James Gunn and Peter Safran have finally unveiled part of their highly-anticipated DCU lineup! It’s a powerhouse of familiar and new heroes ready to take center stage and some names that you wouldn’t expect. During a press conference on Monday, January 30th, Gunn and Safran gave fans a glimpse into their vision of “Gods and Monsters”, the first chapter of the new DCU.
“Gods and Monsters” will take you on a journey with big-name heroes and lesser-known characters. Gunn and Safran hope comic movie lovers will take to these lesser-known characters and make them the next big thing. In other words, think Guardians of the Galaxy but with a DC twist!
What’s New In The DCU
So, which heroes will be part of Chapter 1 of the DCU? The anticipation is palpable so we won’t keep you waiting for long. Here are the projects announced for the DCU’s Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters by James Gunn himself!
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
Creature Commandos
Creature Commandos is an animated seven-episode series based on the comic book that brought vampires, werewolves, and zombies into the DC Universe. It was written entirely by James Gunn and is already in production.
According to Gunn, what will make this animated series unique is that the same actors who will be voicing the various characters will be the same ones who will portray them in the live-action version in movies and tv shows.
Waller
As you might expect, this series follows The Suicide Squad‘s Amanda Waller (played by Viola Davis), with the story taking place between the events of Peacemaker‘s first and second seasons (yes, we know the second season has not been released yet). Viola Davis will return to the role of the cold-blooded and morally dubious leader of a government task force who will be teaming up with Team Peacemaker. (Now you already know this will be good!). Christal Henry (Watchmen) and Jeremy Carver, the creator of the now-doomed Doom Patrol TV series, are currently writing the series.
Superman: Legacy
Both Gunn and Safran proclaim this movie will be “the true beginning of the DCU.” Gunn is currently writing the script, and there is hope he will also direct the film.
Superman: Legacy will not be an origin story. As Safran describes, “It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice, and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks that kindness as old-fashioned.”
Superman: Legacy is tentatively slated to be released on July 11, 2025.
Lanterns
While there has been news about Greg Berlanti’s Green Lanterns TV series, that project has officially been scrapped. Instead, a new Lanterns series has been recreated. As Gunn explains, Lanterns will feature Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Together, they will be buddy Green Lantern “space cops watching over precinct Earth. In it, they discover a terrifying mystery that ties into the larger story in the DCU.”
The Authority
This movie is a passion project of Gunn’s (much like Guardians of the Galaxy). It is about a superhero team that thinks the world is broken and has taken to saving the planet by any means necessary. The Authority originally debuted in the late ’90s under the leadership of artist Jim Lee and his Wildstorm imprint.
According to Gunn:
“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.”
Added Safran:
“They are kinda like Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men. They know that you want them on the wall. Or at least they believe that.”
Along with being “a very different look at superheroes,” Team Authority will be interacting will all the other DCU characters coming out of Chapter 1.
Paradise Lost:
Set on Paradise Island (aka Themyscrira, the birthplace of Wonder Woman), Paradise Lost will be a Game of Thrones-like drama with political intrigue as factions of Amazonians try to seize power for themselves. It takes place before the events of the Wonder Woman movies, and rumored that it will be an origin story of how the Amazonians created the all-female society it now has.
The Brave and the Bold:
According to Gunn, The Brave and the Bold will be the introduction of the new DCU Batman. In other words, look for a new actor to play the Dark Knight.
The movie is based on Grant Morrison’s Batman comics run which introduced Damian Wayne, Bruce’s son he never knew existed. While it is described as a father and son story, it will be an interesting one as Damian is a murderous teen who had been raised by assassins by the time Bruce finds out about him.
Booster Gold:
The TV series Booster Gold is another show that will be elevating another lesser-known comic book superhero with a cult following. Booster Gold is about “a loser from the future who uses basic future technology to come back to today and pretend to be a superhero.” As Gunn and Safran summarize, “It’s basically a superhero imposter syndrome story on an HBO Max series.”
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow:
Gunn is known to be a huge comic book fan and one of his favorites from last year was Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. He was so enamored by the story that he decided to make it into a “big science fiction epic film.”
In this story, “we will see the difference between Superman, who was sent to Earth and raised by loving parents from the time he was an infant, versus Supergirl, 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. She is much more hardcore and not the Supergirl we’re used to.”
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is slated to release sometime in 2027.
Swamp Thing:
This horror film is set to close out the first part of DCU’s Chapter 1: “Gods and Monsters.” Swamp Thing will be a very dark origin story. While it may seem to be very different from the overall vibe of the other projects, Gunn and Safran promise it will feed into the DCU.
While this is only part of Chapter 1, one thing’s for sure, Gunn and Safran have a very impressive plan for the DCU! It’s shaping up to be an epic new journey for this franchise. With the combination of known heroes and potential breakout characters, the new DCU is set to be a blockbuster bonanza for Warner Bros.
Stay tuned for more updates and character reveals as we gear up for the exciting journey into the world of “Gods and Monsters” in the new DCU!
