James Gunn Says Two Heroes from Superman's Metahuman Mural Will Play a Big Role in the DCU — GeekTyrant

Geek Tyrant

29-07-2025

When Superman dropped earlier this month, James Gunn sparked interest when he revealed there was a mural to look out for in the Hall of Justice. It is a massive metahuman mural, a vibrant showcase of DC Comics history packed with obscure heroes, Golden Age legends, and characters we never expected to see referenced on the big screen.
In a recent chat with IGN, Gunn revealed that at least two of the characters depicted on that wall will have a significant role in the DCU moving forward:
'Listen, fans have done a pretty good job, I think they've found all of the different characters,' said Gunn. 'But yeah, I will just say that in one of our scripts we're working on two of those characters are kind of important.'
That's it. That's all he would say, but for DC fans, that's enough to send the speculation machine into overdrive.
The breakdown of the mural confirmed appearances from over two dozen characters spanning centuries of DC lore. Here are some highlights: Madame Xanadu – A founding member of the Demon Knights and former protégé of Merlin.
Silent Knight – A medieval superhero from 6th-century England.
Exoristos – An exiled Amazon from Themyscira, predating Wonder Woman herself.
Black Pirate – A swashbuckling 16th-century vigilante who met his end in Opal City.
Miss Liberty – A heroine from the American Revolution.
Whip Whirlwind / Max Mercury – A speedster who can't fully access the Speed Force, often bouncing through time. Max has mentored legends like Jay Garrick, Wally West, and Impulse.
Super-Chief – A Pre-Columbian Iroquois warrior with meteorite-granted powers.
El Diablo – A cursed cowboy who's crossed paths with Jonah Hex and Jason Blood.
Iron Munro – A post-Crisis on Infinite Earths Superman stand-in for WWII-era stories.
Sandman (Wesley Dodds) – The gas-mask-wearing vigilante with a sleeping gas gun.
Amazing Man (Will Everett) – A '60s Olympian turned meta-human.
Zatara – Legendary magician and father of Zatanna.
Liberty Belle – A WWII-era heroine with speed and strength who later married Johnny Quick.
Bulletman & Bulletgirl – Gravity-defying crimefighters from the Golden Age.
TNT & Dan the Dyna-mite – A positively charged teacher and his negatively charged sidekick with explosive synergy.
Phantom Lady – WWII heroine with invisibility and illusion powers.
Atomic Knight – A 1960s hero operating in the 'post-apocalyptic future of 1992.'
Freedom Beast – African successor to B'wana Beast with animal-merging powers.
Wildcat (Ted Grant) – Heavyweight boxer turned costumed crimefighter.
Vibe – '80s breakdancing hero with sonic powers.
Gunfire – A '90s hero who turns any object into an energy weapon.
Maxwell Lord – Already seen in Superman, holding the Firestorm Matrix in the mural.
That's a deep cut DC history lineup right there.
Gunn confirmed that these two mystery characters are tied to the same upcoming project, but he didn't say if that project is a movie, a live-action series, or an animated show.
Naturally, fans are already piecing together the clues: Exoristos feels like a strong candidate for Paradise Lost, the Amazon-centric prequel series set in Themyscira. As an ancient Amazon warrior, she fits perfectly into that mythological setting.
Max Mercury is another standout. Not only does he appear twice on the mural (as both Max Mercury and his alias Whip Whirlwind), but his time-jumping speedster lore could easily tie into The Flash or a Speed Force-focused project.
Then there's Maxwell Lord, already played by Sean Gunn in Superman. He's holding the Firestorm Matrix in the mural, which could mean a Justice League International–style project—or even something Firestorm-related.
But Gunn isn't giving anything away. He left fans with one final tease:
'In one of our scripts we're working on two of those characters are kind of important.'
That's it. Two characters. One script. Endless speculation.
What do you think? Which two heroes do you believe will show up first—and in what project? Drop your theories below!