Now that X-Men ‘97 is a major hit, it’d make sense for others to want to capitalize on its success and try to revive other superhero animated shows from the 90s and 2000s, specifically James Gunn, who has the extensive DC catalog at his disposal and the responsibility to make it a success. But he’s absolutely no plan to jump on this train.

Long before its release, X-Men ‘97 was heavily hyped up with merchandise, an epic trailer, endless rumors, and more. Since it hit Disney Plus, fans and critics have only fallen in love with it more, and have given it a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. Of course, the success of the MCU directs questions at the still-trying-to-find-its-feet DCU.

On X (formerly Twitter), user @iamthelangston asked the powerhouse director and Co-CEO if he’d be willing to give the fans a reboot of Justice League Unlimited because Beau DeMayo gave everyone “the gargantuan hit X-MEN ‘97.” In response, Gunn wrote that X-Men ‘97 “is fun because it’s unique and not desperately trying to follow the trends of everything around it. So I’d rather just keep doing that.” Many other X users backed up Gunn’s response in the replies section, giving him props for wanting to focus on telling great original stories instead of following what’s hot.

The thing that makes X-Men ‘97 great is that it was a totally unexpected serving from Disney. With the countless Marvel movies and shows the studio has released, one would assume that the franchise would follow the same format, and just work on expanding their universe. Instead, they decided to throw a curveball and bring back something that would not only spark nostalgia in Gen X’ers and Millennials but also give younger X-Men fans something fresh and fun (that isn’t tied to the MCU). 

As for James Gunn, if he were to recreate Justice League Unlimited, he likely would be met with scrutiny for it for a variety of reasons, including accusations that he is just copying X-Men ‘97’s success and not genuinely making the show for the nostalgia and love many have for it. While he doesn’t say it, there is also the fact that the animated DC series had a solid run and ended on a perfect note.

Based on more recent moves and comments, it’s obvious that the studio executive truly is focusing on new stories and refuses to be dependent on the old stuff or cater to what everyone else wants. Back in 2022, he was quoted saying that DC would be going through an “unavoidable transitional period” via People. And allegedly, it was he who made the controversial move to cut ties with Henry Cavill, whom fans were expecting to see in another Superman movie, though he denied the same. The same goes for Gal Gadot’s canned return as Wonder Woman.

David Corenswet is now Clark Kent/Superman in a revamped storyline. There’s no news yet about a new Wonder Woman, but when there is one, the person will most likely be introduced to a fresh take on the Amazonian warrior.

Gunn’s assessment of X-Men ‘97 also confirms that Justice League Unlimited won’t be part of his plans for the DCU anytime soon. Now, there is no need to feel all disappointed since he has been busy with other IPs and working on the stories he is passionate about. The newest Superman will be released next July, which many fans are waiting for anxiously. While the director ended his MCU run on a glowing note, it’s the arrival of the man in the red cape that will decide whether his design for the shaky cinematic world of DC will restore stability to its new run.

For the past decade, Warner Bros. Discovery failed to create a cinematic universe that lived up to DC’s beloved comic book characters. That will change with James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DCU. 

Gunn and Safran were given complete control over DC Studios in 2022 and tasked with creating a decade-long storyline spawning movies, TV shows, and even video games. So far, Gunn and Safran have been keeping the new DCU under an absolute veil of secrecy, and no one can tell what their ambitious storyline will look like. However, we already have an extensive list of movies and TV shows currently in development.

Gunn and Safran revealed that their decade-long storyline will be split into two chapters. The first chapter, aptly named “Gods and Monsters,” comprises five theatrical releases and five TV shows. In addition, DC Studios has confirmed that one more movie and two full seasons will be added to this packed schedule. Here’s every DCU project Gunn and Safran are currently developing.

Creature Commandos

• Release date: Late 2024
• Showrunner: James Gunn

Creature Commandos is based on an obscure DC superteam made entirely of classic monsters. Gunn wrote the script for all seven episodes, and has already proven that he’s the master of using relatively unknown characters to create deeply emotional stories, a feat he managed with both the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and The Suicide Squad. It’s only fair to assume that he’ll manage to make us also fall in love with the Creature Commandos. 

Although their series will be animated, Gunn and Safran have already decided that whoever voices a DCU character will play the same role in any live-action project reusing the same heroes and villains. Considering that Commandos has a star-studded voice cast, the show will give fans an appetizer of exciting things to come. 

Notable voice talent includes Sean Gunn as G.I. Robot/Weasel, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, and David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein. Additionally, Steve Agee will appear as John Economos, and Viola Davis will return as Amanda Waller. Since these characters were part of The Suicide Squad, Gunn’s first DC movie will probably be incorporated into the new DCU.

Superman

• Release date: July 11, 2025
• Writer/Director: James Gunn

If Creature Commandos is the new DCU appetizer, Superman is the main dish. Previously known as Superman: Legacy, the next cinematic adaptation of the Man of Steel will set the tone for the whole DCU and potentially show Warner Bros. Discovery that Gunn and Safran can pull off a massive box office haul. Or the movie will flop, and the new DCU might be buried right as it starts. The stakes have rarely been higher for a single cinematic project, so Gunn himself took the task of penning the script and directing the movie.

