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Are you excited? Because I have never been more excited about the future of DCU in my life. And boy, will you be too when you see what James Gunn and Peter Safran have in store for us.
When it was announced that James Gunn and Peter Safran were hired as the new CEOs of DC studios, there was a lot of excitement and a lot of speculation about what the future of the DC Cinematic Universe was going to look like. And with that excitement came a flood of changes and a partial reboot. Of course, there was uproar from a few fans, mostly because Henry Cavill was relieved of the role of Superman right after he had just been reinstated.
We got to see Henry’s superman in the recent Black Adam movie starring Dwayne Johnson and many others, and the post-credit scene of the movie set up what would have been an epic battle between Henry Cavill’s superman and Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam. But the movie was indeed a bust at the box office (a movie I actually enjoyed, to be honest).
For the past 10-plus years, it has been agonizingly painful to witness the continuous sinking of the DCEU and Snyderverse ships. As someone who grew up reading comic books of both DC and Marvel, and smiling ear to ear whenever my dad took me to the cinema to witness the live-action versions of what I could only read and imagine, it has been hard watching DC fail to represent these fantastic characters to the big screen while Marvel has been running the rings with little to no competition.
James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new slate for Chapter 1 has sparked a light in me, and millions of others, that has been a stranger to me in terms of the DCU. Yes, there were a lot of cancellations. Yes, there were a lot of actors that were let off. Yes, we might not get Henry Cavill as Superman again, or Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, or Ben Affleck as Batman (he never really fit the role), and God knows Ezra Miller might be the worst possible actor to cast as the Flash (I’m still excited for the movie) and I hope he is recast but all of these changes were needed and necessary.
What did we expect? You cannot try to save or build upon a universe that has proven to be inconsistent and failed multiple times when you are given the task of bringing it back to life. We wanted change, we wanted an intertwined universe, we wanted the stories of these comic book characters that we loved to be told properly, and we wanted to see characters that have been neglected but that we love from the comics, brought to life. WE NEEDED A FRESH START! And that is exactly what James Gunn and Peter Safran have done with the new movie slate for Chapter 1 of the new DCU. And I can tell you that the future of the DCU is the brightest it has ever been.
New slate for the DC Universe
Earlier today, James Gunn released a video narrating and showing us the new slate for Chapter 1 of the DC Universe. Of course, he said that this was only a part of it, which means there is more to come in the future. But what he did give us was not just hope for the new DCU, he lit up a spark that has been missing in the hearts of DC comics fans for the better part of 10 years.
He properly explains that this DCU will not be anything like the mess we had going on before. You know, with all of our universe and sister universes disjointed and all over the place. Our movies, for the most part, were stand-alone, with not much connection to other movies. We had some series done by Warner Bros. that was streamed on HBO and some on the CW in what we knew as the Arrowverse. It was all over the damn place. James explicitly explained that the DCU will be well-connected. Actors that are cast in the series will be moved over to the movies. The same actors in the movies and series will also be the voice actors for the animated movies/series.
Chapter 1 – Gods and Monsters
Now for the main treat, Gods and Monsters. Chapter 1, one part of it, of the DC Universe is already giving me goosebumps. The upcoming Flash movie that will be released in March will reset the DC Universe. We will get to see the Blue Beetle right after. A movie I can not wait to see, one of the cooler heroes from the DC comics that is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Aquaman 2 will be released shortly after, which will also play into the workings of the new Universe.
Creature Commandos
Creature Commandos is an animated TV series that has already been fully written by James Gunn. It is a team that consists of Rick Flag, Sr, Nina Mazursky, Doctor Phosphorus, a Batman villain, Eric Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, who is the lead, G.I. Robot, and Weasel. We already established that it is an interconnected universe. So whoever is cast as the voice actors for these characters will also play the live-action version of them in movies and series.
Waller
Waller is going to star Viola Davis, who will reprise her role as the ex-leader of the suicide squad. We can also confirm that some of the Characters from The PeaceMaker will be season regulars on the live-action series. The series will be a bridge between Season 1 and Season 2 of the Peacemaker.
