DCEU has a bright future under the watchful eyes of James Gunn and Peter Safran

Look, full disclosure before I write this, I have very few issues with the DCEU in general – all the movies so far have seen me like them a lot of love them – so I’m not writing this to have a dig at the state of the franchise. Quite the opposite.

But while the DCEU has its fans – yes, many of us love Snyder’s stuff AND what came after – it’s hard to deny that for many others and the franchise in general, it has been bumpy. Personally, I think a big part of the problem is that many expected the DCEU to mirror how things happened in the MCU. That was never the plan at DC/Warners, with them jumping straight in to a world that already had monsters, heroes, villains and more, with the arrival of Superman in Man of Steel just putting the spotlight on them all, as Amanda Waller said in the Suicide Squad: “Maybe Superman was some kind of beacon for them to creep back from the shadows”:

However, after Warners decided that 2016’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was far too long and cut it back so much the plot made little sense, resulting in the movie being poorly received by critics and many fans – the movie many of us waited decades for was ruined until the home release gave us the uncut, far superior version – this poor reception gave Warners cold feet and they decided that the already filming Justice League would need a retooling… and, well, you all know what happened next.

However, all that is hopefully in the past as DC/Warners has now hired someone, well, two someones, to oversee the direction of the DCEU, hopefully giving it a more cohesive, unified vision of what that universe really is.

Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad writer/director James Gunn and Aquaman and Shazam! producer Peter Safran are now  co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios, “a newly created production entity that will oversee DC properties for Warner Bros. Discovery” meaning that the DCEU finally has its own version of Marvel’s Kevin Feige overseeing everything.”

The duo will oversee movies, TV and animation and said in a statement: “We’re honored to be the stewards of these DC characters we’ve loved since we were children.

We look forward to collaborating with the most talented writers, directors, and actors in the world to create an integrated, multilayered universe that still allows for the individual expression of the artists involved. Our commitment to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Harley Quinn, and the rest of the DC stable of characters is only equaled by our commitment to the wonder of human possibility these characters represent. We’re excited to invigorate the theatrical experience around the world as we tell some of the biggest, most beautiful, and grandest stories ever told.

“Most of all, we can’t wait to bring you all into the story of the DCU.”

This all ties into Dwayne Johnson’s comments recently, confirming the DCEU that exists is going to be around for a while, saying: “BlackAdam, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Flash! They all coexist in the same world. Black Adam is on one side, The Joker on the other, the Justice League on the other and they will all cross paths at some point, because the fans want it” He’s not wrong, in fairness, the fans do want it.

Word is that Gunn, who will be working on the surprisingly brilliant Peacemaker’s second season soon, has already pitched a couple of new movie ideas to Warners/DC… could this be the DC movie that we’re hearing rumours Idris Elba – who rocked as Bloodsport in Gunn’s The Suicide Squad – is returning for? Time will tell.

Many thought that Johnson might be the new DCEU overseer after all the work he did to get Black Adam made and to get Cavill’s Superman back in the DC stable (here) but it seems that he’s more than happy to just work on the future of Adam and his inevitable eventually meeting Superman. Many fans worry that the two meeting, SPOILER which was set up at the end of Black Adam SPOILER ENDS might be happening too soon, but Johnson has said that if and when it happens, it’s still far down the line:

Will #BlackAdam 2 have @TheRock fighting Henry Cavill’s Superman?

“I don’t know. I think the question is, ‘Should it be the showdown?’ And I don’t know if thats the way to go.”pic.twitter.com/OyjbXg5XXF

— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) October 13, 2022

In a recent online interaction, Gunn, confirming his new role, responded to fans calling for the restoration of the Snyder-verse and the release of David Ayer’s original cut of Suicide Squad and, dancing around the direct issues, he made it clear that the focus is on the DCEU’s future and what comes next, writing: “Our initial focus is on the story going forward, hammering out the new DCU, & telling the Biggest Story Ever Told across multiple films, television shows, & animated projects.”

I’m a big, big DC fan and I really enjoyed Peacemaker and Gunn’s Suicide Squad, so I’m hopeful that big things lie in the DCEU’s future.

Are you all? Let me know your thoughts, gang.