James Gunn promises “connected” DC Universe as director announces phase one line-up including ‘Superman Legacy’ movie

31 January, 2023

James Gunn

James Gunn has revealed the first phase of the new DC Universe, which will include the reboot of Superman.

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Making the announcement on Twitter earlier on this evening (Tuesday, January 31), Gunn made clear the starting point for a brand new DC entertainment venture (see tweet below). Gunn made it clear that he was committed to keeping the DC Universe “connected” across film, TV, and video games in an ambitious vision.

The big titles that he announced as part of phase one are Superman Legacy (which will be a reboot following the Henry Cavill years), a Batman film separate to Matt Reeves’ DC Elesworlds series, a horror-tinged Swampthing movie, and TV series Lanterns.

Here are just a few of our plans. Up, up, and away! #DCStudios #DCU @DCComics pic.twitter.com/8XNDNLUEPq

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) January 31, 2023

Indeed, films such as The Joker: Folie à Deux and the Reeves The Batman films will exist under the separate brand titled Elseworlds. This means they are completely set aside from the DCU.

Gunn revealed an ambitious plan in which he told fans they could expect “an eight to ten year plan for the DC Universe across film, tv, and gaming”. He kicked off the announcement by talking about Creature Commandos. This will be a seven-episode animated series, written by Gunn, that is already in production. He plans to use the actors cast to voice the characters in a live-action follow-up at some point (something he wants to implement across the DCU).

He tagged Viola Davis as his leading actor in the TV series Waller. This will be a series that bridge Peacemaker season one and two. It will show the nefarious government agent teaming up with members of Peacemaker’s crew.

Superman James Gunn — Superman is getting a reboot in the 2025 film ‘Superman Legacy’. CREDIT: DC Comics

Gunn confirmed that he is penning the reboot of Superman, and it will be titled Superman Legacy. He kept things under wraps, bar saying that he’s already writing it and the film will be released in the cinema as “the true beginning of the DCU” on July 11, 2025.

The Green Lantern Corp are set for a return following Ryan Reynolds’ 2011 flop at the cinema. The co-head of DC Studios said that he planned to introduce Hal Jordan and John Stewart in this “big premiere HBO show,” titled Lanterns. Gunn described it as “almost like True Detective but with Lanterns,” before teasing a terrifying story which ties in with the wider DCU.

A movie called the The Authority based on Wildstorm characters is also planned. The Wildstorm are group of superheroes who want to fix the world in any way possible. Batman will be introduced into the DCU in a father-son film, The Brave And The Bold – this will be separate to Matt Reeves’ The Batman movies.

Swampthing and the “very dark origins” of the character are also being geared up for a movie feature. Though it is very much separate to the other projects, its horror-tinged plot will feed into the wider DCU.

Speaking about this new beginning, Gunn said: “One of our strategies is to take our diamond characters — which is Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman — and we use them to prop up other characters that people don’t know.”

The full slate announced for the DC Universe: phase one