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Before James Gunn took over DC Studios with his longtime collaborator, Peter Safran, the superhero franchise featured many iconic stories. However, one of the biggest complaints about the overall DC Extended Universe was the lack of consistency in planning.
Gunn’s new DC Universe plans to make up for that. The first chapter of the new franchise is titled Gods and Monsters, and will kick off with the upcoming Superman after a soft launch last year with the animated series Creature Commandos. The filmmaker teased in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he has more plans for the universe, which could also include Justice League, an iconic DC staple that hasn’t been featured in a while.
Earlier this year, Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav proclaimed the Man of Steel is crucial to the longevity of the superhero franchise, alongside Batman, Wonder Woman, and Supergirl. About his statement, Gunn responded, «I wouldn’t say only those four characters, but I would say that those four characters are incredibly important to us. Right now, I feel great about where two of those characters are, and then we’re dealing with the other two.»
There is no Justice League in this world… not yet.
Superman will officially kick off the new era on July 11, followed by Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which is set to debut on June 26, 2026. He also has a master plan for what to come. He teased, «The most important thing is the specific stories, but there is also a much bigger story that we’re telling that will take a little bit longer to tell. That’s sort of where my next couple of things are going to be.»
Asked whether that involves assembling the Justice League, Gunn replied, «Of course, of course. But there is no Justice League in this world… not yet.«
As to whether Justice League is part of DCU’s Gods and Monsters’ bigger universe, Gunn replied, «Sure.»
Corenswet also joined the conversation, adding, «I mean, that sounds awesome. I don’t take it upon myself to think ahead in that kind of way, just because one would hate to get one’s hopes up about anything in particular and then have it go in another direction. What I like to do is stay blissfully ignorant, and then when James tells me what’s going to happen, I get to have a wonderful surprise.»
The Superman star added, «So if Justice League is in the back of his mind, that sounds great to me. I’ll put it at the back of my mind and we’ll see what happens.»
What Are the Other Plans for Gods and Monsters?
The beginning of the new phase of DC storytelling is not adapting the origin stories for popular characters like Superman and Batman, but it is bringing over other characters that weren’t a part of the franchise before. Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters is not expected to last for a decade, and is only an introduction to the world.
Aside from Superman and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the only scheduled film is for the Batman villain Clayface, which will premiere next year on Nov. 11, 2026. There will be a Batman film, The Brave and the Bold, as well as a film for The Authority and Swamp Thing.
After the success of Creature Commandos, the series will return with Season 2. Peacemaker also returns with Season 2, now canon to the DCU. There will be more series in the franchise, including Waller, Lanterns, Krypto, Paradise Lost, Booster Gold, and Blue Beetle. Justice League is not officially part of their plans for the first chapter.
Superman lands in theaters on July 11.
DCU
Get ready for a brand new DC experience! The DC Universe (DCU) is coming soon, bringing together familiar comic book heroes in a connected storyline across movies, TV shows, animation, and even video games. It is an upcoming American media franchise and shared universe based on characters from DC Comics publications.
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