After watching the new DC slate video, one thing is clear. James Gunn wants us to read a lot of comics.
James Gunn recently announced some of the new projects of his and Peter Safran’s upcoming DCU slate. He also took time to clarify what shows and movies were in the main timeline and which ones were separate.
Shows and movies such as The Batman, Joker, and Teen Titans Go and all things tied to those worlds are all labeled as DC Elseworlds and will be separate from the main DCU story. This is a perfect way to allow for there to be a main DCU as well as cool side stories.
This year will be the last year for all the old DCU. Shazam! Fury of The Gods, Blue Beetle, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, and The Flash will all be coming out in 2023. The Flash is what will be resetting the DC Universe.
Next year is when all of the new DCU projects will be coming out. This new chapter, not phase, of the DCU is titled Gods and Monsters. It will feature the return of characters and locations we’ve seen before, and also introduce lots of new characters to the DCU.
Superman and Batman will be getting new movies with new stars. James Gunn is in charge of the new Superman film, Superman: Legacy, and as a James Gunn stan I’m excited.
Like Man of Steel before it, Superman: Legacy is what will truly begin the new DCU. But where there’s Superman, there’s going to be Batman and maybe even his cousin Supergirl. The Brave and The Bold, featuring Batman and his son Damian Wayne, and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow were both announced.
A new movie reboot of Swamp Thing was also announced. When done right this character is amazing, and even when he’s done wrong he’s still fun to watch too. If you haven’t done so already I highly recommend reading Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing comics as well as watching the original Swamp Thing film directed by the late Wes Craven.
I liked how James Gunn is including a lot of DC legends and also bringing in new groups that many, myself included, don’t know much about. The perfect example of him bringing in something new and exciting is the Creature Commandos show, the DCU’s first connected animated series. I don’t know a dang thing about this team but it looks cool and classic monsters are always cool.
Another project I’m excited to see because I know next to nothing about the team is the upcoming movie The Authority. It’s another James Gunn project so I have high hopes for that film because Gunn is directly involved in it. It is also the first WildStorm comic series that will be introduced to the DCU. WildStorm was an independent label created by comic book and animation legend Jim Lee that was later bought by DC Comics.
A lot of the new DCU projects are going to be TV shows on HBO Max. I’m sure Gunn wants to replicate the same success Marvel has had with their Disney+ shows. As good as Peacemaker was, I have high expectations for these shows.
Those projects are Waller starring Viola Davis, a Wonder Woman prequel called Paradise Lost, a show about superhero wannabe Booster Gold, and the show that has a chance to fix my jaded Green Lantern fan heart, Lanterns.
Green Lantern is my favorite superhero and Hal and the Corp still need justice for what was done back in 2011. I like the concept of a sci-fi, neo noir detective thriller starring two of the best Lanterns to ever put on the rings. Would it be too much to ask to have Tom Cruise play Hal Jordan?
James Gunn wants all of these projects to feel special and unique. That is what’s most important to him, and I really admire his passion. I want all the new DC stuff to be good, and I’ll do my best to review everything new to the DCU that comes out. I can’t wait to see what will become of this new age in DC’s history.
Check out the Chapter 1:Gods and Monsters announcement video here.
Advent Seven 
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