Instead of a new origin story, Superman takes place years after the Son of Krypton revealed his existence to the world. That explains why the movie will star multiple heroes and villains, including Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer, Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord, and Milly Alcock as Supergirl.

As for the titular character, David Corenswet was chosen as the DCU’s Man of Steel, with Rachel Brosnahan playing Lois Lane. Nicholas Hoult will portray the villainous Lex Luthor.

Peacemaker (Season 2)

• Release date: TBA
• Showrunner: James Gunn

While the first season of Peacemaker was aired before the DCU reboot, Gunn has already written the script for the eight episodes of Season 2. That means Peacemaker will be absorbed into the new DCU, a smart movie from DC Studios. Peacemaker is a direct spinoff of Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, starring John Cena as the titular vigilante. The first season balanced comedy and character growth perfectly, so it would be a shame if the story went to the trashcan after the DCU reboot. 

Since Steve Agee’s John Economos and Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller are coming to Creature Commandos after appearing in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, we expect Season 2 of Peacemaker to be more entangled with the general DCU. Furthermore, since the episodes have been drafted, Gunn should tackle Season 2 of Peacemaker as soon as he’s done shooting Superman.

The Authority

• Release date: TBA

In 1992, comic book legend Jim Lee created the WildStorm universe to write superhero stories outside the constraints of Marvel/DC. DC eventually bought the WildStorm universe, using the Multiverse as an excuse to incorporate some characters into their main line of comic books. That’s precisely what happened with The Authority, a superteam getting their own movie in the new DCU.

The members of the Authority believe that the ends justify the means when pursuing world peace, which leads them to take villainous actions against crime, such as killing certain social groups or depositing elected leaders. So, while the Authority thinks of itself as a team of heroes, they are often portrayed as antagonists to the Justice League. The Engineer is one of the core members of the Authority, and she will appear in the Superman movie, played by María Gabriela de Faría. That means even before The Authority hits theaters, Gunn will already use its characters in other stories.

Waller

• Release date: TBA
• Showrunner: Christal Henry & Jeremy Carver

Waller will give Viola Davis her own TV show as the ruthless Amanda Waller, after many years of playing the character in multiple DC projects. The series will follow the titular character after the events of Peacemaker Season 1, when Amanda Waller’s dark deeds were exposed to the whole world.

Waller was initially planned to hit Max before the second season of Peacemaker. However, the series got pushed back due to the writer’s strike of 2023. Now, Waller is expected to premiere after Season 2 of Peacemaker, meaning both stories must be tweaked to become coherent parts of the larger DCU.

The Brave and The Bold

• Release date: TBA
• Director: Andy Muschietti

The Brave and the Bold will introduce a new Batman to the DCU, accompanied by the Damian Wayne iteration of Robin. For those needing a reminder, Damian is the biological son of Bruce Wayne, who was initially trained by the League of Shadows before being rescued and turned into a hero by his father.

The Brave and the Bold will focus on the extended Bat Family and draw inspiration from Grant Morrison’s 2006-2013 run of the Batman comic books. After directing The Flash, Andy Muschietti was chosen to helm The Brave and the Bold. While that might concern fans, since The Flash is horrible, Muschietti deserves the benefit of the doubt. The disastrous result of The Flash was due to many years of development hell and the constant meddling of Warner Bros. Discovery executives. Nevertheless, Muschietti proved to be a good soldier and took the blame for the movie. So, he deserves the chance to show what he can do when granted creative freedom.

Lanterns

• Release date: TBA

According to Gunn and Safran, Lanterns will work as a detective story in which the Green Lanterns investigate a cosmic mystery on Earth. Instead of focusing on a specific iteration of the hero, the TV show will feature Hal Jordan and John Stweart. Hal Jordan is the original comic book Green Lantern, while John Stweart became famous thanks to the fan-favorite animated Justice League animated series. Since Nathan Fillion will appear as Guy Gardner in Superman, he will likely reprise this Green Lantern in the series, too.

While Gunn and Safran have been playing coy about the new DCU, they revealed Lanterns is one of the main projects they are developing. That’s because the mystery the Lanterns will investigate in the show is connected to the overarching threat that will spread throughout the DCU.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

• Release date: TBA
• Writer: Ana Nogueira

Inspired by the comic book miniseries of the same name by King and Bilquis Evely, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will follow the tragic story of Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin. While Superman was sent to Earth to be raised by a loving family, Kara grew up in a fragment of Krypton, watching everyone she loved die while she floated through space. The movie will tell this story and explain the different personalities of the two Kryptonians.

Gunn and Safran described Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow as a “sci-fi epic,” which means the movie will most likely take place in space and explore Kara’s journey. Since Kara already appears in Superman, Supergirl:Woman of Tomorrow might be a prequel.

Paradise Lost

• Release date: TBA

Paradise Lost takes place in Themyschera, the all-female island where Wonder Woman is born. Set before the birth of Diana, the series promises to deliver a gripping political drama not unlike Game of Thrones. The TV show’s title seems to reference Paradise Island Lost, a comic book story by Phil Jimenez and George Pérez that deals with a civil war on the fabled island.

Since Wonder Woman is canonically hundreds of years old, Paradise Lost will take place in the DCU’s far past. The choice to go back in time so much allows Gunn and Safran to create a healthy distance from Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, who will not be back in the new DCU after Wonder Woman 3 got canceled. So, the new DCU can explore Themyschera’s history and mythology while taking the time to find Gadot’s replacement.

