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Here’s What to Expect from DC Studios Under James Gunn

by Alexa Villano
February 6, 2023

James Gunn alongside producer Peter Safran announced the movies and projects they are releasing under their leadership in DC Studios.

DC Studios has announced its initial lineup of movies and projects under the leadership of director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran. In case you missed the news, one of the Warner Bros. heads hired James. James directed the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise under Marvel.

“It’s our job, mine and Peter’s, to come in and make sure that the DCU is connected to television, gaming, and animation,” he said in a video posted on DC’s social media accounts.

Four of the projects for 2023 such as Shazam, Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman 2 are still pushing through. Films like Joker: Folie à Deux by Todd Philips and Batman sequel by Matt reeves are still in the pipeline.

He said that the group has mapped out an 8 to 10-year plan for DC Studios. The first is Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters.

Here’s the lineup that James Gunn announced.

Creature Commandos

Creature Commandos is going to be an animated HBO Max series. In the press release posted on DC’s website, James explained: “This is an animated TV series and this is art from the animation company that’s doing it. Creature Commandos is based on the great team from DC.”

“What we’re doing with the DCU is we’re having animation tied directly into live action. Television, movies, and games all intertwine within the same universe. We’re going to cast actors that are going to be able to play the characters in this, as well as in other things, some of which we’ve already cast. I’ve written all seven episodes of this show and it’s in production now.”

Waller

James mentioned that actress Viola Davis is still attached to the role of Amanda Waller in the HBO live-action series.

“This is also going to have some of the Peacemaker team in it as regulars on the show. This basically follows up Peacemaker. We have two great creatives working on it: Christal Henry, who was a writer on Watchmen, and Jeremy Carver who created Doom Patrol. They have this incredibly marvelous story worked out that I think is really fantastic,” he said.

Superman: Legacy

Peter Safran said that James is currently writing the story. Henry Cavill, who was initially supposed to return as the Man of Steel, won’t be starring anymore. The story will focus on Superman’s Kryptonian heritage alongside his human self. James said they are deviating away from the basic good guy vs. bad guys storyline.

The live-action film is scheduled for release on July 11, 2025.

Lantern

The Green Lantern story will be back as an HBO Max Series. Green Lanterns John Stewart and Hal Jordan will star in what Peter described as a “terrestrial-based mystery.”

The Authority

James said that the live-action movie is something he is very excited to do.

“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. We’ll see how that journey goes for them.”

Paradise Lost

This live-action HBO Max series will depict a battle that took place in Themyscira/Paradise Island before the birth of Wonder Woman/Diana. Peter described that show as a “Game of Thrones” type that has drama, darkness, and politics within the female society.

The Brave and the Bold

The story will focus on Damian Wayne and will be different from the past Batman movies.

“This is a story of Damian Wayne, who’s Batman’s actual son whom he didn’t know existed for the first eight to ten years of his life. He was raised as a little murderer and assassin. He’s my favorite Robin. It’s based on the Grant Morrison comic run, which is one of my favorite Batman runs. We’re putting it all together right now,” James shared.

Booster Gold

Booster Gold will tackle the story of superheroes’ imposter syndrome. Peter Safran described the character as a fan favorite.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

This Supergirl storyline will focus on the storyline by Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s comic.

“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

Peter Safran shared that the live-action movie will discuss the history of Swamp Thing. He said that all films are interconnected and this film will be the last in the first chapter.

“We bring it up because it’s important to point out that in these stories, although they’re interconnected, they’re not all tonally the same. 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,” he said.

Chapter 1 is just the beginning

With Peter Safran and James Gunn’s leadership, fans are definitely going to watch how their tandem will push the boundaries of the DC Universe. It’s only a matter of time before it could match the power of the world that Marvel made in the last two decades.