Today, DC Studios released their slate for the new DC Universe. With Director James Gunn and Producer Peter Safran at the helm as co-chairmen and CEOs, DC Studios’s new viewpoint seems to be finding a way to adapt the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to best suit the needs of the DC character canon. Thanks to Gunn’s previous experience with the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy films, the DCU has someone who understands where the MCU went right and the DCEU missed out on.
The first, and most important, aspect of the new DCU is what stories are interconnected and how. According to Safran and Gunn, outside the main continuity stories like the youth-centric animation of Teen Titans GO! and adult fare like Reeves’s The Batman and Phillips’s Joker sequels will be very distinctly and clearly delineated as Elseworld stories. Embracing the concepts of multiversal theories in comics is clearly extremely popular right now, but Gunn and Safran seem to recognize the need for the DCU to cement their core continuity before blurring those lines á la the MCU.
Gunn and Safran have previously hinted at several projects that will shape the introduction of the DCU, and today’s announcement confirmed many of them. Rather than referring to their plans as phases and copying the Marvel script, the DCU is calling them chapters. Gunn and Safran announced the first chapter will be called “Gods and Monsters”, and yet does not feature the actual Elseworld story Gods and Monsters. (I’m a little bummed.)
However, the actual line-up does a pretty good job of managing my disappointment!
Creature Commandos
This animated show on HBO Max is going to be a huge departure from DC’s previous formula and the Marvel formula. DC’s animated works will tie into the larger DCU, rather than being a separate DCAU element. Gunn takes on the writing of the animated series which will feature Rick Flagg, Sr., Nina Mazursky, Doctor Phosphorus, Eric Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, G.I. Robot, and Weasel.
Waller
Waller is going to bridge the gap between seasons one and two of Peacemaker, featuring Viola Davis in a live-action HBO Max series about Amanda Waller. Christal Henry, who helped write Watchmen and Doom Patrol creator Jeremy Carver take on storytelling responsibilities on this series.
Superman: Legacy
Previously announced, now clarified, Superman: Legacy will hit theaters July 11th, 2025, and tell the story of Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his American upbringing. It’ll focus on the grey aspects of a character traditionally seen from a very black-and-white point of view. Gunn is writing the screenplay and is currently attached to direct.
Interestingly enough, DC is promoting this story with artwork from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s All-Star Superman. Morrison is being cited as an inspiration for another of the Gods and Monsters projects, and All-Star Superman #10 is regarded by many as modern comics’ best Superman story. Fingers crossed that’s the story because I’d love to see a live-action Superman comforting Regan on the edge of a building.
Lanterns
Hal Jordan and John Stewart take on detective roles in an HBO Max series that interweaves the films and other HBO Max projects together. It sounds as if this is a re-imagining of the previously announced Pre-Gunn Green Lantern series with Finn Wittrock attached, except with a stronger focus on two of the most popular Lanterns instead of Guy Gardner and Alan Scott.
The Authority
Wildstorm’s integration with the main continuity of the DC Universe may have started with the New 52 reboot, but it continues on to this day. Gunn describes this live-action feature film as his “passion project” for the DCU. Gunn’s shown he can do morally ambiguous humor with Guardians and Suicide Squad, so there’s a lot of excitement for this more serious take on the morally grey characters in the DCU.
Paradise Lost
Set in a Paradise Island before the birth of Diana Prince/ Wonder Woman, this HBO Max series is drawing in the Game of Thrones crowd as it provides a backstory as to why the island of woman warriors wants nothing to do with the world of men.
The Brave and The Bold
Morrison’s Batman and Son run introduced Damian Wayne to the Batfamily with all his murderous and angry hamster ways. Gunn and Safran insinuated that this project may be a Batman story directed by Ben Affleck, but featuring a new Batman- outside of Batffleck or Battinson. Safran confirmed that more of the Batfamily will make their appearances in this live-action movie. And you know what that means- there’s hope we’ll finally see Nightwing on the big screen!
Booster Gold
HBO Max is a perfect place for a live-action series featuring DC’s biggest scammer superhero. Booster Gold uses his future technology to come back in time to be the world’s greatest superhero. In a world so hyper-focused on social media and internet approval, Booster is a perfect hero for this time. Currently, they’re casting the project and it seems like Gunn and Safran already have someone in mind.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Tom King’s helming the storytelling for a live-action film about Supergirl. In contrast to Superman, with his loving Earth parents and fairly happy childhood, this version of Kara finds her stranded on a fragment of Krypton, growing up surrounded by the devastation and loss of her planet and people. It sounds like it’s going to be a very dark take on the character.
Swamp Thing
The final official announcement of the DCU is a live-action Swap Thing movie. Gunn and Safran spoke of the different tonal qualities of each of the projects, and Swamp Thing’s dark origin story is a perfect example of that. After the unfair flop of DC Universe’s streaming Swamp Thing series on the app, I’m thrilled to see the character get another chance.
The Future of DC Storytelling
Of course, DC is going to continue with their Elseworld projects, including Matt Reeves’s The Batman II, releasing October 3rd, 2025. The two CEOs also surprisingly acknowledged the importance of games to the canon of storytelling. DC’s Injustice was such a huge hit, it created a comic, which in turn created the worst animated film they’d put out in years. Recognizing the level of storytelling and design which goes into these games is a big way the DCU can distinguish itself from Marvel, whose gameplay has yet to factor into the arc of the MCU in a major and impactful way.
The other big distinguishing feature is the heavy implementation of each creative team’s tonal vision for their storytelling. Disney and Marvel have created a cohesive and clear connection between their projects by unifying the tone of most of their films and their television. It creates a level of quality that viewers come to expect from the brand. Gunn and Safran are taking the opposite approach, by allowing the creative teams more freedom in that aspect. It’s risky for brand development, but with the wide array of characters and stories they have to chose from, DC could make it work in their favor.
Pages and Panels 
Leave a comment