Swamp Thing

• Release date: TBA
• Writer/Director: James Mangold

Swamp Thing explores the origins of one of DC’s most beloved horror characters. The movie will be written and directed by James Mangold, the man behind the fan-favorite Marvel adaptation Logan. 

Swamp Thing is mainly inspired by Alan Moore’s The Saga of the Swamp Thing comic book run, an unsettling body horror story that could result in the scariest DC movie ever. Thanks to Alan Moore, Swamp Thing became a fan-favorite character, so Mangold has the massive weight of expectations over his shoulders. However, according to Gunn, Swamp Thing is a pet project for the director, which is always good to hear. Superhero movies are better when they are made by people who care about the property they’re adapting.

Booster Gold

• Release date: TBA

Booster Gold is the last DCU series in the “God of Monsters” story arc. In DC Comics, Booster Gold is a disgraced football star from the 25th century who travels back in time to gain fame as a superhero. Thanks to the advanced technology he brings back in time, Booster Gold has the power to face supervillains and team up with other superheroes. However, he lacks the know-how of the superhero business, which often leads to comedic situations.

It’s worth noting that Booster Gold frequently teams up with Blue Beetle in the comic books. No one knows if Xolo Maridueña’s version of Blue Bettle will be incorporated into the DCU, but the Booster Gold TV show is an excellent vehicle to bring the hero back.

Teen Titans

• Release date: TBA
• Writer: Ana Nogueira

Even if Gunn and Safran laid out their whole plan for the “Gods and Monsters” arc, a Teen Titans movie is also being developed by DC Studios. That means it might be a while before Teen Titans hit theaters. Even so, the project already has a writer attached to it, Ana Nogueira, who’s also penning the Supergirl movie.

The Teen Titans are a supergroup classically formed by the sidekicks of DC’s greatest heroes and other young crimefighters. While there’s a popular animated series about the team currently airing, Teen Titans Go!, the grounded nature of the DCU indicates the live-action movie should draw inspiration from adaptations such as Young Justice.

Arkham Asylum series

• Release date: TBA
• Showrunner: Antonio Campos

After the success of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, the filmmaker signed a multi-year deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to keep developing his Bat-verse. Reeves is currently working on a spinoff series about the Penguin and two The Batman sequels. At some point, he was also on top of a project about the Gotham Police Department and Arkham Asylum. 

Last we heard about this project, the series had been taken over by showrunner Antonio Campos and refurbished as a DCU project. That means the Arkham Asylum TV show will be set in the central DCU instead of the Elseworlds universe Reeves has been building.

While we have yet to see the first project of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DCU, the ambitious reboot of DC’s cinematic universe keeps adding new movies and TV shows to its packed slate. More recently, we learned that the Teen Titans are getting a live-action film.

The idea of a Teen Titans live-action movie is definitely exciting for DC fans. So, of course, the question remains of what previous version of the team will be used as inspiration for the upcoming movie. As it turns out, Gunn already has the perfect blueprint for the Teen Titans movie, and it’s not the one you think.

Who are the Teen Titans?

Created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani in 1964, the Teen Titans were initially the sidekicks of some of DC’s biggest heroes, such as Batman and Aquaman. The team didn’t have much success, which led to a long cycle of cancelation of their comic books and revivals. 

The Teen Titans became a staple in DC Comics after a relaunch led by Marv Wolfman and George Perez in 1980. This version of the team not only used DC sidekicks, but also incorporated Beast Boy and created brand-new characters, such as Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire. Wolfman and Perez’s Teen Titans run was a huge success, turning the team into a fan-favorite for comic book readers.

The Teen Titans took another step on the path to stardom with one of the best animated series developed by Cartoon Network. The Teen Titans animated series helped the team to become wildly known and helped all its main characters establish themselves as major DC players. The Teen Titans show was so successful that Cyborg would even go on to become part of the Justice League in the comic books and, later on, Zack Snyder’s DCEU movies.

Thanks to the Teen Titans’ first animated series, the team became mainstream. A second animated series, Teen Titans Go!, is still running after seven seasons and almost 400 episodes. The team also got a live-action series, Titans, set in the same universe as the wonderful Doom Patrol TV show. There are plenty of material the upcoming project can use to see which ideas get better received by the fans. Yet, the Teen Titans DCU movie should actually be based on Young Justice.

The Teen Titans movie should draw inspiration from Young Justice

Young Justice is unanimously acclaimed as one of the best – if not the best – animated adaptations of DC storylines. Expanding beyond the scope of the Teen Titans, the Young Justice team includes dozens of young heroes working together in covert missions for the Justice League. The idea is to let young heroes hone their skills while remaining outside the public eye so that they do not have to worry about the media-facing side of the business and the frequent retaliation by supervillains.

While the original Teen Titans animated series also puts character growth above everything else, Young Justice has a few obvious advantages. For starters, Teen Titans focused on the team independently of a bigger superhero universe. In Young Justice, however, the young heroes are constantly dealing with the senior members of the Justice League, which helps to establish their place in the larger DC universe. Since Gunn and Safran are now working on an interconnected universe that will tell a single story, the Teen Titans movie also needs to position the young team as a piece of the larger DC puzzle.

