James Gunn's crossover plans for the DCU look quite different from how Marvel Studios built the MCU, and they could be a game-changer. Gunn and Peter Safran took over as co-studio heads of DC Studios in 2022, and since then, they've quickly scrubbed the slate clean of the majority of the DCEU and forged ahead with plans for a new DCU. With a fresh start and the benefit of hindsight regarding the MCU and DCEU, Gunn and Safran are free to try something new with their DCU, and they've already made some radical decisions.
Marvel Studios gradually introduced its crossovers in the MCU, beginning with solo projects for heroes like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America, set in the same world and sometimes linked by a post-credit scene. It took five movies before Marvel Studios did a full-blown crossover in 2012's The Avengers, which brought together the stories of each of its individual heroes into a team.
James Gunn did something significantly different when launching the DCU, making the first project, 2025's Superman, a crossover film from the get-go. Superman was mostly focused on David Corenswet's introduction as the Man of Steel, but it also included appearances from Hawkgirl, Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), Mr. Terrific, and Supergirl, some of whom were very significant to the plot. The intention was clear: the new DCU isn't going to wait to do crossovers.
DC Studios' strategy still shares some similarities with Marvel Studios. Solo projects have been commissioned for the likes of Supergirl and Green Lantern (in Lanterns), but the difference here is that these projects are also openly embracing crossovers with the wider DCU, rather than reserving them for a post-credits tease.
Supergirl features the return of Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, Superman's cousin who appeared briefly at the end of Superman. Superman is returning the favor in Supergirl, with Corenswet appearing as his DC hero at points in the film, which continues to cement Supergirl as a DCU film. Supergirl will also seemingly set up Kara for future appearances in the DCU, with Variety reporting that Alcock is gearing up to return as Supergirl in the next major DC crossover movie: Man of Tomorrow.
Then there's Lanterns, the HBO Max series that introduces audiences to the Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). While the series is mostly focused on the dynamic between this pairing, Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, the Green Lantern in Superman's Justice Gang, also makes an appearance, connecting the two projects.
On top of that, Aaron Pierre has been confirmed to return in Man of Tomorrow, making Lanterns another must-watch to see the hero's origins before his major DCU crossover appearance.
Even a project like Peacemaker, which was established initially in the DCEU and has carried over into the DCU with its second season, is playing an integral role in DC Studios' crossover plans. John Cena's character made a brief cameo in Superman last year, before Justice Gang members Hawkgirl and Guy Gardner crossed over to appear in Season 2 of the HBO show. On top of that, the plot of Peacemaker Season 2 has big implications for the future of the DCU, particularly with the reveal of Salvation, the metahuman prison.
Things are all heading toward one place: Man of Tomorrow. While technically a Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow is looking more and more like a Justice League film, with appearances from Superman, Supergirl, Green Lantern, and the Justice Gang confirmed. It will be the first major crossover title in the DCU that ties in heroes established in separate projects like John Stewart and Kara Zor-El, and it's happening much faster than in the MCU.
Where Marvel Studios took five years and five projects to establish a major crossover in the MCU, the DCU is getting there much more quickly. Gunn is ensuring a balance between solo and crossover projects, but even those dedicated to a single hero still maintain clear ties to the broader story that the DCU is telling.
The one question mark at this point is Clayface, the DCU film focusing on the notorious Batman villain. It's unclear if or how the October 2026 movie will connect to the wider DCU, but even if it doesn't, this is still a powerful move from DC Studios, as it shows that the new studio can have strong, completely individual projects that exist alongside those that are integral to building out the superhero universe.
The DCU's Interconnectivity Is A Game Changer
While Marvel Studios has been known to crossover its heroes in projects that aren't just Avengers films, such as Captain America: Civil War and The Marvels, it doesn't do so as often, and it definitely didn't do so as quickly as the DCU has. It took until Phase 3 of the MCU for there to be significant crossovers or team-up movies outside of Avengers movies, whereas the DCU is doing it with just its fourth live-action movie.
James Gunn worked on the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy in the MCU, thus he saw firsthand what it meant to work in a cinematic universe, including its positives and negatives. So now, when it comes to constructing his own in the DCU, one of the key takeaways seems to be making every project more connected, rather than waiting for significant milestone crossovers like a Justice League film.
One benefit is that it makes every DCU project feel essential viewing. Where some viewers might be tempted to skip a project, setting up various narrative elements or including certain characters makes every story integral to the DCU. This is a double-edged sword, however, as viewers may feel that watching every project is homework and end up overwhelmed–a common sentiment in the MCU.
Man of Tomorrow will be a big litmus test to see whether the DCU's strategy is working. With so many heroes coming together from different interconnected projects, it will be interesting to see how audiences respond to Man of Tomorrow, particularly as several DCU projects will have been released by then. Man of Tomorrow could draw more attention thanks to its crossover elements, or it could be met with frustration from viewers who already feel there's too much homework across the DCU.
