DC Extended Universe

The DC Universe (also referred to as the DCU, DC Cinematic Universe and formerly referred to as the DC Extended Universe and shortened as the DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe that is centered on a series of superhero movies and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, based on characters that appear in publications by DC Comics. It also includes comic books, short films, novels, and video games.
Background.
The shared universe, much like the original DC Universe in comic books, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters. The movies have been in production since 2011 and in that time Warner Bros. has distributed four movies with more than ten in various stages of production. The series has grossed over $3 billion at the global box office, currently making it the seventeenth highest-grossing movie franchise.
The movies are written and directed by a variety of screenwriters and feature large, often ensemble, casts. Several actors, including Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, and Ray Fisher, are set to appear in numerous movies.
In May 2016, DC's chief creative officer Geoff Johns and Warner Bros. executive vice president Jon Berg were appointed to co-run the DC Films division and oversee creative decisions, production and story-arcs in order to create a cohesive overarching plot within the movies.
Movies.
The first movie in the DCEU was "Man of Steel" (2013), which was followed by "" (2016), "Suicide Squad" (2016), "Wonder Woman" (2017), "Aquaman" (2018), "Shazam!" (2019), "Birds of Prey" (2020), "Wonder Woman 1984" (2020), "Zack Snyder's Justice League" (2021) and "The Suicide Squad" (2021).
Future movies include: "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" (2023), "Black Adam" (2022), "The Flash" (2023), "Blue Beetle" (2023) and "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" (2023). The Tim Burton Batman movies "Batman" and "Batman Returns" will become part of the DCEU in "The Flash" (2023) through time travel.
A movie about Batgirl titled "Batgirl" was going to be released in 2022 through HBO Max, but it was cancelled by Warner Bros. in August of that year.
Other projects are also in many stages of development, including "Justice League Dark", a third Wonder Woman movie, and untitled solo movies for Supergirl, and other characters. 
Television shows for HBO Max include "Peacemaker" (2022). Shows being made is another "Suicide Squad" spin-off, and "Green Lantern Corps".
Recurring cast and characters.
List indicator(s)
This section shows characters who will appear or have appeared in three or more franchises.