In addition, since the members of the Young Justice team have to answer to the Justice League in the animated series, the show successfully depicts the differences between the two teams. What changes between the Justice League and the Young Justice are not only the people and powers, but also the level of accountability and the consequences of their mistakes. From projects such as The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, we can tell Gunn is determined to tell stories grounded in real-world problems and complex characters. Young Justice perfectly captures this tone.

Finally, Young Justice has one more advantage over Teen Titans: it allows its characters to get older and take on new roles in the DC universe. Each new season of Young Justice introduces new young heroes, while the previous team members join the Justice League, retire, or decide to brave their own crimefighting path. Young Justice perfectly balances bringing new people into the fold, and giving old favorites different stories to tell, which is precisely what Gunn needs to do to keep the DCU alive for many years to come.

It’s too soon to know which direction the upcoming Teen Titans movie will take. Still, Gunn is committed to creating a cohesive cinematic universe with a select group of artists he trusts. That’s why Teen Titans will be written by Ana Nogueira, who’s already penning the script for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. The first DCU project we’ll watch is the animated series Creature Commandos, expected to hit Max by the end of 2024. The first movie of the cinematic universe, however, is Superman, currently scheduled for July 11, 2025.

The only major war brewing in the superhero sphere this year is simply Marvel Studios versus a general sense of apathy, but 2025 will be home to a comic book film battle of the likes cinema hasn’t seen for years. That July will play host to both Superman: Legacy, the first chapter in the shiny, new DCU, and The Fantastic Four, easily the most anticipated MCU release behind Deadpool 3 (more on that in a moment). Who knows who will win that war, but James Gunn has arguably won the opening salvo…

Superman: Legacy group photo and filming start one-up Marvel’s The Fantastic Four news

Valentine’s Day saw the announcement of The Fantastic Four cast, albeit via a curious piece of promo art. The film’s arch-foe, Superman: Legacy, has now done one better as a full cast photo has been released showcasing our first look at the new Man of Steel and company all together. What’s more, it’s come with the news that filming will begin at long last before February is over. In contrast, Fantastic Four won’t start shooting until August, giving it a serious impediment against the DC film. They say preparation is half the battle, so in that case it looks like Legacy is already 50% of the way to victory.

“I might not be allowed to tell you”: Tom Hiddleston denies Deadpool 3 cameo, but nobody’s listening

Marvel actors have to be extremely careful how they word anything, for fear of the wrong adjective or syntactical structure giving away a major spoiler. Franchise veteran and God of Time that he is, Tom Hiddleston knows this all too well. And yet he’s still managed to kickstart a theorizing frenzy with his response to whether he’ll be in Deadpool & Wolverine. Although he did promise “I truly don’t know,” the Loki star then teased “I might not be allowed to tell you,” which is now the bit that everyone’s paying attention to. Keep calm, people, but we might be in for the Asgardian/X-Men team-up we never dared dream of.

Blade reboot delayed until 2026? Here’s where Mahershala Ali could show up instead

What’s happening with the Blade reboot? The new movie is taking so long to get here we’re left to assume Marvel’s been too busy attending blood raves to produce it. The good news is that, rumor has it, Mahershala Ali could make his proper post-Eternals cameo MCU debut before that film eventually crawls its way out of its tomb. Take this with a pinch of salt — or maybe a dash of holy water, in this case — but intel indicates Ali will lend his voice to Marvel Zombies, the upcoming Disney Plus series that you had totally forgotten was even a thing (it’s OK, we all did). Talk about dead things coming back to life!

From The Marvels achieving streaming stardom to the ongoing Bear-ification of the MCU, Marvel news doesn’t lie still in its grave for long, so don’t go anywhere.

Last year gamers were spoiled for content on TV and in the cinema; at last, we got some good adaptations of our favorite titles, such as the Last of Us and Super Mario Bros., proving that it is possible to translate a game to the screen. In fact, we’ve had a pretty good run for five years or so with Pokémon and Sonic movies too, but can we safely say the video game to movie curse is broken? Well the next movie to put that to the test would be Borderlands, and let’s just say it’s received a lukewarm reception so far.

I don’t want to be a negative Nancy — actually, yes I do, I love complaining about things of minor importance, and nobody can stop me. Anyways, I’m judging this entire movie based on the trailer alone, and it’s giving a real Guardians of the Galaxy vibe; they’ve got the whole dysfunctional family trope, and as many one liners and witty quips as they could possibly fit into 2 minutes and 30 seconds. To top it all off, we’ve got an Electric Light Orchestra song playing over the whole thing. Look, I’m not saying James Gunn is the only guy who can put an ELO song in his film (or trailer), I’m just saying Borderlands already close to the edge and that just tips it over, it’s like the film’s advertisers want it to be known as the GOTG knock-off movie. Also, the correct and only song to use for Borderlands trailer is “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked,” by Cage the Elephant.

Is that a compliment or not?

OK so let’s be fair to the creatives behind Borderlands, if you’re gonna ape another movie’s identity, the Guardians is a great one to pick. Everybody loves those films, myself included, so even if it only ends up half as good, you’ve still got an alright movie on your hands. But then again, who wants to watch an inferior version of a movie you already enjoyed years ago? Watching the trailer didn’t get me excited for this movie, it just made me want to do a Guardians marathon.

