DCU boss James Gunn says Batman and Wonder Woman won't start production until they have good scripts because they "deserve the best"
Now that David Corenswet's Superman is flying high at the box office and Milly Alcock's Supergirl is hitting cinemas next year, DC fans are already thinking about the next major superheroes that are set to join the franchise. Of course, we're talking about Batman and Wonder Woman, who are yet to be cast in the new DCU.
When asked about when fans will be able to see these characters again, DC Studios co-head James Gunn said it's all about finding the right script.
"I mean, it's not going to be until the scripts are ready. So, both the scripts are being written now, and, if they're good, then we'll go into production immediately," he told radio Urbana Play.
"So it really depends on how we can get the scripts done," he added, "because the one thing I'm just not going to do is go into production without a script that I feel is fantastic, especially for those characters who deserve the best. I'd rather wait a year than go too soon".
This is not the first time Gunn says the script is a priority for him. The Superman director recently revealed that he chose Supergirl as the next DCU movie because of its "incredible script", and he prioritised an unexpected project like Clayface because of Mike Flanagan's horror-inspired script. So we'll have to wait and see if Gunn loves the Batman and Wonder Woman scripts that are being written right now.
Beyond The Batman 2, which is part of an alternative DC universe called Elseworlds, another Batman movie titled The Brave and the Bold is in the works. The film is set to follow Batman and his son Damian Wayne as Robin. "It's a strange father and son story about the two of them and based on Grant Morrison's run of the Batman," Gunn explained during the original DCU presentation. Robert Pattinson would not be reprising the role for this movie.
In a exclusive interview with GamesRadar+ earlier this month, James Gunn revealed that "there's really no new updates" about the upcoming Batman movie, but they have a screenwriter "who's hammering away at it."
There is even less news about a new Wonder Woman movie, after a third movie starring Gal Gadot was cancelled at DC. The recasting has been the source of much speculation since Gunn confirmed a brand-new Wonder Woman movie was in the works earlier this year. Gunn addressed Adria Arjona's fan casting saying that she would make a "great" candidate, but it's too early to confirm anything at this point.
A separate Wonder Woman prequel series, titled Paradise Lost, is also on the way, focused on the Amazon island of Themyscira.
Superman hits the big screen on July 11. For more, check out the upcoming DC movies flying your way very soon as part of the DCU Chapter One. Then discover how to watch the DC movies in order – if you dare.
You can also check out our Superman review and Superman ending explained for even more on the movie.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
14 minutes ago
- USA Today
Is there a cold war brewing between LeBron James and Drake?
After more than a decade of friendship between NBA superstar LeBron James and the rapper Drake, it seems they are less close than they used to be. Back in 2018, after joining Drake on stage at a concert in Los Angeles, the basketball player reflected on his friendship with Drake. He said the two became friends in 2007 and had gotten close each and every year. Drake wore Bronny James' AAU jersey in a 2019 music video and brought both LeBron and Bronny out on the It's All A Blur tour in 2023. Everyone remembers the public beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, though. It eventually led to the latter winning several Grammy awards and a memorable Super Bowl halftime show, in which Drake was referenced. This was an especially interesting time for athletes who maintained friendships with both of the rappers, though. That includes basketball players like LeBron as well as Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. Curry and Durant have remained relatively quiet on the drama but LeBron has seemingly drawn party lines. April 2024: LeBron was originally somewhat neutral At first, it seemed like LeBron (who has long clamored for as much music as possible from Kendrick) was just excited to hear from both of these musicians. First, he tweeted an owl (a reference to Drake's OVO) and several fire emojis: At this point, only "First Person Shooter" (by Drake featuring J. Cole) and "Like That" (from Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar) were out. At that point, LeBron tweeted something likely about the beginnings of the beef. He said there was nothing like watching two "heavyweights" do what they do best. May 2024: LeBron referenced by Kendrick Lamar It didn't take long, however, until LeBron was actually brought into the middle of it all. Shortly after Drake dropped the "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle" tracks in April, Kendrick responded with "Europhia" and "6:16 in LA" at the end of the month. Drake then put out "Family Matters" and "Buried Alive Interlude, Pt. 2" in the beginning of May. While it was overshadowed by "Not Like Us" due to its massive success, Kendrick dropped "Meet the Grahams" on the same night. On that song, fans heard a direct reference to LeBron and Curry. Here is what Kendrick advised: "Ayy, LeBron, keep the family away, hey, Curry, keep the family away To anybody that embody the love for their kids, keep the family away They lookin' at you too if you standin' by him, keep the family away" That isn't exactly a subtle message from Kendrick. He suggests that anyone who loves their children should not affiliate with Drake. More: Ranking the 9 songs from the Kendrick Lamar-Drake beef from best to worst June 2024: LeBron attends The Pop Out The following month, once everything was released for the public, Kendrick celebrated the new songs at The Pop Out concert in Inglewood. Several NBA players, including a dancing Russell Westbrook, attended the show at The Forum. LeBron was seen vibing in the crowd, which probably didn't make his old friend Drake feel very good. From a public perspective, this was probably the most notable moment in whatever beef is brewing. But who knows what is happening behind the scenes? More: Kendrick Lamar's The Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert was an epic victory lap full of nostalgia and the best kind of pettiness January 2025: Drake freestyle and lots of messy unsourced gossip At the beginning of the year, Drake's "Fighting Irish Freestyle" was likely a reference to LeBron considering the basketball player played high school ball for the St. Vincent-St. Mary Fighting Irish in Ohio. As noted by Genius: "The track is filled with subtle references to their shared history." That same month, there were also some allegations via leaked (potentially fake) direct messages about LeBron from Drake to designer Chris Blake Griffith. DJ Akademiks also made some claims around this same time, but we should take those with a grain of salt. There probably isn't much to see here, but it's still an interesting wrinkle in the story considering what happened next. February 2025: Drake changes the lyrics to an old song Back in February, the rapper changed the lyrics while performing one of his 2018 songs from the Scorpion album. The lyrics to "Nonstop" originally included a reference to James but the new version made sure to clarify that the reference is NOT actually about him anymore. He has done this at other concerts whenever he chooses this song, too. July 2025: Drake changes body art and LeBron responds Earlier this month, per ESPN, Drake covered his LeBron tattoo with a new one dedicated to Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander, like Drake, is also Canadian. It didn't take long for LeBron to have his own retaliation, though. A few days later, LeBron was seen singing "Not Like Us" with several other important figures (including Jeff Bezos): LeBron also appeared alongside longtime Drake rival Pusha T in a new Tyler, The Creator music video. So while neither party has directly addressed the conflict, there is plenty of reason to think there is something going on between these two former friends.


