Is James Gunn’s DCU Slate About to Change Everything We Know?

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To begin with, I’d like to draw your attention to an article I wrote in December titled “I Think James Gunn Should Pause to Avoid Repeating DCEU Mistakes.” The essence of this piece was to point out that the new DC Universe seemed to be mirroring the old DCEU by announcing numerous movies not included on the “Gods and Monsters” roster, such as “Teen Titans,” “Clayface,” “Sgt. Rock,” “Deathstroke,” and “Bane.”

Now let’s move on to February 21st. On this day, a gathering took place between Gunn, Safran, and the press at the Warner Brothers lot in Burbank, California. This meeting provided many updates and details about upcoming projects.

It appears that the title “Gods and Monsters” is being rebranded as simply “Monsters”, with additional projects being developed on the side. Apart from “Superman” and “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow“, it seems most other projects are either stalled in development or temporarily delayed, with more popular choices taking priority. Titles like “Waller“, “Booster Gold“, “The Authority“, and “Swamp Thing” aren’t moving forward as smoothly as expected. While there may be valid reasons for each delay, the question arises: why were they announced if they weren’t ready for immediate production?

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve always been more of a casual fan when it comes to Booster Gold. However, I found potential in both Waller and Swamp Thing. A successful Waller could have served as a strategic counter to Marvel’s turbulent Secret Invasion, while Swamp Thing had the promise to captivate audiences craving more Man-Thing action. Unfortunately, Waller seems to lack a solid timeline due to Peacemaker’s rapid pace, and Swamp Thing’s progress is halted because its potential director is immersed in his critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated film (which I must say, is excellent news for him!).

Superman, Supergirl…and Who Else?

As for the Caped Crusader’s current state, it’s quite complicated. However, Robert Pattinson is expected to reprise his role as Batman in the sequel to The Batman. It’s possible that he could encounter David Corenswet’s Superman (though The Batman is an Elseworlds story), but this depends on several variables. Meanwhile, Gunn and Safran are searching for a new actor to play Batman in The Brave and the Bold, and there’s a chance he could appear before his standalone movie.

On a brighter note, both Clayface and the Dynamic Duo have exceptional scripts for their upcoming projects.

It appears that the prequel series for Wonder Woman named Paradise Lost, which was originally planned as well, hasn’t received much recent news or development. Superman is being worked on, while Batman seems to be undergoing some sort of adjustment. As for the events in Themyscira, there’s only a vague positive indication. At the moment, I can only look forward to the Green Lantern series as it’s the only project giving me optimism about the potential Avengers: Endgame-like Justice League movie mentioned by Gunn and Safran during their informal discussion.

It appears that a show reminiscent of “True Detective” might delve into the central storyline spanning both film and television. However, take this with a pinch of salt since it’s from a slate announcement. The mention of a Trinity character can be disregarded as we have title treatments for three animated shows instead. While I’m happy that shows are being produced for possibly younger viewers, it seems that we’re progressing on every comic book-based route except the most important ones.

Was James Gunn’s DCU slate misleading? I can’t confirm it was, but I must admit that some titles like “Superman,” “Supergirl,” and “Lanterns” are shaping up to be significant, which was not entirely expected. However, the hype surrounding this part of comic book cinema felt inflated because every title on Gunn’s list was initially presented as imminent, ready to be filmed. Instead, we’re now seeing one project after another, with some swapped for others. At least “Superman” is scheduled for a theatrical release on July 11, 2025.

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2025-03-01 07:01