On top of that, Borderlands hasn’t exactly been relevant for a while; the last game in the main series was released 5 years ago, and the latest spin off: New Tales from the Borderlands, wasn’t exactly memorable. The long wait is probably to do with the fact that the film got stuck in development hell forever. Principal photography finished in 2021, but it was first announced in 2015. None of this is encouraging to fans who want to see a quality adaptation of their favorite game. Also the trailer proudly proclaims it’s “from the producer of Uncharted, Spider-Man and Venom,” which literally makes my blood run cold; that’s really not the flex they think it is, (at least they were smart enough to omit Morbius.)

Maybe I’m being a little harsh, it’s just the trailer after all, it might not reflect the final product (even though that is the literal point of a trailer.) Maybe it will be more original than we think and I’m just a hater, we’ll just have to wait and see what Borderlands can bring to the table when it finally releases.

How has DC managed to drop the ball so much with an IP as rich and ripe with potential as Green Lantern? Following 2011’s Ryan Reynolds-starring flop, Warner Bros. never managed to get another version of the GL Corps on our screens, but not for lack of trying. Thankfully, after movies and TV shows helmed by everyone from Christopher McQuarrie to Seth Grahame-Smith came and went, James Gunn is finally giving us a Lanterns TV series, on its way to Max, as part of his shiny, new DCU.

Not much is known about the show to date, but we know it will focus on legendary Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart. It’s anyone’s guess who could replace Reynolds as Jordan, but one fan-favorite contender has thrown their name into the ring to play Stewart. Here’s the thing, though: if Marvel wants to unleash its inner Sinestro and steal a sneaky win from its rebooted rival, then the MCU should swoop in and cast this guy as its own answer to Green Lantern. Namely, Nova.

Aldis Hodge wants to be James Gunn’s Green Lantern, but he should be the MCU’s instead

Yes, Black Adam star Aldis Hodge is unlikely to get the chance to reprise his role as Hawkman again, as Dwayne Johnson’s corner of the defunct DCEU will definitely not be folded into Gunn’s plans, but he has made it known that he’s very up for playing Stewart instead. While speaking to ComicBook.com, Hodge reminded us that he’s been portraying the part in animation for years now, voicing the character since 2022’s Green Lantern: Beware My Power movie. So to hop over to live-action would be a literal dream come true. “I mean, that was one of my dreams growing up was to be John Stewart in live action. So yeah,” he admitted.

Unfortunately for Hodge, Gunn seems to be averse to doubling up on those already playing DC heroes in animation. For example, Hodge’s co-star in the animated Tomorrowverse, Meg Donnelly, came close to landing the live-action Supergirl but ultimately lost out to Milly Alcock. So maybe the star should be open to switching multiverses and helping Marvel out with its most plagued upcoming streaming project. The hook? Nova would basically be the MCU’s own Green Lantern.

Richard Rider’s origins, as a regular human who is chosen by the Nova Force and becomes a cosmic policeman, is pretty much beat for beat a match for DC’s GL. Unfortunately, the Green Lantern curse seems to have spread to Marvel, too, as a Nova project has been on the back-burner at the House of Ideas for years now. Rumors abound that there’s either a miniseries or special stuck in development hell. Maybe Hodge could be the one to help it finally break free and onto Disney Plus.

Hodge might be mostly a DC boy, but this is the guy who started a campaign to play Black Panther way back in 2012. Something tells me he wouldn’t take too much tempting to come over to the Marvel side. Kevin Feige, do us all a favor and give this man a (power) ring.

2024 is a curious year for the superhero world as Marvel and DC are practically on pause this year, with the real fallout for major changes to come not being felt until 2025.

For example, as James Gunn prepares to shoot next year’s Superman: Legacy evidence indicates he could be swiping the brains behind Marvel’s Loki for his own. Meanwhile, the Thunderbolts cast may finally be locked in as the future of the MCU on Disney Plus looks to have been thrown for a loop by Echo.

Things may seem quiet on the MCU/DCU front now, but just you wait, next year is going to be crazy…

Is James Gunn just the start of Marvel’s directors jumping ship to DC?

In the wake of House of the Dragon‘s Milly Alcock being confirmed as the DCU’s Supergirl, some curious social media activity has eagle-eyed fans wondering if Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow could see another Marvel director pulling a Gunn out of their pocket and hopping over to DC. Specifically, Kate Herron — known for helming Loki season 1 — interacted with Alcock’s post about her casting. As far as we know, Alcock and Herron have no professional connection, so it’s possible the Sex Education alum is in talks to direct the Superman: Legacy spinoff. Could this be just the beginning of the mass Marvel director exodus? Who could Gunn poach next? The Russo brothers?! We can but dream…

Chart-topper Echo cost a mere fraction as much as She-Hulk and Secret Invasion

Something had to be done. The budgets for Marvel’s streaming shows have been increasing virtually with each new project, until we got to the point where She-Hulk and Secret Invasion cost as much as Avengers movies for a diet slice of the success. Enter Echo, which premiered on both Disney Plus and Hulu earlier this month and instantly topped the charts for both platforms. How much did that cost? As it turns out, just $40 million — that’s about 17% of She-Hulk‘s exorbitant $225 million pricetag. In other words, expect many more Marvel Spotlight series on the horizon and far fewer about green CGI characters. Bad news for anyone still dreaming about a “Shrek and Mike Wazowski Meet The Hulk” show.

