DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn provided a slew of updates on the DCU slate. Shortly after being appointed DC Studios co-CEO, James Gunn unveiled the first ten projects in Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters in January 2023, of which two have been released, two more are on the immediate horizon, and the remaining six have faced varying degrees of developmental struggles.
There's no denying that this has caused frustration for those excited to see Paradise Lost, Swamp Thing, The Authority, Booster Gold, The Brave and the Bold, and Waller, especially as projects like Clayface have simultaneously been added to the slate and moved along much faster. Regardless, there hasn't been much news beyond their scripts being in various stages of development in recent years.
DC Studios Offers Updates For 4 Major Projects (And 1 Is Bad News)
Paradise Lost
James Gunn took to Threads to offer a surprising update on DC Studios' answer to Game of Thrones, the Themyscira-set political drama Paradise Lost. The live-action HBO Max original will take place before Wonder Woman's birth, exploring the origins, political intrigue, and power players of an all-female society.
Gunn confirmed that Paradise Lost is in "extreme development," suggesting that it may be close to receiving an official green light to move forward with production and shutting down rumors that the Wonder Woman prequel had been canned.
That said, Gunn also stated that projects that "have writers' rooms up" could be described as in "ultra extreme development" when responding to a fan, perhaps indicating that Paradise Lost hasn't progressed that far just yet.
Since Paradise Lost was announced in the DCU's original Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters slate, news on the project has been scarce. However, DC Studios later added a Wonder Woman reboot movie to the slate, with this year's Supergirl flick writer Ana Nogueira coming on board as its scribe.
Nexus Point News reported in 2024 that Paradise Lost was circling two writers to lead the series: The Handmaid's Tale writer Kira Snyder (who was also a consulting producer on The Penguin) and Bridgerton and Bones scribe Janet Lin.
Booster Gold
In the same breath that Gunn stated Paradise Lost has gained "extreme" momentum, the DCU boss gave a more moderate update for HBO Max's live-action Booster Gold series, stating that it is "in development."
That update may suggest to some that Booster Gold is no further along than when it was announced as part of the DCU's original Chapter 1 slate three years ago, but it ought to give optimism to those who feared it was heading for cancellation.
Last year, Booster Gold took its biggest step forward yet in hiring Our Flag Means Death creator David Jenkins to pen the pilot. The series is centered on Michael Carter, a former football star and loser from the far future who uses his time's technology to travel back in time and become the superhero Booster Gold.
Jenkins took to Threads in March to respond to rumors that he had exited the project, stating that "as far as [he knows] it's still in the pipeline." The DCU pilot writer (who is intended to serve as showrunner if it moves forward) inherited the project from Righteous Gemstones creator Danny McBride.
The Authority
Sadly, it wasn't all good news for DCU fans from James Gunn on Threads, as he confirmed that The Authority has been shelved due to difficulties with the script and because "it didn't work in terms of the larger DCU." While he left the door open to it happening "some day," Gunn was clear that day won't be soon:
"The script wasn't quite there but more importantly it didn't work in terms of the larger DCU both in terms of the story and practical concerns. Maybe some day. Not soon."
The news will come as no surprise to most, especially as Gunn explained last year that The Authority had been a "challenge," singling out struggles integrating it into the larger DCU as a reason behind its several years of delays.
Gunn was also eager to clear up theories and rumors that he himself was set to write and possibly direct The Authority, which seems like a perfect match for his usual fondness for morally ambiguous team-ups. He was clear he "would have never had time" to take on The Authority and thus never intended to:
"I would have never had time to do this and although I know this is a popular theory online I never had an intention of writing or directing The Authority."
Fans already met one member of the DCU's Authority in Superman with María Gabriela de Faría's The Engineer, a metahuman infused with Nanites in her bloodstream who worked closely under Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor. It's unclear if she will return alongside other Superman characters in Man of Tomorrow.
Mister Miracle
DC Studios scribe and Eisner award-winning comic writer Tom King is leading an animated adaptation of his 12-issue Mister Miracle run that will introduce five key New Gods characters to the DCU, including the legendary big bad Darkseid.
After fans heard earlier this year that Mister Miracle's casting was underway, Gunn confirmed on Threads that just this last weekend (April 25-27) he had "watched animatics" for the show and that the show's scripts are "good."
King hinted before that Mister Miracle has "huge implications" for the DCU as it delivers the franchise's fifth female lead so far, Big Barda. She will star alongside escape artist Scott Free, and legendary New Gods like Darkseid and Orion.
Creature Commandos Season 2
James Gunn's latest update for Creature Commandos Season 2 was more minor, as he reinforced that, alongside Booster Gold, he is "not writing either of them." The update confirms that the animated follow-up is still in development as it trades out an entirely-Gunn-written season for a full DC Studios writers' room.
Furthermore, alongside Mister Miracle, Gunn stated that he just recently "watched animatics" for Creature Commandos Season 2 this last weekend, making it clear that its production is in full swing, almost a year and a half after its renewal.
The superhero filmmaking veteran just recently confirmed that Creature Commandos Season 2 is targeting a 2027 release on HBO Max. The adult animated show launched the DCU in December 2024, leaving a two-to-three year window between seasons as it moves forward without Gunn at the helm.
Creature Commandos' return could be the perfect sequel to Peacemaker Season 2, thanks to the developments for one of its leads, Frank Grillo's Rick Flag Sr., who has since become a certified metahuman hater. Perhaps Flag will soon have Task Force M rounding up metas for his new pocket universe prison, Salvation.
BONUS.) Mystery DCU Movie
Interestingly, when asked whether he and co-CEO Peter Safran "have a good idea as to what the next DCU movie on the pipeline" will likely be, Gunn simply answered "Yes," hinting that one blockbuster is making strong progress.
Up until now, it was unclear whether DC Studios had a clear picture of what movies could be released in 2028 alongside Dynamic Duo after Man of Tomorrow and The Batman: Part 2 fill up the 2027 release calendar.
Only time will tell what movie will bring the DCU back to the big screen after Man of Tomorrow (although The Authority has clearly been ruled out). It's unlikely that The Brave and the Bold and The Batman: Part 2 would be scheduled so close together, so the DCU's Wonder Woman reboot from Ana Nogueira may be the best guess.
Recently, rumors have been heating up that Andor star Adria Arjona's casting in Man of Tomorrow is secretly for Wonder Woman, with reports of her playing Maxima merely being a disguise for her larger role in the DCU's story. If that was the case, Arjona could soon be leading her own DC Studios blockbuster.
