DCU Updates Take the Franchise in Unexpected Directions
As Superman looms, comic fans are wondering what the about-to-begin DCU will look like. Two years ago, James Gunn – the co-CEO of Warner Bros.’s newly minted DC Studios with Peter Safran – gave a rundown of their plan for the first phase (or whatever they’re calling it to pretend it’s different from the MCU), which he called “Gods and Monsters.” However, since then, changes have come, from Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow being moved up, new projects like a Clayface movie being added, and some of the big announcements never being mentioned again. Today, The Hollywood Reporter recapped a press event held this past Friday in which Gunn and Safran gave updates on what the DCU roadmap looks like two years later, and things don’t seem to be on as sure footing as they once were.
The biggest news from the press conference is that a bunch of projects look stalled, and it’s doubtful some of them will be made. One of those, unfortunately, is The Authority, which I was looking forward to because I loved the first few runs of the comic (although I agree with Gary on Nerdrotic that it should be its own thing rather than part of the DCU continuity). Gunn said the script for The Authority “has had a harder time coming along” and isn’t “much a priority.” And as much as I like The Authority, that does make sense; if you’re building the DC Universe on film, your priorities should be Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the main heroes, not an off-kilter fringe team. Setting aside my fantasy of hearing Sienna Miller’s Jenny Sparks saying, “We are the Authority. Behave,” for the moment, another project that sounds kaput is Waller, the TV series about ARGUS leader Amanda Waller, which Gunn says they “haven’t been able to land.” And that’s probably for the best; Amanda Waller is great, but she’s not a lead, and I have no idea how you build a whole show around that character, which, I imagine, is Gunn and Safran’s problem. Booster Gold is also in trouble, as the showrunner they had lined up is waffling, forcing Gunn and Safran to “pivot.” Finally, Swamp Thing, one of the more surprising announcements (until you remember James Gunn is running the show), seems like it’s falling by the wayside, with Gunn saying he talks to director James Mangold “occasionally.”
A surprising turn is the trouble Gunn and Safran are having with what one expects would be a DCU priority: The Brave and the Bold, the universe’s first Batman movie. This film is supposed to be about Batman and the Damian Wayne version of Robin, with Andy Muschietti directing. According to Gunn, the script is being written now, which Muschietti will see when it’s completed, and Gunn is “working very closely with the writer.” THR notes that it’s a bit odd that Muschietti is so far removed from the scripting process while Gunn is all over it, especially after the ridiculous amount of praise Gunn heaped on The Flash, which Muschietti directed. Gunn isn’t naming the film’s screenwriter, and that makes me wonder if Gunn may be writing it himself; we know he loves subterfuge, and he already took Superman. Maybe he’ll step in if Muschietti leaves the film. Gunn and Safran also say there’s no actor cast as Batman, which makes sense because the script isn’t even finished. They are adamant that it won’t be Robert Pattinson, the star of Matt Reeves’ The Batman and its developing sequel. Speaking of that much-delayed film, it doesn’t have a finished script, either, though Safran says they like what they’ve read “so far.” Safran also says they’re unsure about a second season of The Penguin, the outstanding series that spun off from The Batman, and that suits me just fine; the story is better left as it is.
It’s not all bad news for the DCU, though. Gunn is finishing up post-production on Superman, which will open in theaters this summer, and season 2 of Peacemaker will debut on HBO the month after that. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which will star Milly Alcock in the title role, is reported as being “halfway through production.” Lanterns, the HBO series featuring Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler as Green Lanterns John Stewart and Hal Jordan, has also begun filming. And a couple of unexpected DC movies are in active development, one of which is the recently announced Clayface. Matt Flanagan wrote the script for Clayface, which Gunn loved and greenlit; James Watkins recently signed on to direct the film, which will shoot in the summer and be released on September 11, 2026. The other is Sgt. Rock, which I hadn’t even heard of until Daniel Craig dropped out of the lead role; this one was written by Justin Kuritzkes and will be directed by Luca Guadagnino, who collaborated on the recent Queer and Challengers, the former starring Craig. And, of course, there’s Creature Commandos, which is available to watch now on HBO (though I wouldn’t recommend it; I watched the first two episodes and had to remind myself that I didn’t imagine seeing something that awful).
This tumult isn’t necessarily bad. Gunn has said from the beginning that the DCU would not be greenlighting movies without scripts that were ready to go, and if that’s what’s wrong in a lot of these cases, it’s better to wait and have a solid story in place before casting news and release dates are announced. And I hope that’s what’s going on because I want the DCU to be great. But something THR said about Gunn and Safran in their piece made me wonder if there’s more going on: “The duo are moving with the speedy deliberation of the Flash to get as many projects going as possible. Maybe before anyone can stop them.” That’s interesting. Could they be setting some contingency plans in place for the possibility that Superman bombs? I think that movie will do well, but it’s nowhere near a sure thing, and if Gunn and Safran blow it on a Superman film, which is their first one out of the gate, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav could have second thoughts about entrusting them with the DCU. Having a slate of movies and shows ready to go could buy them some time if Superman underperforms, although it’s hard to see most of these being blockbusters outside of a newly admired brand. And Batman is still a ways off. A lot is riding on Superman’s shoulders, and it’ll be a while before we see what Gunn and Safran’s DCU looks like beyond the Man of Steel.
Let us know what you think of the DCU shakeups in the comments!
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