Thunderbolts losing another cast-member as it gains two more means it’s time to install a revolving door

You know how DC’s Suicide Squad franchise kills off its characters over the course of the movie so you don’t know who’s going to make it to the end? Well, Marvel seems to be pulling off an elaborate marketing tactic along the same lines for its own answer to Task Force X. The anti-hero team-up movie has been faced with so many casting changes this January that we can’t be sure who’ll actually be in it by the time the film releases in July 2025. As it happens, Lewis Pullman is officially replacing Steven Yeun as Sentry while The Bear favorite Ayo Edebiri is likewise out, leaving Geraldine Viswanathan (Bad Education) to fill her shoes. Just don’t take away Sebastian Stan or Florence Pugh, Marvel, and we’re golden.

The DCU is big enough for two Kryptonians, apparently. Although it took the old DCEU a full decade to follow-up Henry Cavill’s Superman with Sasha Calle’s Kara Zor-El, James Gunn’s universe is wasting no time in introducing the cousin to David Corenswet’s Kal-El in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

Before Superman: Legacy even begnis shooting in spring 2024, pre-production on Woman of Tomorrow was already knee-deep. A script from writer Ana Nogueira, based on writer Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely’s comic book of the same name, is complete and the title role has already been cast (more on that in a moment). In a surprising move, all signs are pointing to the film being the second cinematic entry in the DCU, ahead of the Batman movie The Brave and the Bold.

Although the Girl of Steel just returned to the big screen in 2023’s The Flash, this is the first time Supergirl has helmed her own theatrically released film since 1984 — that’s a whopping 40 years for those struggling to do the math. Needless to say, the hype among DC die-hards is real. Although much about the production is still a mystery, we can still use our X-ray vision to uncover some of what’s in store in Woman of Tomorrow.

Who stars in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow?

Beating out the likes of Meg Donnelly (Zombies) and Emilia Jones (CODA), House of the Dragon star Milly Alcock has been cast as Kara in Woman of Tomorrow. This makes her only the second leading DCU actor to be found to date. With a director yet to be attached to the project, however, there have been no other casting updates at the time of writing.

Still, it’s easy to speculate that David Corenswet could drop by for at least a cameo as Clark Kent. Neither Supergirl ’84 or The Flash (outside of the eerie Slater/Reeve cameo) found room to feature Superman and Supergirl sharing the screen, which is an egregious oversight given the defining familial relationship between the two heroes. So hopefully Gunn and the film’s team will put that right this time around.

What is Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow about?

From everything we’ve heard, Woman of Tomorrow will be a very faithful adaptation of the original comic. In short, it’s a cosmic quest narrative telling a self-contained storyline in which Kara accompanies a young alien woman, Ruthye Marye Knoll, as they journey across the stars in search of the evil assassin, Krem of the Yellow Hills, who killed Ruthye’s father.

Without many familiar DC characters involved — although Kara is joined by her animal sidekicks, Krypto and Comet the horse — Woman of Tomorrow will be pretty much the opposite of The Flash in terms of showcasing Supergirl’s character without any kind of wider franchise or crossover distractions. According to Gunn, the protagonist will be “much more hardcore and not the Supergirl we’re used to.”

This fits with the depiction of Supergirl in the comics too. The story begins with Supergirl travelling to another planet on her 21st birthday to let off some steam, as she’s feeling stuck under the shadow of her more famous cousin on Earth. A Supergirl who’s resentful of Clark and less squeaky-clean is certainly an intriguing prospect. As is the notion that being away from Earth’s sun means Kara has no powers, therefore she won’t be defined by her abilities in the film but by her personality.

When could Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow release?

At this point, Legacy is the only film on the DCU’s slate to have a firm release date, but comments Gunn has made about Woman of Tomorrow mean we can make a rough guess at when it will hit cinemas.

In January 2023, Gunn came clean to DC.com about when he expects the film to be released in conjunction with Legacy. “We’ll have a Superman com[ing] out. And then two years later, we have Supergirl coming out,” he admitted. At the same time, he teased that there could be a game in development that takes place between the two movies and could even star Krypto, so that’s something for fans to watch out for.

So what does this “two years later” comment mean? Well, Legacy arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025. So clearly the aim is for Supergirl to follow sometime in 2027. Perhaps even July 2027, if Gunn’s time frame is accurate to the month. It’s currently unclear if it will be the second DCU film released or if another could get moving to drop in 2026.

Those used to the speed with which Marvel makes its movies may be surprised by how far away Supergirl is coming, but this is just part and parcel of Gunn’s “quality over quantity” mantra. As he once told Variety, “I’m a writer at my heart, and we’re not going to be making movies before the screenplay is finished.” It might seem like a long wait but, honestly, we’ll thank him in the long run.

The Multiverse Saga sure is doing a real number on MCU continuity, isn’t it? Sorry for those who don’t care about the nuts and bolts of Marvel canon, but honestly, if you’re here reading this then you probably do.

