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Over the past year, the earliest iterations of Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh have entered the public domain, paving the way for horror projects riffing on the characters. With the copyrights for DC Comics’ biggest characters — Superman, Batman, Joker, and Wonder Woman — entering the public domain in 2034, 2035, 2036, and 2037, respectively, Variety has published a new report explaining how DC and Warner Bros. have begun preparing for the future.

At the most public level, co-head of DC Studios James Gunn has already mapped out a new DC Universe with an eye on spotlighting lesser-known characters. For example, the tentpole film Superman: Legacy will introduce a group of superhumans called The Authority. Along the same lines, a Batman movie titled The Brave and the Bold will star a new Batman actor while expanding members of “the Bat family.” This includes Batman’s biological son, Damian Wayne, as a version of Robin.

Going back two decades,...

Batman and Superman will lose their copyright protection in the near future, leading to unauthorized attempts to create comic books featuring these beloved characters. The loss of copyright protection only applies to the Action Comics No. 1 version of Superman and Detective Comics No. 27's iteration of the Batman. DC Comics still has protection for their characters through trademarks, including logos and nicknames, ensuring their continued control over the most valuable aspects of these characters.

Holy copyright conundrum, Batman! After the “Steamboat Willie” version of Mickey Mouse lost its copyright protection and entered the public domain on January 1, the spotlight began to shine on some major characters belonging to DC Comics next, which will also find themselves without copyrights in the near future. And DC’s two most well-known superheroes, Batman and Superman, are among them. Comic book author and Batman expert Chris Sims warns that there will undoubtedly be many...

About a decade ago, Zack Snyder developed a storyline for the DC Extended Universe that involved Bruce Wayne impregnating Lois Lane.

The subplot in which Batman cuckolds Superman was poised to unfold in “Justice League,” with Batman dying in the sequel and Lois raising their spawn with Superman. Snyder’s vision for Wonder Woman was equally unorthodox, with visuals featuring a superheroine who brandished the decapitated heads of her conquered enemies like an Isis jihadi.

Warner Bros. and DC Studios — which hold a firm grip on their intellectual property — rejected Snyder’s ideas, which were deemed “super creepy,” according to a source familiar with the back and forth. (DC declined to comment for this story. A representative for Snyder did not respond to a request for comment.) But in the next decade, artists and rival studios won’t need permission to create their own take on the characters.

A sad...