show has a lot of prospects, making the lack of things we know about it thus far all the more intriguing, since there are so many ways it could go. Hopefully, the directionWallerintends to take itself and theDC Universein will become clearer as the project becomes close to release, shedding more light on the new franchise as a whole.
DC Universe
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
