James Gunn has been refreshingly transparent about future plans for the If DC Isn't Restoring The Snyderverse, It Needs To Properly End It
The DCU Will Be A Multi-Platform Franchise Across Different Mediums
One of the earliest and most fundamental details James Gunn has confirmed regarding the new-look DCU concerns its reach across different media. While the backbone of the DCU will consist primarily of cinematic movie releases, Gunn has declared that TV shows and video games will connect directly to the main franchise. These TV projects, likely intended as HBO Max DC content, will incorporate live-action, 2D animation, and 3D animation, meaning a broad palette of DC material awaits under the new regime. This development is not hugely surprising. Not only does Gunn already serve as showrunner on Peacemaker, but Marvel has enjoyed tremendous success adopting the same model on Disney+.
The Snyderverse, Ayer Cut & Other Lost Projects Aren't Happening In The DCU
Thanks to numerous instances of DC changing direction over the years, a series of fan campaigns have materialized in of lost projects, including #RestoreTheSnyderverse, #ReleaseTheAyerCut, and #SaveLegendsOfTomorrow. Soon after taking his position as the new DC Studios co-lead, James Gunn addressed these ionate fan movements with a polite acknowledgment of the ion and dedication involved. Regardless, Gunn's statement left no doubt that DC's focus was firmly on the future, nixing any lingering hopes that Snyder's abandoned DCEU Knightmare storyline, David Ayer's Suicide Squad, or canceled Arrowverse shows would be saved by the DCU.
Matt Reeves' The Batman Universe Will Not Be Folded Into The DCU
Matt Reeves' 2022 The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as the titular thug-botherer, exists in isolation from DC's other movies. Indeed, plans are afoot for The Batman to develop into its own shared universe, with spinoffs based around Colin Farrell's Penguin and Arkham both in the pipeline. In December 2022, however, reports claimed that James Gunn and Peter Safran were exploring the possibility of incorporating The Batman into their DCU.
Given that The Batman's separation from wider DC canon is largely considered a key reason behind its success, the report was predominantly met with concern and anger. Mercifully, Gunn took to Twitter and confirmed the original article as "entirely untrue," allowing Matt Reeves to lead a collective sigh of relief. In effect, this must mean The Batman shared universe will continue as a separate entity running parallel to the DCU.
Batman Is Still A Major Part Of The DCU's Future
The DCU may not be swiping Robert Pattinson from Matt Reeves' sandbox and running off with him, but the Caped Crusader still has a major role to play in James Gunn and Peter Safran's shared universe. After previously denying reports of incorporating The Batman into the DCU, Gunn followed up by reassuring concerned social media s that Batman is still a "big part" of the DCU. Exactly what this means for both DC franchises remains to be seen.
Most likely, DC will forge ahead with Robert Pattinson in The Batman's universe and another actor playing the role in the DCU. Alternatively, Gunn and Safran could hold their nerve and wait until Robert Pattinson's time in the Batsuit is over before introducing their own DCU version of Batman. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has already spoken out against the idea of multiple Dark Knights on the big screen simultaneously, and by the time the DCU kicks into gear proper, Pattinson may already be edging towards his final The Batman movie.
Henry Cavill Is Out As Superman
While many James Gunn social media musings have either assuaged fears or conjured excitement, one triggered ferocious controversy. Henry Cavill is officially out as Superman. Campaigns in of Man of Steel 2 demonstrate a huge groundswell of love for Cavill's dual portrayal of Clark Kent and Superman, as well as a belief that the DCEU failed to unlock his full potential as DC's Kryptonian hero. Mere weeks before the Gunn was fired on Cavill's Superman career, Henry Cavill officially confirmed his Superman reprisal after a post-credits cameo in Black Adam, promising exciting things to come and quitting his gig as Geralt in The Witcher around the same time.
Then, faster than a speeding bullet, Cavill was asked to hand over his cape. From an outside perspective, it would appear that Henry Cavill's Black Adam cameo was planned before DC hired James Gunn to help forge its new direction, at which point the decision was made to move forward with a new Supes. Regardless, Cavill's Abe Simpson-like DC return is a concerning sign that the chaos and lack of direction that tarnished the DCEU has not completely disappeared.
The DCU Will Feature A Younger Superman (But Not An Origin Story)
Despite online rumors that James Gunn's dislike of Superman movie, which Gunn has confirmed as "a huge, if not the biggest priority."
Despite angling for a less seasoned hero, James Gunn's Twitter has clarified that the DCU's Superman effort will not be another origin story. DCU Superman will seemingly follow in the footsteps of Robert Pattinson's Batman and Tom Holland's Spider-Man as younger heroes arriving fully-formed, skipping over tired origins audiences are painfully well-versed in. Likewise, yet another exchange between Gunn and a Twitter yielded confirmation that the recast DCU Superman would not be meeting other characters within his world for the first time. This presumably refers to perennial figures like Lois Lane and Lex Luthor.
Green Lantern Is Important To The DCU Franchise (On HBO Max?)
Perhaps due to the abject failure of Ryan Reynolds' 2011 movie, Green Lantern's presence in the DCEU proved virtually non-existent, despite the character's traditional status as a key Justice League hero. The DCU seeks to resolve that, with James Gunn confirming on Twitter that "Green Lantern content" would be important to his and Safran's franchise. Gunn leaves room for interpretation, and while a fully-fledged Green Lantern DCU movie could be on the cards, the promise may be referring to HBO Max's Green Lantern Corps TV show, which is confirmed as moving forward despite the DC Studios shakeup. Whether in film or on TV, no evil shall escape the DCU's sight.
The DCU Is Eyeing Ben Affleck To Direct A Movie
After appearing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, Ben Affleck was set to direct and star in The Batman. Due to personal factors and ongoing creative upheaval, Affleck first stepped down as director, then exited the job entirely, leaving The Batman to become something very different. Batfleck will make his return in 2023's The Flash, but it seems James Gunn and Peter Safran are eyeing Ben Affleck for the DCU in a behind-the-camera capacity. In a December 2022 post, Gunn confirmed talks with Affleck had taken place with the intention of finding the right project for the Argo director to take charge of.
Gunn & Safran's DCU Will Balance Well-Known & Obscure Heroes
One area where the MCU beat the DCEU was taking relatively obscure Marvel comic book characters and turning them into household names, and this is something James Gunn knows only too well thanks to his work on the Guardians of the Galaxy series. The DCEU struggled to replicate that trick, relying instead on its big-hitters. After the question of including more minor characters in the DCU was put to Gunn by an inquisitive Twitter follower, however, the DC Studios co-lead confirmed a blend of both major and lesser-known characters was being prepared for the DCU's roster.
James Gunn Comments On A Full DC Movie Recast
Due to Henry Cavill's confirmed departure, the DCU will clearly be recasting at least some existing DCEU roles. This raises a potential conundrum over whether James Gunn and Peter Safran can recast a proportion of the current roster and leave other actors in place when many of these heroes have interacted at some level. For example, it makes little sense to recast Ben Affleck as Batman but leave Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn when those characters have appeared together and referenced each other, albeit briefly.
Addressing this problem, Gunn fired off a partial answer via Twitter when the DC Studios co-lead promised, "We're not recasting everyone except The Suicide Squad." Somewhat ambiguously, this tweet could point toward two very different eventualities. Either Gunn's comment means every single DC movie character will be recast, Suicide Squad included, or only a selection of existing DCEU roles will be recast, but those carried over will not be exclusively Suicide Squad characters.
