James Gunn has confirmed that the DCU will share closer ties with DC Publishing in the future.
In early November, Gunn took up the position of co-CEO of the newly renamed DC Studios. Working alongside Peter Safran, he's already made massive changes. Not all of these have proved popular, with the new DC Boss already facing backlash from some fans over the bleak future of Zack Snyder's DC Universe.
There have also been massive on-screen changes announced, with certain signs pointing toward a DCU reboot. This has led to the departure of Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam from the superhero franchise alongside the end of Henry Cavill's Superman - the latter of which will be recast in favor of a younger actor.
Given the hectic restructuring of the DCU on the big screen - with plans to connect the universe across movies, television, animation, and games - many may be wondering what this could mean for the comic that inspires these stories. Well, Gunn already seems to be hard at work in that regard.
DC Studios To Tie In With Comics
Speaking on the social media platform Mastodon, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn responded to a fan who shared their hopes to see "better coordination with DC publishing" going forward:
"I am excited to see the plans that you and Peter have come up with for the DCU going forward. I know this isn't in your power, but I hope that we'll see better coordination with DC publishing to have series and reprints featuring characters that DC Studios will bring to the public."
In response to the user, Gunn confirmed that he is already "working on this with [his] friend Jim Lee."
Lee is the current Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics, and it seems the two are already considering ways to create a better sense of synergy between the publishing side of DC and the projects that will come from the new DC Studios.
What Will This New Synergy Mean?
With the superhero tales that everybody loves on the big screen serving as adaptations of characters and stories that have, in some cases, existed for decades, comic accuracy is a real sticking point for many fans. So, hearing that Gunn is already going to lengths to work with the publishing side is a positive sign.
However, this communication between Gunn and Lee should not be taken as any indication that the new DCU will be more comic-accurate. After all, the new DC Studios CEO has a long-standing track record of making significant changes from the comics to best serve his adaptation - as can be seen across The Suicide Squad and his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.
In an effort to best sell and promote its products and varied media, companies such as Marvel and DC often strive to create a sense of cohesiveness. Gunn and Lee will likely want to ensure that the characters most important to the new DCU receive a similar push in the comics - whether that be through new runs or republishing old ones.
Additionally, DC may wish to strive to keep its characters looking and behaving fairly similarly across various media. For example, Rocksteady's upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League game will portray Deadshot as black, bringing him in with Will Smith's iteration of the Batman villain from 2016's Suicide Squad, as opposed to his usual white race in the comics.
Of course, time will show fans just what this synergy means for the DCU, but it's heartening that Gunn is aware of the importance of DC Publishing.
