DC Studios boss James Gunn confirmed how the MCU's Thanos is preventing the DCU from introducing a major villain from DC Comics. 2012's The Avengers introduced Thanos to set him up as the big bad of the MCU's Infinity Saga, leading up to his dominant appearance and unexpected victory over Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Infinity War. As the chief big bad, Thanos had drawn comparisons to another dangerous DC villain: Darkseid.
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) heavily teased Darkseid's presence, and the villain eventually appeared in Zack Snyder's Justice League to set up a potential showdown with the titular team (but it didn't happen due to the DCU reboot). Given that the DCU is a brand-new universe filled with new and familiar faces, many are expecting that Darkseid could end up being the big bad for Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, but an unfortunate update came based on James Gunn's latest comments.
Speaking in an interview with New Rockstars, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn confirmed that Darkseid will not be the big of the DCU, pointing out that "Thanos and Marvel" and Zack Snyder's use of the character are two key reasons why the new shared universe has yet to introduce the major villain:
"Using Darkseid as the big bad right now is not necessarily the thing.. for a lot reasons... Zack [Snyder] did it so cool in his way and because Thanos and Marvel."
Gunn's reference to Thanos isn't surprising, considering that Darkseid is seen by many as too similar a threat for the DCU's heroes to deal with in the future.
More so, his statement about not using Darkseid as the main big bad "right now" is an opportunity for the DCU to explore more underused villains in live-action, such as Vandal Savage and some of the other New Gods, before unleashing a much more dominant threat in the form of Darkseid.
DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters has a plethora of projects in 2026, starting with Lanterns on HBO Max and two confirmed big-screen projects: Supergirl and Clayface (read more about the 11 DCU movies under the franchise's Chapter 1).
Why Darkseid Not Being the DCU’s Big Bad Is the Right Move
While Darkseid serves as DC's ultimate big bad, having him on the sidelines is the right move for James Gunn's DCU because the new shared universe should establish its core characters and its world first before escalating to a more dangerous cosmic threat like the ruler of Apokalips.
Marvel Studios ensured that Thanos was properly built up as a daunting threat, raising the stakes when the lives of the MCU's cornerstones, like Iron Man and Captain America, were in danger during Infinity War. Aside from the obvious Thanos comparisons, the DCU needs to build its universe first and make the viewers care for its characters before introducing an overwhelming threat like Darkseid.
Introducing Darkseid involves some risks, and his portrayal requires careful writing. The DCU's creatives need to understand that one mistake could lead the villain to become an undermined antagonist or a generic overlord. If anything, building up Darkseid might be the most challenging aspect for the DCU because it needs to not feel like a retread of Zack Snyder's version and Marvel's Thanos.
Many would agree that Darkseid represents the ultimate endgame for the DCU, but to establish him as the definitive "big bad," his debut should be reserved for the later stages of the franchise, well beyond Chapter 1, allowing the narrative to build his unparalleled threat.
