Coming hot off the heels of his big DC Universe (DCU) unveil, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn teased a potential TV-to-movie crossover planned for his DC slate.
Closing out the month of January, Gunn finally pulled the curtain back on his plan for Warner Bros.'s (WB) super-powered franchise, revealing plans for a new Superman movie, a Swamp Thing film, and even a Creature Commandos TV show.
The first chapter of this new DC story may look and sound a little like the blue brand's biggest competitor in the MCU to some.
However, one of the ways this franchise will differentiate itself is its major crossovers, having actors playing the same characters in "film, television, gaming, live-action, and animation.”
Another Animated-to-Live-Action DCU Crossover
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn teased the second animated-to-live-action crossover planned for his upcoming DC slate.
Replying to a photo of Swamp Thing and Creature Commandos mainstay Bride posted by DC Comics on Twitter, Gunn wrote "#CreatureCommandos #SwampThing" accompanied by a wide-eye emoji.
While not an official confirmation that the Creature Commandos will be making an appearance in James Mangold's Swamp Thing, or Swamp Thing popping up in the animated Creature Commandos series, it does make one wonder if this is in fact a hint at the two names crossing over some time in the new DCU.
Gunn already confirmed the first of these animated-to-live-action jumps, noting in a recent official DC blog post that "In Creature Commandos, one of the main characters shows up in [HBO Max's] Waller:"
"Everything’s crossing over throughout. These characters are all interacting throughout the different stories. Now, it doesn’t necessarily mean always. 'Brave and the Bold' may just be Batman, Robin and the characters involved in that. But I know a lot of other times these characters cross around. In 'Creature Commandos,' one of the main characters shows up in 'Waller.'"
What Do These Crossovers Mean for the DCU?
Seeing another one of these crossovers teased for James Gunn's DCU plans is an exciting prospect for fans.
While the MCU has dabbled in animation, and having some actors stay constant across mediums, this new DCU is making that cohesiveness one of its narrative pillars.
Long before Gunn took over the chair as head of DC Studios, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav talked of creating "one great overarching story" across a number of mediums. The Creature Commandos (who are going to be introduced in animation) and Swamp Thing (who has a live-action blockbuster on the way) sharing the screen, at some point, is Zaslav's mandate playing out for real.
And a Swamp Thing/Creature Commandos crossover actually makes sense. While not a long-standing relationship akin to Superman and Lois Lane or Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, Swamp Thing and Bride do get together at one point on the page.
As a part of the romantic DC anthology Young Monsters in Love #1, the pair have a brief fling, meaning there's precedent if Gunn was looking to bring that passion to the screen in the DCU.
