James Gunn and Peter Safran Unveil DCU Plans Starting with Chapter One “Gods and Monsters”
It has been months of rumors, speculations, uncertainty, cancellations, and restructuring at Warner Bros. and DC Studios since David Zaslav boarded as CEO as part of the Warner Bros. merger. Then we got the breaking news that DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran would be curating the future of the DCU. A press conference was held yesterday where Gunn and Safran broke down in detail what their monumental story will consist of and also noted that it will be coming in two chapters. Chapter one has been revealed and will be known as “Gods and Monsters.”
Chapter one will consist of five films and five TV series that will be developed by DC Studios. While many are in line with some of the mainstays in the franchise such as Superman and Batman. Gunn will be looking to put a spotlight on some lesser-known characters which is truly exciting to see.
Check out the full slate of announcements below:
The Flash
Yes, this film has already been announced and was mostly laid out but after the uncertainty of other projects such as Aquaman, how far the Scarlet Speedster would go was a real concern, especially considering the recent allegations plaguing the film’s star.
Well, we now know that The Flash will reset the DCU. This is likely to find a way to co-exist within the ground that is currently laid out as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Blue Beetle, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and The Flash all exist as plans of the previous DC Studios era and the new layout will likely pick out what Gunn and Safran don’t see fitting into their multi-year plans. Plus, before you can rebuild something of this magnitude, a few things have to be broken.
The Batman
I am not sure that Matt Reeves Batman was ever in real danger and this universe existing in its own world dubbed BatVerse. Gunn and Safran have gone a step further to reveal that they will be adapting the DC Comics “Elseworlds” mentality into their shared universe.
This leaves the door open for previous characters, projects, and future characters and projects to existing outside of the main universe or ‘Canon’ universe. This also opens the door for Todd Phillips’ Joker to exist in its Elseworld and with the plans to unite all mediums of DC entertainment, other animated series, films, and video games can all co-exist without being directly tied to the main universe they are laying out.
Superman Legacy
It would be criminal to include a DCU of this magnitude without one of its most influential heroes. Gunn and Safran must also agree as the first major film in their release plans with be Superman Legacy which is currently slated to arrive on July 11, 2025. Gunn will be handling the script with no director currently attached.
Whether Gunn takes on the helm as well or sticks to maintaining a role of just writing the stories, remains to be seen. Gunn and Safran did previously note that they do not plan on diving into another origin story for the character which should be comforting and hopefully gives Gunn room to explore where he wants to take our Kryptonian hero.
The Authority
A banger of an announcement is certainly the news of Gunn currently working on a script for The Authority. This is a superteam that often finds itself in controversy as their goal to save the planet has led them to cross many moral boundaries as the belief of their goal justifies the means of their decisions, this is a step further from anti-hero and dances with the lines of hero and villain. As part of the WildStorm label, the characters will make their way to the DCU as part of Chapter one.
The Brave and the Bold
The extended Bat-family will also be making their way into the DCU as Gunn and Safran announced that “Gods and Monsters” will feature The Brave and the Bold film and will put Damian Wayne at the center of the film in a story focused on the father-son duo of Batman and Robin. The story will be influenced by Grant Morrison‘s comic book run and will be the introduction of a new actor as the Dark Knight.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Tom King‘s epic take on a beloved character will see itself as part of the DCU as Gunn and Safran announced that Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be a film that explores Kara Zor-El, Kal-El/Superman’s cousin. The film will arrive approximately 2 years after Superman Legacy, the story will follow the different upbringings of the two Kryptonians as Superman was found and cared for by the Kent’s Supergirl saw herself floating through space in a fragment of her destroyed home and bore witness to death and destruction leading to a different type of hero from what we see in Kal-El.
Swamp Thing
The final film for Chapter One will be the resurrection of Swamp Thing! Previously got the small screen treatment that lasted only one season and will now bring the horrifying character back in what Gunn and Safran say will explore the “dark origins” of the character.
Creature Commandos
The first series coming from the “Gods and Monsters” chapter will be Creature Commandos. This will be a seven-episode animated series based on a lesser-known group from the DC Comics library. This team is another team that Amanda Waller put together and is very akin to the Suicide Squad. Made of literal monstrous creatures, a script is already completed for the series and is already in production. Gunn also noted that the stars of the live-action films/series will also voice their characters in all animated and video games projects.
Waller
A little bit of good news for Doom Patrol fans on this one. Although the series will end after it finishes the second half of its fourth season. Series creator Jeremy Carver will team up with Christal Henry, writer of Watchmen to develop the Waller series. The series will star current star Viola Davis as the titular character and will be a follow-up to Peacemaker. Gunn noted that characters from Peacemaker and Suicide Squad will make appearances in the series which also points to the two being official DCU canon.
Booster Gold
Gunn and Safran are doing a real fan service on this one and answered the pleas from fans to develop a series featuring the fan-favorite character Booster Gold. The series will be very akin to what we get from the character in his comic book adventures as he travels to the past and attempts to use advanced technology to become a superhero. The Blue Beetle film has already been in development and the two character often team up which could lead to some pretty damn awesome crossover adventures.
Lanterns
Lanterns will be coming from the previous Warner Bros. Discovery merger. The series previously saw it being redesigned from the ground up and confirmed the story would now feature John Stewart as the protagonist. The series looks to take it further by featuring not only Stewart but also Hal Jordan and will draw heavy inspiration from HBO series True Detective as the Lanterns investigate a dark crime taking place on planet Eart. Could this also indicate a multi-season run featuring different Lanterns per season like we see in Ture Detective? we sure F****ng hope so!
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost will be the final series in the “Gods and Monsters” current lineup and will take fans to Themyscira. Wonder Woman’s birthplace has been seen on screen before but this time around, the series will serve as a political drama. The series takes place years before Wonder Woman is born and focuses on the political disputes ad struggles for power within Themyscira and the different Amazons that call it home. This will be an origin story of the birthplace of Wonder Woman and see the creation of the all-women hidden society cut off from the world.
Stay tuned as more information is revealed on the big plans coming to the DCU!
Source: Deadline