James Gunn’s DC Slate Is Coming, But What Should It Contain?

Ever since Marvel brought the MCU together, it seems like DC is catching up. Zack Snyder’s Superman Origin Story Man of Steel quickly gave way to superhero crossover films on a fast track to the Justice League – and while there was some fun along the way (water man and its drum-drum cephalopod, 80% of wonderful womanall lit Shazam!) and the moody Snyderverse gained a sizable fan base online, things never went well. It’s time to clean up the slate and, of course, we’ll have one.

Amid several overhauls at Warner Bros. (including its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery and the appointment of David Zaslav to head the studio), the second half of 2022 has brought some seismic news: the future of DC-centric films from Warner Bros. . newly created DC Studios banner. Run this department? None other than James Gunn, along with producer Peter Safran (who has previously worked on water man, Shazam!and Gunn himself the suicide squad – following aquaman and the lost kingdom Yup blue beetle). Together, the two have been tasked with creating a new future for the DC Universe, which has already seen major cancellations of seemingly foolproof projects (goodbye, wonder woman 3), various rumors about what’s to come, and several instances of Gunn himself popping up on Twitter to provide updates and clarify things. It looks like DC’s long-awaited slate is imminent, so now comes the real question: If we’re cleaning up the slate (in more ways than one), what should it contain?

There are some things we know. Gunn confirmed that he’s working on a Superman script, writing a new version of Kal-El and company, specifically one that won’t involve Henry Cavill. Because almost immediately after putting the cloak back on black adamcredits and announcing his departure from The sorcererCavill admitted, after Gunn and Safran’s nomination, that he ultimately won’t be putting his red boots back on. Gunn confirmed in a tweet that “earlier our story will focus on an earlier part of Superman’s life so the character won’t be played by Henry Cavill,” hinting at bigger plans for the Last Son of Krypton with a younger son. some casting in mind.

It’s also fair to expect a project led by Jason Momoa, who I recently had a positive encounter with the new bosses – however, internet rumors seem to suggest that he would return as Lobo, the silver-skinned mercenary, rather than Aquaman. Although it might be weird to bring Momoa and not Having him play the DC character whose latest solo outing grossed over $1 billion is indicative of Gunn’s focus on covering the wider margins of the DC roster. Among the major known heroes, he stated on Twitter that his plans of him will be also feature “lesser-known characters” – something Marvel has exploited to great effect in building the MCU (including Gunn’s success in turning the Guardians of the Galaxy into A-listers).

If crazy list Gunn chose to do it the suicide squad it’s an indication that he’ll be digging into DC’s darkest corners to gather the goods. Take, for example, DC’s Mister Terrific, a character whose image Gunn posted out of context in November. He’s exactly the kind of hero: barely a household name, even though he’s starred in several seasons of Arrow on TV, which could have its big-screen release under Gunn’s watch.

It also remains to be seen if anything can emerge from the darker DC projects that have been in development for a while: the Michael B. Jordan-directed Static Shock film and Zatanna’s screenplay written by Emerald Fennell. Both have significant cinematic pedigree and no baggage, but they’re not guaranteed to fit the overall pattern of Gunn and Safran. However, we should expect a project involving Green Lantern, a character whose only appearance in the Snyderverse occurred in a brief moment in Zack Snyder’s Justice Leagueand which hasn’t had its big-screen appearance since Ryan Reynolds’ not-so-beloved 2011 film. According to Gunn, the Lantern (whichever incarnation ends up wearing the imagination-powered magic ring) will be “important” go ahead.

Perhaps the bigger question for Gunn and Safran’s list is where their limits will be. Are there any so-called “Elseworlds” stories currently in the works, including one that’s currently being filmed? Joker: madness for twoand Matt Reeves the Batman sequel – continue in respective bubbles? Or, if clarity and simplicity are the goal, will Gunn’s plans be twisted to tie them together as official histories of the multiverse? How clean will this slate really be? Will there be connective tissue until DC’s last decade? By all accounts, Cavill is done, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman is gone, and Black Adam isn’t returning any time soon either. Yet, this year brings the release of Shazam! fury of the gods Yup aquaman and the lost kingdom — films that could by now be considered the last threads of a dying universe (which isn’t to say they won’t have artistic merit of their own) if they aren’t factored into DC Studios’ new plans.

The questions don’t end there. what the hell is going to happen the flash? (One concern continues at this time.) blue beetle be considered Snyderverse or Gunn-canon? And if this is indeed a blank slate, does it include Gunn himself? Lollipopand any project the suicide squad? This film may, in fact, be the true indicator of how this all plays out: bringing back Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn (dynamite cast that would be tragic to miss here) and Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag, the suicide squad it was technically a sequel to David Ayer’s film, but in every other way it felt like a reboot, different tonally and narratively. Gunn just picked the things that worked and that he saw a future for, he used them as he wanted, and got rid of the rest. It turned out to be a decent game plan.

Either way, expect something big when the list changes: Gunn said he and Safran have mapped out the next decade of DC stories, spanning film, gaming, TV, and entertainment. You have opened the idea of ​​something. directed by Ben Affleck. And, in a photo Alex Ross posted with the caption, “making plans,” he teased the possibility of Kingdom Come – the seismic 1996 comic book miniseries that spawned an intergenerational (and philosophical) clash between old-school heroes and tougher villains. If there’s one thing Marvel has proven over the past few years, it’s that it can be helpful in forewarning your fans of your ultimate fate. Whether the Kingdom Come photo is a direct nod, a joke, or something accidental, it’s a sign of huge things to come in the next 10 years. Anyway, we have only one request: bring back the bongo octopus.