New co-heads of DC Studios James Gunn and Peter Safran have finally unveiled their master plan for the DCU, revealing the first chapter of their overarching story is called “Gods and Monsters.” It’s fitting, then, that the newly announced slates of DCU movies and TV shows include completely distinct characters, such as Swamp Thing and Superman.
During the press collective about the future of the DCU, Gunn and Safran did more than announce the release date of multiple TV and film projects. For more than an hour, the creative duo explained their vision for the future of the DCU, how they intend to unify every production under the same cohesive storyline, and the tone of their expansive narrative. As Gunn puts it, one of the main differences between his DCU and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that DC Studios is primarily concerned with morally complex stories. In Gunn’s words:
"I think our stories in general are, we want to take it away from good guy versus bad guy, and there's all sorts of really, really almost saintly people, Superman is among them. There are really terrible villains like Gorilla Grodd, or Joker, and then there's everybody in between. So there's all these shades of grey of these different types of character, which allows us to tell more complex storytelling."
Gunn and Safran's obsession for morally gray stories is what led them to base the first chapter of their ambitious narrative in both gods and monsters. So, as expected, we’ll get a new Superman movie and a TV show set in Themyschira, Wonder Woman’s original home. However, the DCU is also tackling a Swamp Thing movie, and an animated series focused on the Creature Commandos. In between, we’ll also have a Booster Gold series and a new movie focused on Damian Wayne, Batman’s biological son. There’s a flavor of superhero for everybody, and the only thing all these projects have in common is that they put the story first.
James Gunn and Peter Safran Want to Keep the DCU Flexible
The DCU is expanding in many new and exciting directions, but as Safran underlines, their universe will keep flexible as years go by. While the creative duo has a plan they want to follow, they refuse to move on with the production of any TV show or film until they are satisfied with the script. The story is king in Gunn and Safran’s DCU, even if that means dealing with delays. As Safran explains it:
“The first part of the first chapter of our story that we're telling of our universe, and that first chapter is called ‘Gods and Monsters.’ 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.”
While there’s still much we don’t know about the new DCU, one thing is clear. Gunn and Safran are passionate about the project and pour all their energies into building a cohesive cinematic universe that can still offer very different stories. And that is exactly what we always wished for the DCU.