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James Gunn unleashes the new DC Universe: Superman Legacy, Supergirl, Lanterns, and More
The creative has revealed the full roster that will make up the first part of the DCU he is forming with Peter Safran, with an interesting mix of characters.
James Gunn turns upside down the short, medium and long-term future of the DC universe. The comic book licenses will make the leap to the small and big screen with a series of projects that will touch not only the big characters but also the medium and little-known ones. It was the creative himself who shared the news on social media.
The Hollywood Reporter has collected all of the projects Gunn has announced, in order of appearance. As you might expect, it is difficult to think two years ahead, so all dates are subject to change.
DC, project by project
- Creature Commandos (in production): Gunn himself is writing the seven episodes of this animated series. It will star the eponymous team, a group of monsters of all kinds first formed in the middle of World War II to fight the Nazis. The original team consisted of robots, a Medusa, a vampire, a Frankenstein and a werewolf; it has not yet been revealed who will be chosen for the series. The same media reports that DC wants the actors who voice the characters to be able to play them in real life in future audiovisual products.
- Waller (no date announced): Viola Devis returns as Amanda Waller in a Peacemaker spin-off, another of Gunn's creations already available on HBO Max. The series will be written by Christal Henry and Jeremy Carver, who previously wrote Watchmen and Doom Patrol, respectively. No further details were given.
- Superman: Legacy (July 11, 2025): Gunn is back behind the script of the movie that will kick off the new DC Universe plan with a bang. Peter Safran, who co-heads DC Studios with James Gunn, has revealed that "it won't be an origin story," but will focus on how Superman balances his "Kryptonite heritage with his humanity" in a world where his values don't fit so well.
- Lanterns (no date announced) | The Lanterns will return to the small screen with a series that will change our perspective on the license. Safran explains that his creative vision is "very much in the vein of True Detective. It will be "terrestrial" and they see it as a key piece of the DCU.
- The Authority (no date announced) | Other inconspicuous faces among the masses will be the protagonists. This group of superheroes is the prototypical anti-hero; they try to do the jobs they are given by any means necessary and without scruples. Gunn explains that these jobs set the tone for the new DCU: “One of the things of the DCU is that it’s not just a story of heroes and villains. Not every film and TV show is going to be about good guy vs. bad guy, giant things from the sky comes and good guy wins. There are white hats, black hats and grey hats,” explica.
- Paradise Lost (no date announced) | Themyscira, the island where Wonder Woman was born, will star in a series described as a "Game of Thrones-style drama" set before the events of the superheroine. Expect political intrigue and chess moves on the ladder of power.
- The Brave and the Bold (no date announced) | Batman will make his DCU debut with his own movie. Bruce Wayne will be joined by Robin in a movie inspired by Grant Morrison's Batman, who is introduced to a son he didn't know existed. And no, the Bat will not be played by Robert Pattinson.
- The Batman - Part II (October 3, 2025) | Although Pattinson will not star as Batman in the new DCU, he will don the cape again in the sequel to the 2022 film. The events will be independent of this universe in full gestation.
- Booster Gold (no date announced) | Gunn describes the character as the "imposter syndrome as a superhero." He will be familiar to DC veterans, as his creation dates back to February 1986. One of the former Justice League members will have his own series.
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (no date announced) | Supergirl will have important differences from Superman. Her past has been much tougher, and her creators point out that "raised on a rock, a chip off of Krypton, and who watched everyone around her die and be killed in terrible ways for the first 14 years of her life and then come to Earth.” They promise a "much more hardcore” Supergirl and not the image she usually shows in other products.
- Swamp Thing (no date announced) | The Thing will conclude the first part of this first phase of the DCU with a horror movie. No further details have been announced.
Source | The Hollywood Reporter