James Gunn Confirms First DC Movie, Full Slate Early Next Year

After much speculation, James Gunn confirms the DCU’s upcoming slate has been mapped out and reveals one movie that will be included within it.

James Gunn has confirmed that he and co-CEO of DC Studios, Peter Safran, have readied a slate for their upcoming conception of the new DC Universe. In November, Gunn and Safran were confirmed as the new co-CEOs and co-chairpersons of the DCU (formerly DCEU) in an effort to refresh the franchise and streamline its story. Gunn has been working on a 10-year-plan for the DCU, having previously directed the acclaimed film The Suicide Squad and overseen the HBO Max series Peacemaker. Not much had been disclosed about his plans, but he has finally released some details going forward.

Gunn took to social media to announce that he and Safran have a “DC slate ready to go” and will be able to share details “at the beginning of the new year.” This exciting news follows a sustained period of uncertainty for the DCU, which is generally in a state of disarray regarding upcoming projects and current storylines. Gunn’s announcement also accompanies the revelation that Henry Cavill will no longer be playing Superman as a younger version of the character is preferred going forward. This will comprise a new Superman movie that will kick off the new slate, and it is currently being penned by Gunn himself. A director has not yet been attached.

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What To Expect From The New DCU

Gunn and Safran were hired by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to bring order to the DCU. The news that Cavill will not be returning to play Superman means that his cameo in the recently released Black Adam is now awkwardly meaningless and adds to a string of woes that has plagued the DCU for some time now. The new slate of films that will be revealed at the start of 2023 will presumably detail Gunn’s 10-year-plan, starting with a young Superman film. This slate of films is an attempt by the DCU to reach the level of popularity and coherence of the MCU, and Gunn’s major success with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise was undoubtedly an influencing factor in his appointment as co-CEO of DC Studios.

As it stands, there are four upcoming DCU films scheduled for release next year including The Flash. It is currently unknown whether these stories will factor into Gunn’s plans, but it seems unlikely that they will. Rumored future projects, such as Wonder Woman 3 and a Batman Beyond film starring Michael Keaton as the Dark Knight, have reportedly been called off since the restructuring of DC Studios, indicating that many of the original plans, and possibly characters, for the franchise have been discarded in favor of this new slate. Given Cavill’s recasting, it is possible that existing heroes such as Ben Affleck’s Batman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman could also be dismissed.

Gunn has previously spoken of Superman’s importance to the DC Universe going forward, and while the young Superman film is the only currently confirmed film for the upcoming slate, there are many other important characters going forward that will also require attention. Gunn has been vocal on social media about DC characters that haven’t yet been introduced but could feature in future projects, such as Nightwing, but the heart of the story will surely remain on the trio of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Given that the new Superman will be younger, the story may choose to focus on younger iterations on all of these characters. Fans will have to wait until the new year for more specific information, but Gunn’s constant communication and concrete plan are great signs for the future.

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Source: James Gunn/Twitter