James Gunn has finally revealed how he plans to bring the DCU to life and all of it hinges on the success of a shared universe and an Elseworlds strategy.
Elseworlds was a DC Comics publishing imprint started in 1989 that presented stories set outside the DC Universe's main continuity. These stories typically featured alternate versions of well-known characters and explored "what if" scenarios. The Elseworlds stories offered a fresh perspective on familiar characters and allowed creators to take the characters in new and different directions.
It was created by DC Comics as a way to allow creators to tell stories outside the confines of continuity and to present alternate versions of familiar characters. The imprint provided a space for creative freedom and experimentation, allowing writers and artists to explore new interpretations of the DC Universe and its characters. The stories under the Elseworlds imprint often took a more experimental or experimental approach to the source material and were aimed at offering readers a fresh and unique perspective on the characters they loved.
A few famous stories include Kingdom Come - a story that takes place in the future and features an aging Superman leading a group of heroes against a new generation of antiheroes. Similarly Gotham by Gaslight - This story features a Victorian-era Batman who must track down Jack the Ripper in Gotham City. Batman: Red Rain - This story explores a world where Batman becomes a vampire to defeat Dracula and his army of the undead. Superman: Red Son - This story imagines a world where Kal-El's rocket lands in Soviet Russia instead of Smallville, Kansas.
Elseworlds Is a Familiar DC Concept, It Just Hasn't Been Seen This Way
This isn’t the first time DC has adapted the Elseworlds concept. In the Arrowverse, it was the 2018 crossover event that took place across three of The CW's DC Comics-based television shows, Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl. The crossover involved characters from the three shows swapping identities and facing off against a powerful new threat. Elseworlds was notable for featuring the debut of Ruby Rose as Kate Kane/Batwoman and setting the stage for her to receive her own television series.
In a video statement Gunn informed fans of the Elseworlds branding on upcoming releases. Gunn stated that Warner Bros. Discovery's objective is to "make sure the DCU is connected in film, television, gaming, and animation". He added that the "characters are consistent, played by the same actors, and it works in one story" in his announcement video. Anything that doesn't fit into that DCU continuity, like The Batman: Part II and Joker : Folie à Deux will be known by its own name DC: Elseworlds.
Gunn explained that the remaining DC movie slate, which features characters from the Zack Snyder-led DC era, will directly connect to the upcoming projects of Gunn and Peter Safran. Gunn asserted, "Shazam connects very well because he has always been off in his own part of the DCU. That immediately leads to Aquaman 2, which is followed by The Flash, a fantastic film that resets the entire DC universe, Blue Beetle, about a child who is a wonderful part of the DCU, and Aquaman 2."
Gods and Monsters Will Involve In-Universe DCU Characters
Following that, Gunn claimed that he and his creative team have devised a strategy for DC Studios that spans eight to ten years and includes a first "chapter," which he dubbed "Gods and Monsters." Gunn claims that he has already written an animated series titled Creature Commandos that will serve as the introduction to this chapter. Gunn claims that the forthcoming DC animated series will function similarly to the MCU's What If...? in that it will have characters whose voices will be provided by the same actors as in the live-action version. Viola Davis' Amanda Waller will also be the focus of an animated series that will feature her teaming up with characters from the Peacemaker franchise.
The slate of new non Elseworlds projects includes Creature Commando’s an animated series, Booster Gold, a HBO Max series, and Lanterns a show chronicling the adventures of Hal Jordan and Jon Stewart that is set to connected to an overarching storyline uniting the DCU characters.He likens Lanterns, to True Detective but has “Green Lanterns who are space cops overseeing precinct Earth;”. Then there’s The Authority, described as "a passion project" for Gunn that will bring the superhero team into the DC Universe for the first time; and Booster Gold, who according to Gunn, is "basically the superhero story of imposter syndrome." He is "a loser from the future" who transforms into a superhero in the present day so that people will love him.
James Gunn Is Bringing in Big Comic Book Names to Write the DCU
Other projects, such as the upcoming Superman: Legacy, The Brave and the Bold, and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow are all in the mix. Gunn has mentioned the comic book writers and series from which those films will draw, like Grant Morrison and Tom King's work on Brave and the Bold and Supergirl.
At the event where the DC Studios slate was announced, Gunn said, "Tom King has been my partner throughout all of this". Tom King is a revered and controversial comic book writer, who has made a significant contribution to the creation of the Batman universe. However, his footprint doesn't end there. His Supergirl comic The Woman of Tomorrow is the one being made into a movie. It's also important to remember King's involvement in the canceled Ava DuVernay's New Gods movie.
He also revealed his other collaborators on the slate. This includes Christal Henry, who is collaborating with Viola Davis on the Amanda Waller series. Christina Hodson who wrote Birds of Prey, the Batgirl movie that was canceled, and The Flash, was also part of the thought process behind the DCU. Dodson's involvement in The Flash is key as it is set to reboot the entire DCU and usher it away from the Snyderverse into Gunn's era. Another notable name entering the project is Drew Goddard. The Marvel/Netflix Daredevil series was created by Goddard, who has also directed Bad Times at the El Royale and The Cabin in the Woods. Meanwhile, Jeremy Slater is coming from Marvel's Moon Knight series, where he served as head writer and executive producer.
With all the big guns helping Gunn relaunch the DC Universe, it’s going to be interesting to see how well the Elseworlds formula and the larger DCU goes over with audiences.