For the last few years, DC Studios under Warner Brothers has been in trouble. The Snyderverse somehow caused a schism in the system, with fans, actors, and executives all experiencing volatile consequences as movies came and went. Huge titles underperformed,
DC needed stabilization. So President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav brought in James Gunn and Peter Safran to help secure a vision for these properties before moving forward.
Their biggest job? Aside from reworking public opinion, Gunn's and Safran's goal is to make sure all the movies in the DC universe are connected. Not just together, but with their TV shows as well.
That means signifying projects like Matt Reeves's The Batman and Todd Phillips's Joker are "Elseworlds" projects, which means they are standalone. And then making sure movies like The Flash and Blue Beetle connect back into one another, introducing a shared universe akin to Marvel. However, filmsthat don't meet DC Studio's expectations like Wonder Woman 3have no place in this decade-long plan.
That's a huge task.
Especially with where DC has been in the last few years.
Here's how Gunn put it: "The history of DC is pretty messed up,” referring to the turmoil and dysconnectivity that has roiled DC plans of Warner Bros. Pictures for the last dozen or so years. There was filmmaker Zack Snyder’s multi-movie universe that sputtered halfway through. There was an attempted course correction by Joss Whedon, that maybe made things worse. There the several changes in studio leadership and ownership.
Then, there was the Arrowverse, the successful if niche TV side of DC that aired for over a decade on the CW.
“No one was minding the mint. They were giving away IP like they were party favors at any creator who smiled at them,” Gunn said.
So how is that different now?
When you put a writer-director behind it, many have wondered if this won't just turn out like the Snyderverse. But Gunn pushes back on that notion.
“It’s not the Gunnverse. It’s not,” Gunn said. “It’s got to be all these different feels from all these different stories. That’s what makes it so fun. The stories are completely different, and each has the individual expression of the writers and the director that are making those projects.”
Gunn added, “We’re not stupid. Not every filmmaker is going to be happy. Because if someone is doing something that isn’t working, we’re going to be honest.”
James Gunn BTS of 'The Suicide Squad'Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
What Movie and TV Projects did Gunn Unveil for DC?
Let's go over the projects that were announced in both film and TV. I'll try to summarize them, but Google anything you want to know more about. Gunn was very forthcoming when it comes to his detailed plans.
Movies:
- Superman: Legacy: Written by Gunn, this will introduce us to a new Superman, and is about his struggle to be a beacon of kindness and hope in this world.
- The Authority: Gunn is currently outlining this film based on the Wildstorm antiheroes.
- The Brave and the Bold: Based on Grant Morrison's Batman run, the story sees Bruce discovering that Damian Wayne is his son. It introduces us to a new Batman.
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow: Based on Tom King’s DC run, we follow a Supergirl who drifted on a rock and comes to earth after trauma.
- Swamp Thing: This is a horror movie that explores the dark origin story of Swamp Thing.
Television Shows:
- Creature Commandos: An animated series about misfit heroes that Gunn has already written.
- Waller: The Amanda Waller spinoff series is moving forward with Viola Davis still set to star.
- Lanterns: Hal Jordan and John Stewart serve as supercops on precinct Earth.
- Paradise Lost:: a Wonder Woman prequel series focusing on the origin of Themyscira before Wonder Woman's existence.
- Booster Gold: the story of a hero with imposter syndrome and a ton of tech.
As you can see, this is a wide variety of titles that kicks off this year. The slate is set to start in 2025 with a new Batman and a new Superman.
Time will tell how all this works out, but it's exciting for filmmakers. I think knowing a studio is willing to dig deep in its bag for random characters may give some up-and-comers the ability to play in a big IP world.
It will be interesting to see how things shake out.
Give me your DC predictions in the comments.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