Superman: Legacy
Superman: Legacy, according to James and Peter, will be the start of the DCU, Chapter 1. It is the only movie that got a release date. Which will be on the 11th of July, 2025. James Gunn is currently in the middle of writing it so we do not know when casting and production will come into play, but we do have a release date.
This is not another Superman Origin story, we are past that. In the words of Peter Safran: “It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice, and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
I am personally excited to see this one. I mean, Superman movies just never get old, do they?
Green Lantern
Now, this is one of the shows I am most excited about. I mean, in the words of Gunn. This is similar to what a True Detectives meets Space cops would look like. Anyone who knows the Green Lanterns Corps can not talk about it without mentioning the two legends, Hal Jordan and John Stewart. I never thought the day would come when we will actually get to see these two on the big screens, talk less of together on their own series.
The Authority
This is one of the five live-action movies that were announced. The Authority are an interesting bunch of heroes. They are Wildstorm characters that Gunn and Peter have decided to add to the DCU. Gunn says it is a passion project he and a couple writers are working on right now. In his words:
“The Authority’s a very different kind of superhero story. They are basically good-intentioned, but they think that the world is completely broken and the only way to fix it is to take things into their own hands, whether that means killing people, destroying heads of state, changing governments—basically, whatever they want to do to make the world better.”
I am really interested in seeing how this one plays out.
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is a live-action HBO Max series that will focus on women of Themyscira (Wonder Woman’s home), the home of the Amazons. In the words of Peter Safran:
“This involves all of the darkness, drama and political intrigue behind this society of only women.”
This one is probably going to be as action-filled and dramatic as you can imagine. And when they say it has a “Game of Thrones” feel to it, you know it’s going to be good.
The Brave and the Bold
I don’t know about you guys but Batman is just one of those characters that never seems to get old. But a live action Robin? And not just any Robin, his actual son Damian? And other members of the extended Bat-family? If you aren’t excited to see this one, I don’t know what else you want to be excited for.
Gunn also mentioned that The Robert Pattinson Batman will still carry on with its sequel (s) with Matt Reeves and Ben Affleck also working with them. Ben will not be donning the Batman suit but will work with the movie in terms of producing/directing.
It would be great to finally see Damian, Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, and some others in a live action movie. It doesn’t get any more DCU than that.
Booster Gold
If you are familiar with old animated Justice League shows and read the comics, you definitely know who Booster Gold is. And he has been neglected for far too long on our screens. He is popularly known as another “Green Lantern”, which is fair given his powers. He has an absolutely addictive personality, and an extremely fun/funny aura, and that is what makes him a fan favorite. And why fans are going to love his live action series.
James Gunn confirmed that he and Peter are currently talking to an actor for the role right now. Booster Gold is a loser from the future who brought future technology to the present for people to love him and see him as a hero.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
I am probably more excited about this than Superman: Legacy. If you read Tom king and Bilquis Evely’s comic back in 2021, then you know just how much potential this has to be absolutely stunning as a live action movie. I’m not going to go into the details of the comic but I will share what Gunn and Peter had to say about it.
“In our story, we have Superman who was sent to Earth and raised by incredibly loving parents. Kara was on Krypton. She was on a piece of Krypton that drifted away from the planet and she lived there for the first fourteen years of her life in a horrible situation where she watched everyone around her die. So, she’s a much harsher and more f*cked up Supergirl than you’ve been used to thus far.”
Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing is the last of the five live-action movies that were announced. Peter and Gunn think that it is important for the movies to be tonally different, even though it is an interconnected universe.
“Each set of filmmakers bring their own aesthetic to these films, and the fun is seeing how these tonally different works mash-up in the future.”
The movie will focus on the dark origins of the Swamp Thing. The Swamp Thing is not the flashiest of characters but his story is quite intriguing.
At the end of the day, I, as a long-time DC comic book fan, can not be happier about this new slate and this new direction that the DCU is taking. I hope you are too. We’re going to put our hope and trust in James Gunn, Peter Safran, and the DCU and hope that this will mark the ruse of our great universe.