DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran finally revealed what every DC fan on the planet was eagerly awaiting for: the gameplan for the new DCU! The new series of films and shows, which acts as a soft reboot of what was previously known as the DCEU, will encompass an 8-10 year plan centered around a larger unifying narrative. Though Gunn, Safran, and their curated writer’s room have been crafting the full 8-10 year plan, what was revealed officially was the first half of the first chapter of the DCU, known as “Gods and Monsters.”
Here’s a breakdown of the projects that are coming from DC Studios:
CREATURE COMMANDOS
Creature Commandos is a bit like taking the Universal Monsters, and putting them on a task force to go on missions. It’s going to be an animated series, and will technically be the first project to be released under Gunn and Safran’s authority, acting as the first of two preludes to the overarching story they’re crafting.
The characters will comprise of: Rick Flag Sr., Nina Mazursky, Dr. Phosphorous, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein (the leader), G.I. Robot, and Weasel, from Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.
This looks like a fun and nutty project, and will test Gunn and Safran’s promise to integrate multiple mediums, from animation and gaming to the overall storyline. The coolest thing about the project is that the voice actors from the show will reprise their roles throughout the DCU in live action projects as well.
It’s just a very neat concept based on some offbeat obscure characters. And that’s Gunn’s specialty (Guardians anyone?). So to introduce a bunch of misfits that we’ll eventually see interact with big guns like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman? That’s incredible!
WALLER
Set in between Peacemaker seasons 1&2 (because Gunn says he doesn’t have time for Peacemaker S2) Waller will see the newly minted EGOT-recipient Viola Davis reprising her role as Amanda Waller, and seedy underbelly of the DCU that she oversees and maintains.
Davis’s turn as the character is one of the few in the original DCEU that actually was consistently well written and performed. Waller’s character was accurate to the source material, and Davis was perfect for the part of the cold-hearted mastermind bureaucrat; a woman who could make gods shudder with a look and a plan. It makes sense for her to be one of the starting points in this new era of DC, considering she’s one of the few confirmed stars returning from the previous era.
SUPERMAN: LEGACY
While Waller and Creature Commandos are going to act as preludes to the DCU, Superman: Legacy will be the first ever project to officially kick off the full DC Studios narrative. Gunn will be writing, and they’re pushing for him to direct. And they will be hiring a new actor to portray Superman.
The prospect of a Superman movie with a tone and look inspired by Grant Morrison’s All Star Superman storylines is incredibly enticing. And while many were disappointed that Henry Cavill was not going to be returning for the role, in all honesty, he didn’t do much with the role, and any jacked brunette male would look as good in the role. What’s most important is that Safran and Gunn both cited that their version of Superman will represent “kindness” in a world that scoffs at the notion of kindness. And that is not only something we haven’t seen since the days of Christopher Reeve, but also the total epitome of who that character is. In short, the pair actually understand what this character should be. So I’m excited to see where this goes.
Superman: Legacy will be hitting theaters July 11, 2025.
LANTERNS
Lanterns is going to be an HBO Max series in a True Detective style format, that will star the 2 most popular Green Lanterns in recent years: Hal Jordan and John Stewart.
Gunn and Safran said the show will be set on Earth as the two Lanterns discover an ancient horror hidden somewhere on the planet. With the DC Studios heads saying the mystery in this series would tie directly into the overall narrative of the DCU, one can’t help but think they may be building up to Blackest Night. That would be insanely exciting. But overall, seeing such a legendary property like Green Lantern getting a second chance is deserved, and overdue (something Ryan Reynolds would even agree with).
THE AUTHORITY
The next exciting film to debut after Superman: Legacy will be The Authority. Very similar to The Boys, The Authority will center on a group of superheroes that decide to take matters into their own hands, when their definition of justice isn’t being upheld to their liking. It’s incredibly nice to see Gunn acknowledging WildStorm comics characters, and the idea of The Authority pairs incredibly nice with the conflict that may arise from the way they’re choosing to portray the morally upstanding Superman. To be able to see Superman eventually fight an all-powerful member of The Authority, such as Apollo, would be absolutely dynamite to see on the big screen someday.
PARADISE LOST
This Game of Thrones-esque series will be centering around the home of Wonder Woman, Themyscira, only hundreds of years before Diana Prince’s birth. Gunn and Safran have stated that this will be exploring how the society of the Amazons came to be, and the political strife and drama that existed on the island before Wonder Woman came about.
This is an intriguing concept, as Themyscira is actually one of the most fascinating locations in DC canon. However, they need to ensure that the story is being told from a feminine lens. And therefore one should hope a strong writer like Gail Simone, or confirmed writers room members like Christina Hodson or Christal Henry, will be overseeing the series.
THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD
The Brave and the Bold will be a film, and the introduction of the DCU’s new Batman, and the introduction of Damien Wayne and the Bat-Family. The Brave and the Bold therefore will feel and look a lot more different from its predecessors. Heavily inspired by Grant Morrison’s Batman and Son storyline, the film will likely follow Bruce Wayne trying to be a good parent and father to the son he never knew he had in Damien. Damien, who was raised to be an assassin by his mother, Talia Al-Ghul, is a killer, but doesn’t know any better. So having Batman trying to save the kid’s soul will make for a very interesting arc, and a side to The Dark Knight that we haven’t ever seen before.
BOOSTER GOLD
This one sounded hysterical. Booster Gold will be an HBO Max series, that one presumes will likely be a comedy. The show centers on a loser from the future, who travels back to our current times to gain a celebrity status. Gunn alluded to the fact that this will be the “superhero version of impostor syndrome.” And a true character study. That does make the show sound interesting, but also given how hilarious Booster is in the comics, one can expect this one to be a laugh riot too!
SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW
Gunn cited that one of his most powerful allies in the writers’ room is comic book author Tom King. And as part of that, the film adaptation of his Supergirl run is ambitious and incredibly exciting. Gunn further described how the movie will deal with the dichotomy of how Clark Kent was raised on a farm with loving parents, as Kara Zor-El was forced to watch everyone around her horribly die.
Supergirl has flown in the shadows of her legendary cousin for far too long. It’s time for her to hit the big screen in a big way, and who better to do this than the actor who’s been playing him up to now.
SWAMP THING
The final DC Studios film project Gunn and Safran announced was Swamp Thing. This is incredibly exciting because the big green fella has never had a big-budget adaptation of his terrific stories. It’s very likely Gunn will pull from the Alan Moore run, but the idea of potentially pulling from Scott Snyder’s interpretation as well is very high.
The film is said to explore the darker and more horror aspects of the DCU. And that brings up a very interesting point, which is that Gunn and Safran insisted that even if tones differ from movie to movie, to maintain the best creative direction and style imaginable for any of their films. It’s very likely Swamp Thing won’t feel like either of the Superman or Supergirl films potentially coming before it. And that’s a good thing! It needs to feel like a Swamp Thing movie.
Overall it’s an exciting time to be a fan! The DCU lives! And it’s never looked more super.
Photos copyright DC Studios
