James Gunn is preparing to introduce the first original supervillain in his DC Universe. DC Studios kicked off its new cinematic universe in 2024 with the animated series Creature Commandos and will continue building out its narrative this year in Superman and Peacemaker Season 2. While the new DCU draws on DC Comics' rich history of characters and lore, Gunn's vision also includes several new heroes and villains.
One of these characters is Michael Rooker's Red St. Wild, who will be introduced in Peacemaker Season 2 as the new DCU's first original supervillain. Rooker already had a small role in the DCU as the voice of Sam Fitzgibbon but will play a new part in the HBO Max show.
Gunn confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that Rooker's mysterious new character is a "nemesis" in Peacemaker Season 2, specifically of fan-favorite character (and Peacemaker's best friend) Eagly. Red St. Wild is described as "the world's foremost eagle hunter," with his mission in the show being "to kill Eagly:"
"His name is Red St. Wild, and he's the world's foremost eagle hunter who is on a mission to kill Eagly. We thought Eagly was probably the most popular character from season 1, and so in season 2, he has his own story with his nemesis, played by none other than the despicable Michael Rooker."
In the glimpses fans have seen of Red St. Wild, he is shown to have a comically large rifle, no doubt used for hunting eagles. Rooker was also spotted in the Peacemaker Season 2 trailer wearing Native American-inspired attire and seemingly conjuring some interesting, potentially spiritual, powers that might be an advantage in his mission to eliminate Eagly.
These details confirm that Red St. Wild will be the DCU's first new live-action supervillain (and one who is also potentially superhuman). Fans will get a proper look at him when Peacemaker Season 2 arrives on HBO Max on August 21. However, Gunn is introducing more villainous characters in his other DC projects.
Which Other Villains in the New DCU Are Original?
Ilana Rostovic
The Pokolistan monarch Ilana Rostovic (Maria Bakalova) was introduced in Gunn's first new DCU project, Creature Commandos. Rostovic presented as kind and endearing but harbored a sadistic side, intent on world domination.
The animated character was completely original for Creature Commandos and ended up being an antagonist, making her another original villain in the DCU. However, unlike Red St. Wild in Peacemaker, Rostovic is an animated character with no superhuman powers, so she isn't on the same supervillain level as Rooker's antagonist.
The Hammer of Boravia
Trailers for James Gunn's new Superman film reveal a plethora of villains the Man of Steel will be fighting, including a mysterious gold-suited character dubbed the Hammer of Boravia. There's no direct counterpart for the Hammer of Boravia in DC comics, lending to the idea that this will be another original character. However, Superman merchandise may have spoiled the true face behind the Hammer of Boravia's helmet is none other than the DCU's Ultraman, aka the black-masked hero shown walking Superman into custody.
Ultraman is a known DC comics character often considered Superman's dark opposite. How far into Ultraman's lore Gunn's Superman film will lean is unclear. Still, if the Hammer of Boravia twist turns out to be true, the character can only be considered a partly original villain.
The Engineer
Another villain in Superman is María Gabriela de Faría's Engineer. This character has a counterpart in DC Comics and thus isn't entirely original. However, the new DCU's version of the character differs enough from her comic book iteration to make the Engineer feel somewhat unique.
In the comics, there are two engineers. The first male Engineer could alter his body using nanotechnology, while his female successor, Angela Spica, had a body made of liquid machinery that she could form into different weapons. In Superman, the Engineer seems to combine both these ideas, with the character having a solid body but able to morph different weapons on the fly.
The Engineer is also a founding member of The Authority, which could open the door to more villains in the DCU (possibly a few more original ones).
