James Gunn Confirms That The DCU's Film, TV, And Animated Projects Will Now Share One Universe
The DC Universe has been something of a roller coaster ride for fans over the last decade. While films like "Man of Steel" and "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" seemed to signal that the adaptations of the biggest characters in DC Comics would all exist in a shared reality, the scattershot delivery of this element across multiple mediums has remained considerably split.
While many of the film and television adaptations, like those mentioned above, have indeed shared a universe for their stories, others, like "The Batman," "Arrow," "Titans," and all of the animated projects based on DC Comics have each existed in their own contained universes. This is likely one of the factors that has adaptations of DC projects still lagging behind their MCU counterparts, and it has been a clear source of confusion for some fans as well. The good news, though, is that all of this is about to change, according to Co-Chairman and CEO of DC Studios James Gunn.
James Gunn envisions a much more connected DCU in the future
James Gunn has been fielding many questions from fans on Twitter after taking over his new position at DC Studios, and one in particular shows that there is a much more thoroughly connected plan for upcoming adaptations and projects based on DC Comics properties in the future.
When @ALittle_Early asked the filmmaker whether there would be more upcoming projects that would build upon the interconnected web of storytelling shared by projects like "Peacemaker," "The Suicide Squad," and "Zack Snyder's Justice League," Gunn was clear that this would absolutely be the case. "Yes, most definitely, the DCU will be connected across film and TV (and animation)," the writer-director tweeted back in response.
While many projects like "Batgirl" and "Young Justice" have been canceled in the shake-up following the Warner Bros. Discovery merger (via Culture Slate), with upcoming HBO Max Original Series like the animated "Green Lantern" still in the works, this response could signal a much more united front for future DC-related projects.
On the other hand, with more divergent projects like "The Batman 2" and "Joker: Folie a Deux" set to continue existing in their own separate realities, it remains to be seen how this united vision will deal with such extenuating factors. Either way, this sounds like great news for DC fans who have been jealous of the smorgasbord of connected content that the MCU has boasted for so many years.