James Gunn

The reboot will allow DC to directly compete (again) with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

- Gunn said "Flash" will "reset the entire DC universe." What we're watching: DC already has a number of films coming out this year — including "Shazam! She is "a much more jaded character," he added. - "Storytelling is always king," Gunn said in the announcement video. "Lanterns" will be an HBO television series that focuses on Green Lantern heroes Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Fury of the Gods," "The Flash," "Blue Beetle," and "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" — that appear to have a subtle connection to the new DCU. He said "Blue Beetle" and the "Aquaman" sequel will then lead into the new slate of projects, he added. "Swamp Thing" will be "a very dark horror story" that takes place "outside of the rest of the DCU" but will feed into the rebooted DC universe story, Gunn said. He said characters could appear in both animated and live action projects. "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" is a new "science fiction epic film" that will focus on Supergirl, who grew up on a chunk of the planet Krypton and watched all of the people around her die, Gunn said. "Paradise Lost" will be a "Game of Thrones"-style television series that is based around the all-female island Themyscira, where Wonder Woman was born, Gunn said. "The Authority" will be a "big movie" based on characters who want to fix the world "by any means necessary," Gunn said, describing it as a "very different look at superheroes."

James Gunn shared his DC slate, which features a surprise Batman movie, a new Supergirl movie and a Green Lantern TV show.

“And wanting to create a unified world in DC where we tell stories.” Gunn became an A-list filmmaker under Feige, who hired him to direct 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, but he was quick to note this is not a Marvel redux: “A lot of people are thinking this is Marvel 2.0. “It’s not the Gunnverse, it’s not,” Gunn said. Gunn and Safran also stressed the importance of strong screenplays, saying a focus there would prevent the dreaded feeling of “superhero fatigue” and also give the projects a tonal and thematic difference from each other. “For me, it’s about, Who do I want to cast as Superman, and who do the filmmakers we have want to cast? Gunn called out the degradation of screenwriters in Hollywood and also said that the duo wanted to be respectful of the voice of filmmakers they were working with … King is one of the biggest DC writers of the past 12 years, a key architect of its Batman line and the writer of the Supergirl miniseries that will be the basis of the movie. “One of the things of the DCU is that it’s not just a story of heroes and villains,” said Gunn. To come up with an overall direction of the slate, Gunn assembled a group of writers consisting of friends and storytellers that he admired. “Our vision for this is very much in the vein of True Detective,” Safran described. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. Originally a team of classic monsters assembled to fight Nazis, this is a modern take on the concept.

After struggling to lay the groundwork for a successful cinematic universe with the DCEU, Gunn and Safran's new position promised to breathe new life into DC ...

While they did not have more to add about The Lanterns, Safran explained that the overarching story will "weave back and forth between the films and the television shows" much like Gunn's DC series Peacemaker interlinked stories with The Suicide Squad. Safran and Gunn also announced The Lanterns, a series that will launch on HBO Max. Because I've been around making studio movies now for over 20 years, and the thing that I've seen, the biggest change between the past and today is that – and the reason why I think movies in general are not as good as they used to be – is because too many movies get set into a date, and then they're made no matter what. And this is the world that we're creating, we're coming into a world where superheroes exist and have existed for some time, in one form or another." Safran assured that there would be flexibility, saying, "Many of the following projects are already being worked on, but we're remaining flexible, and we're going to adjust because we're never going to put a project into production before the script is right." Gunn added that while they are following certain aspects of the Marvel format, the DCU would not be a carbon copy.

Along with a slew of superhero films, DC Studios leaders James Gunn and Peter Safran announced a new creative vision on Monday.

[“The Flash” star Ezra Miller](https://variety.com/2023/film/news/ezra-miller-dc-future-the-flash-recover-james-gunn-1235507014/) and [“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” star Zachary Levi](https://variety.com/2023/film/news/zachary-levi-anti-vaxx-pfizer-tweet-james-gunn-responds-1235507013/). Fury of the Gods” and Jason Momoa’s “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” have their loyalists. This includes a sequel to Reeves’ “The Batman” with Robert Pattinson, a sequel to Todd Philips’ “Joker” which teams Joaquin Phoenix with Lady Gaga, and a possible spin on Superman from J.J. [called “DC Elseworlds,”](https://variety.com/2023/film/news/the-batman-2-release-date-october-2025-1235506926/) which aim to stretch the limits of what comic book adaptations can be. Perhaps the most striking point of difference between DC and Marvel was in Safran and Gunn themselves. “No one was minding the mint,” Gunn said. “It’s not the Gunn-verse,” Gunn said. Writers have been completely left out of the loop in favor of actors and directors, and making the writer more prominent and more important in this process is really important to us.” [the 10 DCU titles Gunn and Safran presented on Monday](https://variety.com/2023/film/news/dc-universe-superman-legacy-batman-green-lantern-supergirl-booster-gold-1235507426/), only one has a release date: “Superman: Legacy,” which Gunn is writing, is set to open on July 11, 2025. “I’m a writer at my heart, and we’re not going to be making movies before the screenplay is finished.” 3,” which due to open in May, and the filmmaker frequently cited his past experiences with Marvel in general and the “Guardians” movies specifically when discussing his and Safran’s plans for the DCU.

DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran will also produce shows and movies based on Booster Gold, Swamp Thing, and Supergirl.

Inspired by Grant Morrison’s popular run, The Brave and the Bold will feature both Bruce Wayne as Batman and Damian Wayne as Robin. (DC content that’s not part of the DCU will be labeled “Elseworlds.”) Monday, the pair spoke to a room of journalists on the Warner Bros. There will also be a Green Lantern TV show called Lanterns, a Booster Gold show, a Swamp Thing movie, Supergirl, Amazons—oh, and a new Batman movie. [brand new live-action](https://gizmodo.com/james-gunn-dc-movies-superman-plans-1849885340) Superman film, after which all DC content will take place in the same canon. The first part of chapter one—of which these new movies and TV shows make up—is being referred to as “Gods and Monsters” and it officially kicks off July 11, 2025 with Superman: Legacy, a

James Gunn has delivered on his promise to update DC comics enthusiasts, film nerds and the world at large with his plans for the next phase of the DC ...

Fury of the Gods” and “The Flash” in June, as the way the entire superhero universe will be “reset,” thereby allowing for new content and new versions of celebrated characters. He cited the studio’s next films, starting with March’s “Shazam! Discovery.)

The DC cinematic universe is changing, and it will be confusing. But James Gunn is here to explain how the old DCU (Shazam, The Flash, Aquaman) connect to ...

(Interestingly, Gunn’s video breakdown shows artwork from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s All-Star Superman when discussing the Superman film he plans to deliver in 2025.) Gunn also explains that the remaining DC movie slate, which draws on characters borne of the Zack Snyder-led era at DC, will lead directly into Gunn and Safran’s new projects. The first of Gunn’s new DCU projects is Creature Commandos, a team of monstrous misfits who will operate under Amanda Waller (played by Viola Davis in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker). [outlined the duo’s plan for a new chapter of the DC Universe](https://www.polygon.com/23578415/new-dc-movies-james-gunn-release-date-superman-batman-schedule-calendar-upcoming) on Tuesday — a plan that will span eight to 10 years across 10 initial projects, and will attempt to unify DC’s comic properties across film, television, gaming, and animation. (That label is familiar to many DC fans, as it’s where creators tell alternate universe “What if...?” stories outside of the comics’ continuity.) Gunn explains how the ambitious plans are all going to work in the video above, and provides more color on newly revealed projects starring Supergirl, Green Lantern(s), and Booster Gold.

James Gunn calls "The Flash" one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.

“The Flash” then segues into “Blue Beetle,” which flows into “Aquaman 2,” which will then lead into a new “Superman” film without Henry Cavill, the actor who most recently donned the red cape for the big screen. But Gunn quickly dispelled that notion by characterizing “The Flash” in the most laudatory terms possible. There’s nothing that prohibits that from happening.” (Miller identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.) Safran and DC co-head James Gunn laid out their vision for Phase 1 of the DC reset, which will kick off with a Superman movie in 2025. “And we are fully supportive of that journey that they’re on right now. But newly installed DC co-head Peter Safran said the door is open for further collaborations with Miller after “The Flash” stand-alone opens on June 16.

DC Studios co-head James Gunn praises The Flash and discusses Ezara Miller's future as the Scarlet Speedster.

[The Flash will reset the DCU](https://collider.com/the-flash-movie-resets-dc-universe/) and give DC Studios some breathing space to introduce its new slate of movies and TV shows. Discovery to scrap The Flash entirely, but things have been quieter since the star issued an apology and committed to rehab. Check our interview with Michael Keaton about his return to the role of Batman in The Flash: Gunn and Safran's first order of business was to clean the board and start fresh. Fury of the Gods, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. [DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran](https://collider.com/james-gunn-peter-safran-dc-studios-warner-bros/) presented [ten new movies and TV shows](https://collider.com/dcu-slate-movies-tv-shows/) for their new DCU storyline, they’ve also explained how the films set to premiere this year will fit with their unified storyline.

Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash in Zach Sydner's Justice League. James Gunn is sticking by The Flash's side. Despite a ...

He said he’s in the middle of writing the film, which will be “the true beginning of the DCU.” The series Lanterns will focus on two Green Lantern characters: Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Gunn said the series’s focus on Themyscira will be similar to the land of Westeros in Game of Thrones. It’s titled Paradise Lost, and it will focus on Themyscira, the island nation of Amazon warriors that Wonder Woman calls home. Gunn, who took over as co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran in October, said on Tuesday that most DC films, television, video games, and animated features will be connected in the same world. It will show the high-ranking government official working with characters from the HBO Max show Peacemaker, which stars John Cena. Discovery, which owns DC Studios, also said at a quarterly earnings call last August that The Flash was one of the upcoming projects he was excited about. A date wasn’t announced for the film. “Shazam has always been off in his own part of the DCU [DC Universe], so he connects really well. [The Suicide Squad](https://www.buzzfeed.com/evelinamedina/suicide-squad-james-gunn-david-ayer) director doubled down on his support for The Flash on Tuesday while announcing DC Studios’ upcoming slate of films and TV shows. [multiple controversies involving Miller](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stephaniesoteriou/ezra-miller-hawaii-arrest-history-concerning-behavior), including legal troubles in Hawaii and Vermont. James Gunn is sticking by The Flash’s side.