DC Comics: Every Movie And TV Show Scheduled For 2017
While Bruce Wayne (Gotham), Barry Allen (The Flash) and Clark Kent (Superman on Supergirl) all appear on TV shows that will be returning from their holiday breaks later this month, Batman, The Flash and Superman will all appear later in 2017 as part of the Justice League movie, the fifth installment of the DC Extended Universe film franchise. While the only connection between the TV shows and the films are their roots in DC Comics, there are certainly fans who appreciate every incarnation of the DC Universe.
In 2017, there will be as many as nine live-action TV shows based on characters and stories from the pages of DC Comics and its imprints. There are two major live-action films scheduled, and three animated television series.
What follows is an extensive list of television shows and movies based on DC Comics set to be released on 2017, listed in chronological order, with previews or trailers when available.
Gotham on Fox
The last episode of Gotham aired on November 28. It was the 11th episode of the third season, and Jervis Tetch’s plans to turn Gotham City into Mad City were in full effect. But potentially even more exciting than what’s going on with the Mad Hatter — or young Bruce and Selina, or even the awkward relationship between Penguin and Nygma — is the return of Jerome Valeska, the character many believe to be the young Joker. Portrayed by Cameron Monaghan (Shameless), Valeska will be the most recent villain who returns to Gotham City after previously being assumed dead.
Gotham returns to Fox on Monday, January 16. The first two seasons of Gotham are available to stream on-demand via Netflix, while the last five episodes of Season 3 are available to stream on Hulu.
Lucifer on Fox
There are a handful of shows currently on television that have their basis in lesser-known DC Comics series and characters, such as Lucifer. The comic book of the same name was a spin-off of The Sandman, both originally published as part of DC’s Vertigo imprint, known for being more graphic and less mainstream. After a successful 13-episode rookie season, Lucifer is currently in the middle of its second season on Fox.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIn2wOlOXy4
Lucifer returns to Fox on Monday, January 16. Every episode of the series can be streamed on-demand via Hulu.
Justice League Action on Cartoon Network
This new animated series debuted in the United States with a four-part pilot that featured mainstream characters like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. But the series also introduces viewers to lesser-known characters that fit perfectly into an animated series, like Swamp Thing, Blue Beetle, and Plastic Man.
Justice League Action returns to the Cartoon Network with its fifth episode on January 21.
Supergirl on The CW
The last time Supergirl aired on The CW, the final few minutes of the show set up the crossover Invasion! series. Having moved from CBS to The CW for her second season, the cousin of Superman continues to develop as she faces new challenges in her sophomore year, including higher expectations at work and complicated feelings about an alien from Krypton’s rival planet — who appears to be in danger when the series picks back up again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O91JzoGp73M
Supergirl returns to her regular time slot on The CW at 8/7c. New episodes air weekly on Monday nights, beginning January 23. The first season of Supergirl can be streamed via Netflix, while the most recent episodes of the current season can be streamed at The CW’s website.
The Flash on The CW
The team from Central City had one episode after the Invasion! crossover, which ended with Barry finding out that Iris may die at the hands of Savitar in the not-so-distant future. In the meantime, he has lined up an apartment for himself and Iris to share, while her little brother, Wally, gets a uniform to wear as Kid Flash.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzd58q6qtPs
Just like Supergirl — and all the DCTV shows on The CW — prior seasons of The Flash are available to stream on Netflix, while recent episodes from the current season can be streamed at The CW’s website. New episodes start up again on January 24.
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow on The CW
Before Supergirl officially made the transition from CBS to The CW, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow joined Arrow and The Flash as part of the Arrowverse — the world inhabited by the DC Comics characters of all three shows. If the “Flashpoint” story arc hasn’t given fans enough in the way of time travel, alternate timelines and the butterfly effect, then the mere premise of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow — a team of superheroes who travel through time and space to protect the future of humanity — should help make up for that. After visiting the roaring 1920s in the last episode, the Legends travel to 1960’s Los Angeles when the show returns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt–ze3CuGU
When Legends of Tomorrow returns to The CW in 2017, it will move to Tuesday nights, beginning on January 24. The first season of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow can be streamed via Netflix, while recent episodes from the current season can be streamed at The CW’s website.
