James Gunn Announces DC Ten Film Slate

Over the last few days, the net has been a buzz, James Gunn informed us he will be dropping a ten-film slate. After all the rumored firings and canceled films, we finally will get some DCU news.

The DC Cinematic Universe has moved in an entirely new direction in the past few months. Despite Dwayne Johnson’s claims that the DC movie universe was on the cusp of a new era, the embattled Marvel competitor lacked a leading figure on par with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. That changed on October 25, when The Hollywood Reporter shared the news that Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad director James Gunn would become the co-chair and co-CEO of DC Studios, alongside producer Peter Safran (Shazam!, Aquaman).

The newly released lineup includes a new Batman movie without Robert Pattinson (but featuring Bruce Wayne’s murderous son). A Superman movie on the release schedule (mark your calendars for July 11, 2025). A Game of Thrones-style drama set on Wonder Woman’s home island of Themyscira (Amazonian palace intrigue). And an animated series already in production (Creature Commandos … wait, what?).

That’s just part of what will be coming to theaters and TV screens as part of DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new slate.

The pair have been busy in the three months since taking over and combining the film and television slate of DC properties, including live-action, animation, and gaming. They revamped how the movie and TV sides do business, cutting ties with projects and creators. A writer’s room was formed to find an overall story that would launch a unified DC Universe. Creators have been approached. And a plan — at least part of one for what is being billed as Chapter 1: God and Monsters — was formulated, and a slate of projects was put into development.

 

NEW DCU MOVIES

 

SUPERMAN: LEGACY

This is the only project with a release date: of July 11, 2025. Written by Gunn, Superman: Legacy will follow Kal-El as he reconciles his extraterrestrial origins with his human family and upbringing. It sounds like a reboot of 2013’s Man of Steel (directed by Zack Snyder) with one important proviso: Henry Cavill is not coming back as Superman. So expect a lot of anticipation and hype as Gunn gets close to finding his lead.

THE AUTHORITY

This superhero ensemble dates to a 1999 comic book series published under DC’s WildStorm imprint. The Authority is a group of seven heroes with very high-concept superpowers (one, Jack Hawksmoor, is psychically bonded to cities, drawing his strength from them). It will be the first appearance of WildStorm canon in the DC Universe.

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD

I

mage: Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, Philip Tan/DC Comics

The Brave and the Bold is a silver-age DC Comics title that, for about 15 years (1967 to 1983) starred Batman and Robin in crossover stories with other DC characters. It was also the title of a three-season Batman animated series airing on Cartoon Network from 2008 to 2011. DC Studios’ news release says “the DCU will introduce its Batman and Robin in this unusual father-son story inspired by Grant Morrison’s comic series.” That series was inspired by the animated show.

DC Studios says this picture, based on Tom King’s award-winning comics stories, “presents Supergirl viewers are not used to seeing.” Truthfully, they’re not used to seeing Supergirl on a big screen at all. Her only theatrical appearance so far is 1984’s Supergirl, starring Helen Slater as Kara Zor-El, and Faye Dunaway as her nemesis.

SWAMP THING

Believe it or not, Swamp Thing (whose first appearance was in 1971’s House of Secrets #92) appeared in two movies back in the 1980s, the first one (1982’s Swamp Thing) was directed by horror master Wes Craven. DC Studios’ lineup announcement says only that this movie “will investigate the dark origins of Swamp Thing.”

 

NEW DCU TV SHOWS

CREATURE COMMANDOS

Gunn is the writer for this series, already pegged at seven episodes. In it, Amanda Waller (the director of the Suicide Squad) forms another super-team out of “monstrous prisoners.”

WALLER

If Creature Commandos wasn’t enough, this series dedicated to Amanda Waller stars Viola Davis in the lead role. DC Studios says the show will feature Team Peacemaker and is written by Watchmen’s Christal Henry and Supernatural’s Jeremy Carver.

BOOSTER GOLD

Image: DC Comics

DC Comics’ longtime comic-relief character is a time traveler who uses basic technology and consumer appliances from the future to make himself a superhero in the present day.

LANTERNS

The Green Lantern Corps have been the galaxy’s foremost law enforcement agency since 1959, making Hal Jordan (the Silver Age Green Lantern) and John Stewart (first appearance, 1971) perfect for a buddy-cop team-up. DC Studios said it will be an “enormous TV event series” focused on the two unravelings of “a dark mystery.”

PARADISE LOST

It’s set in Themyscira, so you know this show will touch Wonder Woman’s history and character arc. It’s not clear if she will star in it, though. “This drama focuses on the genesis and political intrigue of an island of all women,” DC Studios said, which sounds very Game-of-Thrones-y.

There are quite a few surprises in this list. Taking a lot of big chances on some very unknown characters. DC has never been one to take chances with its properties but James Gun has immediately changed that. I’m not sure about some of the gambles he’s taken. But I’m definitely more interested than I was a few months ago.

 

 

Here are just a few of our plans. Up, up, and away! #DCStudios #DCU @DCComics pic.twitter.com/8XNDNLUEPq

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) January 31, 2023