DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn shared that one of the studio's already greenlit projects was canceled. DCU's Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters will explore new characters and storylines spanning 11 confirmed movies and 6 TV shows, kicking things off with the big screen arrival of the David Corenswet-led Superman. The most recent update about the DCU's slate is the arrival of a brand-new version of Wonder Woman on the big screen, but not much is known about the heroine's debut and the specifics of her story.
As the DCU's launch kicks into high gear with the launch of Superman on July 11, surprising cancellation news straight from James Gunn emerged online about one of the DCU movies that has already been greenlit. Whether this project focuses on one character or a team of heroes, this latest update is significant because it could hint at a shift in the direction of the DCU.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Gunn confirmed that the studio "just killed a project," citing the fact that he "couldn't do a movie where the screenplay's not good:"
Rolling Stone: "And that’s one of the biggest rules you’ve made for DC — that they have to have finished scripts."
James Gunn: "Yeah. We just killed a project. Everybody wanted to make the movie. It was greenlit, ready to go. The screenplay wasn’t ready. And I couldn’t do a movie where the screenplay’s not good."
While the filmmaker didn't name-drop the project, Gunn gave high praise to the other confirmed DCU entries, citing how good the scripts are for Supergirl, Lanterns, and Clayface:
"And we’ve been really lucky so far, because Supergirl’s script was so fucking good off the bat. And then Lanterns came in, and the script was so fucking good. Clayface, same thing. So fucking good. So we have these scripts that we’ve been really lucky with or wise in our choices or whatever the combination is."
After Superman's release on July 11, 2025, the next project under the DCU banner will be Peacemaker Season 2 on Max on August 21, 2025. On the big screen, Supergirl (starring Milly Alcock) will premiere in theaters on June 26, 2026, followed by Clayface on September 11, 2026 (read more about the 11 confirmed DCU movies here).
Which DCU Project Did DC Studios Cancel?
In February 2025, James Gunn shared an honest update about the DCU's slate, confirming that at least four DCU projects—Waller, Booster Gold, The Authority, and Swamp Thing—face certain challenges ahead of their release.
Given that both Waller and Booster Gold are TV shows, it's reasonable to assume that they are both safe from being canceled, meaning that this new update from Gunn could boil down to The Authority or Swamp Thing.
Swamp Thing appeared to be safe since Gunn said that he and director James Mangold still "talk about it occasionally," while production may still be a long way away.
While The Authority is Gunn's passion project, he previously said that the script for the film "has had a harder time coming along" and that the upcoming movie "hasn't been much [of] a priority," possibly indicating that this could be the project that has been axed or placed on the backburner for the time being.
Still, there are other candidates, such as the Sgt. Rock movie that lost its lead star, Daniel Craig, early this year. However, a past report claimed that the project is back on track after Colin Farrell was reportedly tapped to portray the titular character. Filming is set to take place this summer in the U.K. alongside other DC Studios productions.
Gunn could also refer to other DC projects that have yet to get off the ground, like the reported Bane & Deathstroke movie from Moon Knight and Captain America: Brave New World scribe Matthew Orton or an unannounced project that was never mentioned publicly.
