To the surprise of many, James Gunn recently announced the fourth superhero movie saga set to dominate the genre. One of the most significant storytelling innovations introduced to the comic book film genre with the debut of the MCU is the idea of storytelling sagas, a larger umbrella of breaking up eras of any particular superhero franchise.
Thus far, the MCU has introduced two sagas: the Infinity Saga and the Multiverse Saga. Meanwhile, Gunn's newly introduced DCU decided to define its eras by Chapters (this current initial one known as Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters), but that does not mean Gunn's new DC-based efforts will do away with the superhero movie saga entirely. In fact, it is quite the opposite.
With the announcement of James Gunn's Superman sequel (which is said to be nearing production fast), the DC Studios co-CEO revealed plans for the comic movie genre's fourth superhero movie saga, this one centered around the Man of Steel. Speaking on the Peacemaker Season 2 premiere red carpet with The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn revealed what has come to be known as the Supeman Saga, detailing his plans for his Superman sequel.
"I've already finished the treatment for the next story in what I'll call the Superman Saga," the DC Studios head remarked, adding that it is the next thing he is working on in DC's new on-screen franchise, following the success of this summer's Superman reboot:
"I've already finished the treatment for the next story in what I'll call the Superman Saga. The treatment's done, which means a very, very worked out treatment. I am working on that and I'm hopefully going into production on that not too far away from today.
This is the second new saga announced at DC Studios since Gunn and producer Peter Safran took over as co-CEOs and the first set within the DCU proper.
James Gunn's DCU continues with the upcoming Peacemaker Season 2, which is set to debut on HBO Max on Thursday, August 21. The new interconnected DC universe has already had several projects announced for it, including next year's Supergirl, Lanterns, and Gunn's yet-to-be-titled Superman sequel (rumored to be a Super-family movie). These projects comprise the DCU's first Chapter, Gods and Monsters, the brand's take on the MCU's Phases.
Every Superhero Movie Saga To Date (Including the New Superman Saga)
Infinity Saga
Introduced as the overarching story of the MCU's first 10 years of storytelling, the Infinity Saga defined what the idea of a superhero movie saga could be. The first MCU saga followed the franchise's early beginnings in 2008's Iron Man through the epic final battle against Josh Brolin's Thanos in 2019's Avengers: Endgame.
The Infinity Saga consists of the MCU's first 23 movies, including the introduction of big-name heroes like Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, the formation of the Avengers, a civil war between Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and the Infinity War storyline, which saw half the universe snapped out of existence.
Multiverse Saga
The MCU's second (and currently ongoing) superhero movie saga is the Multiverse Saga. This era of Marvel Studios storytelling includes everything post-Avengers: Endgame, including 15 movies, 15 Disney+ series, and two Special Presentations.
The Multiverse Saga introduced audiences to the idea of the Marvel Multiverse and its heroes/villains traversing those realities to explore some of the brand's most exciting stories. This will culminate in a two-part Avengers story with 2026's and 2027's Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, adapting the epic Secret Wars comic book story.
The Batman Epic Crime Saga
The Batman Epic Crime Saga is technically the first saga announced as a part of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Studios tenure. The bat-based franchise from director Matt Reeves exists outside of the DCU (for now), following Robert Pattinson's dark and gritty take on Batman in his early years as Gotham City's Caped Crusader.
Reeves' Batman saga has only seen a single movie and one TV series released under its super-powered umbrella, but more is coming. The Batman - Part II script was recently handed in. There have been talks of a potential Season 2 of the acclaimed Penguin HBO series, and several spin-offs have also been discussed.
Superman Saga
And then we come to the first official saga set within the DCU proper, James Gunn's Superman Saga. It seems the DC Studios head and Superman director is using this Saga term to define individual franchises with multiple entries under his watch at DC Studios.
It remains unclear whether the Superman Saga will only consist of "Superman" movies with the character's name in the title or will also rope in projects like next year's Supergirl. The 2026 film could play into the story set up in Gunn's next entry into the Superman Saga, so why wouldn't it be included in the DCU sub-franchise?