Arrow on The CW
The Invasion! episode of Arrow was the series’ 100th, making it by far the longest-running DC Comics-based show on television, currently in its fifth season. At the end of the last episode that aired on The CW, Oliver discovered what appears to be Laurel Lance, alive and well. But as the trailer for the 10th episode of the season shows, the return of Laurel may not mean a happy ending.
Arrow returns to The CW on January 25. Prior seasons are available to stream via Netflix, while the most recent episodes of the current season can be streamed at The CW’s website.
Teen Titans Go! on Cartoon Network
For people who like to cheer for the underdogs, Teen Titans Go! stars the animated versions of Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire as teenagers. The show isn’t meant to share continuity with any other programs, as the cartoon follows the exploits of the young superheroes in Jump City.
When the show returns to the Cartoon Network on January 27 in the midst of its fourth season, Robin will be focusing on keeping his crime-stopping streak alive.
Powerless on NBC
While the show Powerless is set in the DC Universe, the central characters of the action-sitcom haven’t been pulled from the pages of DC Comics. Emily Locke (played by Vanessa Hudgens) works at Wayne Security, a division of Wayne Enterprises that invents products to help keep regular humans safe during major superhero events. With a cast that includes hipster-comedy favorites Danny Pudi and Ron Funches — not to mention repeated opportunities to reference every DC Comics character from Superman to Comet the Superhorse — Powerless has the potential to be a huge success with Millennial comic book fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDnO2cvBbnA
The series premiere for Powerless is scheduled for February 2 on NBC.
iZombie on The CW
The show iZombie has been adapted for The CW based on a series from DC’s Vertigo imprint of the same name. After the first two seasons, it has been picked up for a third. Season 2 ended with the revelation that an entire zombie military force has been established, and that they plan to make Seattle the basis of their new headquarters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE9FZeUFIL4
Nearly a year after the second season ended, Season 3 of iZombie is set to premiere on April 4. The first two seasons are currently available to stream on Netflix.
Wonder Woman
The first of two movies added to the DC Extended Universe in 2017 will be Wonder Woman. After both Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad were met with mixed reviews, it will be up to the fourth installment in the film franchise to build momentum for Justice League, the movie meant as DC’s answer to The Avengers and X-Men. Wonder Woman will be the first female-led superhero film since the genre really started dominating box offices over the last decade.
The film is set to hit theaters on June 2.
Justice League
The follow-up to Wonder Woman is arguably the most highly-anticipated film of 2017. Justice League will finally bring Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash together on the silver screen. While 20th Century Fox really kicked the comic-book-turned-movie industry into gear with the X-Men film franchise in 2000, it was the Marvel Cinematic Universe — beginning with Iron Man in 2008 — that has really shown what can be done with a live-action universe that spans blockbuster films, network television, and even a subscription service like Netflix. Justice League will be an opportunity to show that the DC Extended Universe is on the same level as the films put out by Marvel.
Justice League is scheduled to debut in theaters on November 17.
Preacher on AMC
Like Lucifer and iZombie, AMC’s Preacher is connected to DC Comics through Vertigo. The show premiered in May of 2016 and was picked up for a second season by June. The cast of characters includes a pastor with a shady past, an Irish vampire, a pair of angels, and a supernaturally-gifted bounty hunter.
While a second season of Preacher has received a green light from AMC sometime in 2017, no date has been set.
Young Justice on Cartoon Network
This animated series — which began with a focus on such youthful DC Comics characters as Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis — was cancelled after just two seasons and 46 episodes spanning 2011-2013.
While the show has been picked up for a new season, the premiere date, presumably in 2017, has not yet been set.
[Featured Image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
