5 Popular DC Comics Characters Making Their DCEU Debut This Year

DC Comics is looking to expand its live-action presence with the introduction of more characters rooted in its comic lore. Most of these characters have been around in pages for a while, but by joining the DCEU they’re being opened up to a whole new audience with the promise of surging popularity.

With the likes of previously obscure characters like Peacemaker, Ratcatcher, and Vigilante now being known and adored by millions around the world, there’s clearly still room for even the most awkward character with a beloved backstory in the hearts of fans.

Let’s dive in.

Black Adam

After spending such a long time in development hell, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is expected to finally make his DCEU debut as Black Adam.

In the comics, Black Adam is Shazam’s nemesis, but seeing as this is a standalone, origin story for the titular character, we can expect an antihero origin story for this god. Hopefully, we’ll get to see him share the screen with Zachary Levi’s Shazam soon and, possibly, with Henry Cavill’s Superman, too.

Black Adam flies into theatres on October 21, 2022.

Batgirl

Like Black Adam, Batgirl will be joining the DCEU this year 2022, but unlike the anti-hero, she will be making her debut on an HBO Max movie. While this is a somewhat perplexing move that can be likened to the shocking 2021 decision to debut all high-profile Warner Bros movies on the streaming service, fans of the character are more excited to see Barbara Gordon (aka The Batgirl) join the current onscreen iteration of the Bat-family that has shown little signs of slowing down.

In the Height’s Leslie Grace will be playing the character.

No release date has been announced for Batgirl yet.

Doctor Fate

Expect the age-long argument of who is stronger between Doctor Fate and Doctor Strange to be at an all-time high after the DC universe’s Sorcerer makes his DCEU debut in the upcoming Black Adam movie.

Pierce Brosnan of the 007 fame will portray the character.

Hawkman

Hawkman is another character making his debut in Black Adam. Probably the less popular one of the Hawk-smashing duo but still very popular nonetheless. Aldis Hodge (Invisible, One Night in Miami) will portray the character.

Hawkman’s inclusion in Black Adam makes me particularly excited because this might just be the one time the character is done real justice in live-action.

Firefly

It’s the latest episode of the Brenaissance, people! After years of drought from the once-on-top Hollywood star, Brendan Fraser is experiencing a new surge of interest from some of Hollywood’s choicest projects. The star of The Mummy will make his DCEU debut as the DC comics villain in Batgirl.

Atom Smasher

Noah Centineo became almost every girl’s dream guy with his lead role in Netflix’s To All The Boys trilogy. Now he’s set to make his comic book movie debut as the Atom Smasher in, you guessed it, Black Adam.

Who is Atom Smasher? Think Ant-man, The Atom, and any other character you know can shrink or enlarge in size, and then you have a better picture of the kind of skillset to expect from Centineo’s new character when he struts into the cinemas this October.