We’re entering a new era of DC Comics movies and television shows with the hiring of Peter Safran and James Gunn as the co-CEOs of DC Studios. The pair have already promised to create a “new” DC Universe, guided by a singular “bible” that they’re working on right now.

Warner Bros. Discovery head honcho David Zaslav went even further in recent comments (via TheWrap) about DC’s future. He said that “over the next few years, you’re going to see a lot of growth and opportunity around DC, there’s not going to be four Batmans ... part of our strategy is drive the hell out of DC, which James and Peter are going to do. I think they’ve thrilled the fans. I think they’re going to thrill you over a period of time.”

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Many fans will welcome a DC movie universe that’s cohesive and uniform after years when the company’s plans have seemed erratic and capricious. But these comments could throw a major monkey wrench into DC movies and shows that have previously been announced, or are already in production in some cases. If there’s only one DC universe, and one Batman, that means at least one person — or multiple people — are going to be out of work very soon, as Warner Bros. has at least three people playing Batman in movies due in theaters in the next year or two, including Robert Pattinson of The Batman, and Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck in The Flash

There’s also the example of the upcoming Joker sequel, which is supposed to star Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. But Margot Robbie is already the Harley Quinn of the DC Universe in films like Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad. And what does this mean for the various Superman projects in development, like the one being written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and J.J. Abrams, if Henry Cavill is going to be making Superman movies moving forward?

A cohesive vision is great — but if it comes at the cost of intriguing projects from talented filmmakers, it could be a bit of a double-edged sword. The next DC Comics movie, Shazam! Fury of the Gods is scheduled to open in theaters on March 17, 2023.

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