After the family affair that was Superman 2025, James Gunn and DC Studios issued a warning for his Superman follow-up: It won't be for children. Gunn's newly-launched DCU debuted on the big screen just a matter of weeks ago with the release of the David Corenswet-led Man of Steel reboot, introducing audiences to a bright, colorful, and comic-forward take on the world of DC Comics. However, one of the defining factors of this new interconnected TV and movie franchise will be its variety of tone, genre, and creative vision from project to project.
This varied mandate from Gunn and the DC Studios team means that not every project within the DCU will be for every audience. Some will be more mature than others (like next year's R-rated Clayface movie), and others will be more general appeal (like the incoming Supergirl). And Gunn's first post-Superman project seems to fall into the former category.
In a recent interview with Interview Magazine, the DC Studios boss and Superman director announced that his Superman follow-up is "definitely not for children."
Gunn explained that he has been really trying to make it clear to audiences that his next DCU project, Peacemaker Season 2, is not consistent content-wise with his recently released Superman reboot:
"We’re trying to warn people as much as possible when they see the episode that although this is a follow-up to Superman, it is definitely not for children."
He described one particular NSFW sequence in the new season, which exemplifies this disparity between the projects, perfect, walking through an "orgy in the first episode" that is meant to let people know, "Hey, this is a wild ride:"
"Yeah, there’s some little penises dancing around. Listen, we wanted to make it real. [Laughs] I’m not worried about the use of the C word. The time where that’s been crazy has kind of come and gone as far as I can tell. But the orgy in the first episode, I think we’re just letting people know, “Hey, this is a wild ride that you’re in for the whole season and this is the kind of craziness you’re going to see."
Like Season 1 before it, Peacemaker Season 2 will be rated R, streaming on HBO Max. Despite being directly connected to Superman, the streaming series will include significantly more mature subject matter than Gunn's high-flying superhero blockbuster.
Peacemaker Season 2 will again focus on John Cena's Christopher Smith, a down-on-his-luck peace-seeking vigilante who is recruited by a mysterious government organization known as Argus. Also included on the Peacemaker Season 2 cast are Jennifer Holland, Danielle Brooks, Steve Agee, and Robert Patrick. Season 2 of the hit DC series kicks off on HBO Max starting on Thursday, August 21.
Peacemaker and Superman Represent the DCU At Work
Since its first announcement, the dream of the DCU has been the idea of disparate creative and tonal visions making up a larger interconnected comic book universe.
This differs from something like the MCU. Marvel Studios' super-powered on-screen world is ultimately a tonal tapestry interwoven with varying shades of the same color. Meanwhile, the DCU has been pitched as a full-on mosaic, with no one project feeling like any other.
James Gunn's brother, and Maxwell Lord actor, Sean Gunn, recently described this strategy as embracing the comic book mentality of "having freedom to be the unique vision of whatever storyteller is telling the story," but also all taking place in the same world (via The Wrap):
"What I get most excited about is the idea of all of these things living in the same world, but having freedom to to be the unique vision of whatever storyteller is telling the story. So, all these different stories live in the same world, but they have different creators and they can be different genres even."
This means that Superman can exist alongside Peacemaker, which can also share the DCU branding with Lanterns. They are all tonally, visually, and graphically varied, yet all exist in the same DC world.
Gunn's new DC strategy will inevitably result in a series of TV and film projects where every demographic cannot enjoy every title, but it could mean that the DCU will continue to feel distinct for years to come.
