A brand-new photo from the DCU's Mister Miracle seemingly revealed Darkseid. DC Studios is officially well into development of Mister Miracle, an eight-episode animated series expected to premiere in 2028, adapting Tom King's highly acclaimed comic run, with the writer himself serving as showrunner. The story centers on Scott Free, the son of New Genesis' ruler, Highfather, who was traded to live in Darkseid's orphanage on Apokolips to maintain peace between the warring worlds. There, Free faced endless trauma until he met the warrior Big Barda, as the two fell in love and ultimately escaped Darkseid's grasp.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn took to X to unveil the first official look at the DCU's Mister Miracle series, which puts the spotlight on Josh Hutcherson's Scott Free and Mackenzie Davis' Big Barda following their casting announcements. But those looking closely will also notice a glimpse at Mister Miracle's main villain, Darkseid, hidden in the background ahead of his DCU debut.
Looking closely into the blinding light between the troops heading for Mister Miracle and Big Barda, a giant, hulking silhouette can be spotted. There is no doubt that the figure in question is Darkseid, who will enter Gunn's DCU in Mister Miracle and has a horrifying impact on the lives of Free and Barda, leaving them both with mental trauma that will be vital to the HBO Max adult animation.
Earlier this year, Tom King hyped up Mister Miracle's cast at WonderCon, saying, "wait till you see who we cast." Of course, DCU enthusiasts now know the Hunger Games and Terminator: Dark Fate alums who will play the leading lovebirds, but they are still waiting for news about who has been cast as Darkseid, following fan casting of everyone from Christopher Judge to Javier Bardem.
Fans should expect Darkseid to take on a more comic-booky appearance in Mister Miracle than in previous live-action adaptations, likely resembling the 2017-19 comic that inspires the show. The design will be crucial for Mister Miracle, which is canon to the DCU, meaning that he ought to appear somewhat similar when or if Gunn decides to bring DC's version of Thanos to live-action.
Darkseid's last live-action appearance came over 5 years ago when HBO Max finally unleashed Zack Snyder's Justice League upon the world. The long-awaited Snyder Cut set up Darkseid's plan to acquire the Anti-Life Equation after masterminding Steppenwolf's attack on Earth, although the SnyderVerse's cancellation doomed that narrative to go unresolved.
The art also features a group of heavily rumored warriors charging toward Mister Miracle and Big Barda with melee weapons. These are presumably Darkseid's army in Mister Miracle, judging by the omega symbol on the hammers, although that would either mark a replacement for the Parademons or a major redesign.
The helmets seem to indicate that these soldiers come from Apokolips' counterpart run by the Highfather, New Genesis, while the color scheme and Omega symbol on the weapons indicate the soldiers are fighting for Darkseid and the planet Apokolips.
Is James Gunn Planning to Bring Darkseid to the Live-Action DCU?
DC Studios previously featured Darkseid in the Superman Experience: Defenders Unite attraction at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, seemingly unveiling the first full look at the DCU's Lord of Apokolips. However, even though the immersive experience was closely inspired by the DCU, it seems doubtful that James Gunn and the Mister Miracle team would feel beholden to it as canon.
The DCU is taking a very different approach to introducing Darkseid to the DCEU, which only briefly featured the Lord of Apokolips in Zack Snyder's Justice League to tease him as the saga's larger Thanos-level villain. Gunn is instead debuting Darkseid in a small-screen animated show, having admitted that Snyder and the MCU's Thanos are holding back Darkseid from becoming the DCU's big bad.
As such, whenever Gunn gets around to making his own Justice League movie or concluding Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters with an epic crossover, the chances are almost zero that Darkseid will be the villain. Still, the opportunity for Darkseid to eventually fight the Justice League in the live-action DCU recently got a boost, as Gunn's vision was confirmed to continue for the long haul under Paramount.