Loki has torn apart the Sacred Timeline and rebuilt it anew, first we were told the Defenders Saga wasn’t canon but then we were told that it was, and let’s not even get started on She-Hulk punching holes through the fourth wall. Speaking of, things are bound to get even more canon-crazy when Deadpool 3 releases this July. And the proof is already here…

New Deadpool 3 synopsis confirms Wade and Wolverine are about to tear up the MCU

You’d better believe Deadpool 3 is going to be Marvel’s first R-rated movie — even its synopses are for mature eyes only. A new Japanese plot summary for the threequel deploys the shocking bombshell that it will see the “f***ing irresponsible hero Deadpool change the history of the MCU with Wolverine.” Excuse me, he’ll what now? Does Kevin Feige know about this? If Deadpool 3 repeats the ending of The Flash and has George Clooney turn up as Iron Man in the final frame, it had better make all the money. If anyone can erase Marvel’s box office troubles from the timeline, it’s Deadpool.

Captain America: Brave New World‘s new suit for Sam Cap gives up its secrets too soon

Ah, merch: both Marvel’s greatest money-maker and its biggest bane. Thanks to a rogue snap that’s made its way online, we’ve now got our first look at the new superhero suit worn by Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson in Captain America: Brave New World. As you’d expect, reactions are split down the middle, like Steve Rogers’ shield after Thanos had a go at it. Partly that’s because Sam only got to wear his last one for just five minutes at the end of Falcon and the Winter Soldier and we all liked it. Sure, it’s a brave new world but we would’ve been fine with a familiar old suit.

Guardians 3‘s James Gunn and Zoe Saldaña seem all but confirmed to reunite in the DCU

The one shining light of Marvel’s misshapen 2023 was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which earned a whopping $845 million at the box office. The only problem is that writer/director James Gunn has since hopped to DC, and it looks like he’s taking his Guardians with him. Gamora herself Zoe Saldaña has admitted she would love to work with Gunn again on a new superhero project, while Gunn has similarly admitted that he’s already got some roles for her in mind. Add in Sean “Kraglin” Gunn playing Maxwell Lord and persistent rumors Chris Pratt could be Booster Gold, and it seems likely that the entire Guardians team could reassemble one day… Just not in the MCU. Oh well, if it does happen, blame Deadpool for messing with the timeline.

James Gunn is not one to abandon his friends, and he’s wasting no time in bringing his closest collaborators over to DC with him now that he’s got the keys to the kingdom.

Just look at how Nathan Fillion is set to play Green Lantern Guy Gardner in Superman: Legacy, with his brother Sean Gunn on call as Maxwell Lord. Sure enough, the DC Studios co-CEO has long been open about the fact he’s hoping to bring the full Guardians of the Galaxy cast into the DCU eventually. And it’s possible the next one to emerge through the multiversal portal from Marvel will be Gamora herself, Zoe Saldaña.

The Avengers: Endgame actress got fans everywhere excited when she admitted to ComicBook.com that she would be ecstatic to join DC. “I love the superhero universe of any sort,” she gushed. “I have sons that are obsessed with comic books right now, and superheroes, so for me to be a part of projects that they will get to watch for the next 10, 15 years of their whole lives, it’s a dream for me. If it never gets to happen, or if it happens with other filmmakers, and not James Gunn, or if it happens again with James Gunn, I would be so grateful.”

Gunn was then presented with Saldaña’s comments on Threads and asked if he would like to work with her again and if he already has roles for her in mind. “Ofc and ofc,” he replied. “I love Zoe.”

Well, if Gunn already has some characters he’s pegged as potentially perfect for his Gamora it’s surely only a matter of time before Saldaña makes her DCU debut. If Gunn’s having some trouble deciding on her definitive DC role, though, there’s one character the Star Trek star would be well-suited for. And it’s a hero Gunn himself previously erased from the SnyderVerse.

Who should Zoe Saldaña play in the DCEU? The answer is the Question…

With basically an entire universe to be cast in the newborn DCU and with Saldaña being such a versatile performer, there are so many characters that could have her name on them. It’s easy to imagine the actress being a fantastic Catwoman in The Brave and the Bold, for example, or a great Jessica Cruz in the Lanterns TV series. Saldaña may even wish to try her hand at a supervillain role after a decade as a superhero, in which case how about Poison Ivy or Queen Bee, as seen in Young Justice?

The absolute best DC role for Saldaña, however? Ironically, it’s a character that Gunn himself threw to the side in his first project for Marvel’s Distinguished Competition. Let’s have Zoe Saldaña return to the comic book movie world as Renee Montoya, preferably with her portrayal depicting her taking on the mantle of the Question.

Montoya has already appeared in film, of course, as Rosie Perez played her in 2020’s Birds of Prey. However, despite Renee and the other Birds forming a partnership with Harley Quinn throughout that movie, Gunn made no attempt to reference the characters in 2021’s The Suicide Squad. After BoP failed to ignite the box office, this effectively allowed DC to bury the characters, which is why little headway was being made on a sequel even before the old DCEU dissolved to make way for the Gunn-verse.

Gunn can belatedly do right by the character with a Saldaña casting, then. Montoya is a fascinating character who goes from a Gotham cop, an instrument of the system, to a vigilante whose whole thing is rebelling and questioning the authorities. It’s a transformative arc and a tough-as-nails heroine, not to mention one of DC’s most popular sapphic characters, and would surely be a gift of a part for the actress. The bonus is that Renee is of Dominican heritage in the comics, while Saldaña is Dominican/Puerto-Rican.

