Superman: Legacy director & DCU chief James Gunn has reiterated what remains in his new shared universe from the Snyderverse. While Jason Momoa‘s fate as Aquaman hangs in the balance – fans can rest assured Blue Beetle, The Suicide Squad‘s Amanda Waller & Peacemaker have a future in the upcoming world-building.
The confusing state of DCU will not change anytime soon at least until Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters debuts with Creature Commandos. For starters, the DC Studios co-CEO confirmed the DC Extended Universe will not undergo a hard reboot, “Yes, some actors will be playing characters they’ve played in other stories”. Moreover, he also confirms some of the plot points from Snyderverse would have a place in Gunnverse though events that unfold before Creature Commandos and Superman: Legacy are not canon.
Creature Commandos was one of the projects in Hollywood that managed to remain unaffected by the strikes. Since the penning duties for the animated series were completed before the formation of DCU, recording sessions with its cast members like Frank Grillo have taken place since May.
Unfortunately, the WGA strike has impacted the larger progress of DCU, “the strike was a real wrench in the process for sure”. Gunn had earlier stated the Writers Strike had stopped all progress except for the designing, and storyboarding aspects of the Superman reboot.
Post by @jamesgunnView on Threads
While James acknowledged there would be some amount of confusion until the DCU kicks off, the DC multimedia head says audiences will not need to engage in any material released before Creature Commandos to understand the new universe’s storytelling.
While Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was not part of the discussion, James confirmed Xolo Maridueña‘s Blue Beetle has a place in the DCU. It should not come as a surprise since DC Studios has embraced the first Latin superhero flick since its premiere.
Before you worry about the future of Gal Gadot‘s Wonder Woman & Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn since Gunn failed to mention them – there remains enough to prove both characters would return. Last week, Batgirl writer Gail Simone revealed DCU had also engaged in a pitch meeting over a Harley Quinn solo feature.
Insiders insist Gadot will return in James Gunn’s DCU although it is unclear if Diana Prince would show up in Chapter 1. Nonetheless, the Amazonian lore would be explored so there is the possibility for Paradise Lost to address WW’s return with a retconned origin.
Post by @jamesgunnView on Threads
I had a pitch meeting with them about this, different idea, of course. https://t.co/lPrNDMy2LY
— Gail Simone 💙💛 (@GailSimone) September 20, 2023
Meanwhile, Zack Snyder fans were once again reminded that the Rebel Moon director has no intention of working on DC Films at the moment. A Snyder stan shared a clip of the ZSJL helmer from the Full Circle event, indicating the filmmaker was still interested in expanding Snyderverse.
Gunn outright clarified that “Zack hadn’t expressed any interest” to him during their discussions. It’s fair to say it’s time to put the Snyderverse discussion to rest and shift focus to the start of a new inter-connected storytelling.
