The first chapter of the DC Universe is here.
DC Studios co-chairman and co-CEO James Gunn presented, via a Twitter video, the first batch of projects for the shared universe he and fellow chairman and CEO Peter Safran have crafted. The pair, who also hosted a press conference, took over creative direction of the DC Universe late last year.
The first chapter of the DC Universe is called Gods and Monsters. It will feature movies and TV shows about Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Booster Gold, and Green Lantern.
Gunn clarified that the four movies already announced will continue as planned. Those movies include Shazam! Fury of the Gods (March 17); The Flash (June 23); Blue Beetle (Aug. 23); and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Dec. 25).
The Flash, Gunn said, will serve as the catalyst for rebooting the DC Universe.
He also said movies like Matt Reeves’s The Batman or Todd Phillips’s Joker will carry the DC Elseworlds tag, indicating they are outside the larger continuity. Other projects that will operate outside the DC Universe will also carry the Elseworlds tag.
As part of the development of the larger DCU, Gunn said he is hoping to find actors who can provide both voice talents as well as portrayals in live action films and shows.
Gunn, during the Twitter video, said he is looking to tell stories that don’t fit into the traditional good and bad guy molds. He said he wanted the vision of the creators of these movies and shows to be unique.
“Storytelling is always king,” he said during the video. “It’s all that matters to us and I want to be true to those stories. I want to be true to you guys and really give you guys something different than you’ve seen before.”
Superman: Legacy
While Gunn did provide a number of project synopsis, many of the announcements did not have release dates.
The only DCU project that did was Superman: Legacy, which is slated for July 11, 2025. This movie will not feature Henry Cavill, who has returned and left the role in recent months.
Safran said this movie will showcase Superman trying to balance his Kryptonian heritage with his upbringing on Earth. Both clarified this would not be an origin story.
The Brave and the Bold
The DCU will have its own Batman, which will be separate from Robert Pattinson. The Brave and the Bold will introduce the mainline universe’s caped crusader as well as Bruce Wayne’s assassin son Damian Wayne.
Gunn said this movie would draw inspiration from Grant Morrison’s comic run in the late 2000s. This movie, Gunn said, will focus on the father-son dynamic between the two Waynes.
While not part of the DCU continuity, The Batman Part II did get a release date of Oct. 3, 2025, continuing Pattinson’s portrayal of the Dark Knight.
Lanterns
Despite a turbulent history, a Green Lantern is heading to HBO Max.
Lanterns will center on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, both of whom are part of the Green Lantern Corp. Gunn said he envisions this show to be terrestrial-bund and similar to True Detective, a mystery police drama.
Gunn did not confirm any other appearances but did hint at potentially other Green Lanterns appearing. In the comics, other members of the Green Lantern Corps. from Earth include Jessica Cruz, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, and Simon Baz, among others.
Greg Berlanti, who helped shape the Arrow-verse, will not be involved with this project despite helping develop a previous Green Lantern project for HBO Max that ultimately did not happen.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Supergirl will also make her debut in the DCU with Gunn and Safran describing her as “much more hardcore and not the Supergirl we’re used to.”
Supergirl is Superman’s cousin and lived on a rock that broke away from Krypton. She has seen her fair share of suffering as many around her die in “terrible ways” throughout her first 14 years of life.
This project will draw inspiration from a 2021 comic miniseries from writer Tom King.
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is another future HBO Max show and will focus on the all-female island of Themyscira, the birthplace of Wonder Woman. Gunn and Safran describe this show as similar to Game of Thrones with political intrigue and powerful scheming tactics.
The duo said the show will take place prior to the Wonder Woman films.
Booster Gold
Booster Gold will also debut on HBO Max and will center on a lesser-known hero from the comics. Both Gunn and Safran said this hero will be unique and described him as a “loser” from the future with “imposter syndrome” attempting to be a superhero in the modern era.
Creature Commandos
Creature Commandos is a seven-episode animated series that Gunn is writing. It is already in production and will feature a modern take on a team of monsters that fight Nazis.
There is no voice cast yet but the studio is in the process of filling out the roles. The members of this team are considered antiheroes.
The Authority
The Authority will be a movie centered on radical superheroes that protect the planet using unique methods. It draws inspiration from the Jim Lee-created imprint Wildstorm from the late 1990s.
Safran said he envisions the Authority as similar to Jack Nicholson’s character Col. Nathan R. Jessup in A Few Good Men. Jessup uses unconventional methods to achieve his goals.
Waller
Viola Davis will continue her portrayal of Amanda Waller, spinning out of the HBO Max series Peacemaker. Christal Henry, of Watchmen fame, is writing Waller alongside Jeremy Carver, creator of the Doom Patrol TV show.
Swamp Thing
The last project in chapter one of the DCU will be a Swamp Thing movie. Gunn said this film will be based in horror and will close out, narratively, the first chapter of the DCU.
What are your thoughts on the upcoming DCU slate? Are you excited or nervous about Gunn and Safran’s creative direction? Let us know in the comments below or by heading over to our Discord channel.
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Source: DC Studios (via The Hollywood Reporter)
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