So, that’s settled; Zoe Saldaña should be the DCU’s Renee Montoya. Now the Question remains… where should she debut? James Gunn, I’ll leave that up to you.

It could be argued that Superman: Legacy has perhaps the biggest challenge of any upcoming superhero movie: how can writer/director James Gunn relaunch the Last Son of Krypton in a fresh and yet familiar way?

After the SnyderVerse proved too dark and gloomy for some, Legacy needs to hark back to the more hopeful optimism of the Christopher Reeve movies. And yet it can’t simply slavishly redo those films, as Superman Returns proved back in 2006. Gunn has the unenviable task of attempting to find the sweet spot between nostalgia and innovation.

So, naturally, there are bound to be things about Legacy, the first film to come out of the rebooted DCU, that will rub fans up the wrong way. And it looks like David Corenswet’s Superman costume could be one of them.

David Corenswet’s Superman suit will be unexpected and different from Henry Cavill’s

According to film journalist and producer Dan Marcus, the Superman: Legacy costume will come as a surprise to fans when it’s finally revealed and it’s hard to predict how folks are going to respond to it. As Marcus said: “Not that this matters at all, but I heard from a friend who is working on LEGACY that the Superman suit is not gonna be what we’re expecting and is very curious for how fans are gonna react. Take that for what you will.”

It sounds like we may have a similar situation to Man of Steel on our hands, as fans were shocked when the more alien, muted Henry Cavill suit was first unveiled way back in 2011. There was especially a lot of mourning over the loss of Kal-El’s outside underwear. It would be ironic if the thing that’s so unexpected about Corenswet’s suit is that it brings back the classic red trunks. Some fans would no doubt love their returns while others would probably decry the design choice as corny and old-fashioned.

Alternatively, maybe Gunn really loves the Nicolas Cage costume from Superman Lives that we glimpsed in The Flash and Corenswet’s going to wear a replication of that. One thing we can confirm is that he hasn’t just inherited Cavill’s old togs. As Gunn revealed on Threads, Corenswet had to wear Cavill’s suit for his screentest — and the ‘6 “4 star struggled to squeeze into his predecessor’s pants. “Yes everyone who screen tested was screen tested in the previous suit (although David had a hard time fitting as he’s so tall!)” Gunn stated.

With filming on Superman: Legacy due to launch in March 2024, expect our first glimpse at Corenswet in his unexpected Supes suit sometime in the early spring.

The DC universe is about to enter an exciting new era of franchise cohesiveness and harmony, what with James Gunn‘s DCU coming to tie together movies, TV shows, and even games. And yet this is DC we’re talking about, so there’s always bound to be some controversial loose ends somewhere.

While the vast majority of upcoming releases will be set in the DCU, Gunn has announced that a few select standalone projects, labelled “Elseworlds” movies, will coexist alongside them. The most notable are The Batman – Part II and Joker Folie à Deux. Now it’s been confirmed there’s another on the way, one we all assumed was as dead as the planet Krypton. Watch out, David Corenswet, looks like you might not be the only new Superman in town.

J.J. Abrams’ Superman could still soar into cinemas — but should he?

Gunn surprised the DC fandom when he casually revealed on social media that J.J. Abrams’ Superman movie is still in the works. “Is that Abrams Superman Elseworld project still in development?” the DC Studios co-CEO was asked by a fan on Threads. “Yes,” came his brief but mind-blowing response.

For a reminder, March 2021 brought the news that Abrams was set to produce what was quickly called a “Black Superman” movie for Warner Bros., as based on a script by acclaimed journalist and comic book writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. The one thing we knew about the project was that it would cast an actor of color as Clark Kent. The announcement resulted in a considerable backlash, and not just from the usual quarters either, for all kinds of reasons.

One of those was a concern that it was only going to create brand confusion. So, naturally, the news that the Abrams and Coates film is still plowing ahead just as we’re waiting for Gunn’s own Superman: Legacy to arrive is only reheating these old criticisms. As one commenter on the r/DC_Cinematic subreddit put it, “This is a bad idea.” Another concurred: “Indeed. Was hoping DC was done with bad ideas but I guess not.”

“I hope it doesn’t go anywhere,” one fan pleaded to the universe. “We don’t need Elseworlds stories when the main universe hasn’t even started.” Some would be a lot more excited about DC making movies about authentically Black characters rather than race-swapping a white character, as has long been a big concern about this project. “How is this being made but not Black Lightning or Static Shock?” demanded another fan.

Others aren’t so concerned, though, given how many DC projects are announced but still fail to get made. Or get released even if they do get made, in the case of Batgirl. “This movie is never seeing the light of day, let’s be honest,” said one Redditor. Sure enough, it’s worth pointing out that Abrams had various DC projects in development, including a Justice League Dark TV series, all of which appear to have come to nothing. Much like his Star Trek 4 over at Paramount, it does seem there’s a strong chance the filmmaker’s Superman will remain stuck in the Phantom Zone of unmade superhero movies. Much like Abrams’ own Superman: Flyby.

No one’s denying that, if handled correctly, Abrams and Coates’ film could be one of the best Superman movies we’ve ever had, but there are many ways it could backfire too. Maybe Gunn should give Michael B. Jordan a call and get him to dust off his Val-Zod film instead?