Gizmodo
14 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Wow, James Gunn Really Hated Those ‘Peacemaker' Cameos in the Old DCU
The second season of Peacemaker, starring WWE champion and actor John Cena, is just around the corner. With it comes a lot of questions about how the anti-hero will fit into both the old and new DC canon, given his limbo status, which has even led DC Studios head James Gunn to voice his frustration. Speaking with Den of Geek ahead of San Diego Comic-Con, Gunn reiterated that the second season of Peacemaker will address all the continuity confusion questions related to DC's past and present. 'There are certain things from the old universe that we refer to in Peacemaker season 2, but until then, they're not canon,' Gunn told Den of Geek. 'Almost everything from season 1 is canon, but season 2 will explain everything that is or is not canon.' While on the press tour for DC Studios animated series, Creature Commandos, Gunn made his sentiments on canon clear: that it doesn't really matter matter. More precisely, in an interview with IGN, Gunn said canon has become more critical post the height of the Marvel Cinematic Universe than he thinks it should be, and Gunn hopes his vision under DC will buck that trend and put strong scripts at the forefront. 'One of the weird things to me is none of this is real,' Gunn told IGN. 'It may be alarming to people, but none of it is real.' Yet, that hasn't stopped Gunn from joining in on DC fans' tepid headache over what is and isn't canon when it comes to Cena's Peacemaker. Divorced from season 1's finale, which saw the Justice League show up late to the cataclysmic final battle but just in time for one last Aquaman jab for the road, the series has become cameo fodder in other DC projects. Key among them being Peacemaker's Harcourt and Economos showing up in Shazam: Fury of the Gods to headhunt Billy Batson into the Justice Society, as well as an appearance in Dwayne Johnson's vanity project, Black Adam, which added to the confusion, particularly with its own post-credits scene featuring a cameo by Henry Cavill's Superman. 'They're not canon! I hate it!' Gunn said. As GamesRadar+ notes, Gunn had 'no idea' why the pair of characters would be scouted for the Justice Society. Given what we've seen from the official teaser trailer for Peacemaker season 2 and the vigilante's own cameo in Superman, the HBO Max series will attempt to dispense with its vestiges of old DC continuity through the concept of pocket universes. Given that the final moments of Peacemaker's teaser trailer saw him draw a gun on his alternate universe doppelganger, the tidying up of DC canon might take Kylo Ren's 'let the past die' monologue to heart. Either that or therapy in Gunn's DC universe is way more drastic than our own. Peacemaker season 2 premieres on HBO Max on August 21. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.


Geek Tyrant
44 minutes ago
- Geek Tyrant
James Gunn Almost Made Brainiac the Main Villain in His SUPERMAN Movie — GeekTyrant
Fans of DC Comics' iconic hero Superman have seen their fair share of Lex Luthor on the big screen, but there's one villain who's remained conspicuously absent from cinema… Brainiac. Director James Gunn, whose Superman prominently features Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor, recently revealed that his original vision included the notorious cybernetic alien villain. In a fascinating discussion with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Gunn disclosed that he seriously "considered" featuring Brainiac as the primary antagonist. Although Gunn ultimately settled on Lex and his powerhouse ally, Ultraman, this tidbit offers hope that Brainiac might finally arrive in future installments The fact that Gunn acknowledges Brainiac's potential significance suggests exciting possibilities for DC's cinematic future. While DC Studios isn't actively planning a direct sequel yet, it's possible that David Corenswet's Superman may eventually clash with Brainiac on the big screen. First appearing in the pages of Action Comics #242 back in 1958, Brainiac was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino. Initially depicted as a classic B-movie-style alien invader from Colu, Brainiac is a brilliant and villainous character hell-bent on amassing the universe's knowledge, often by shrinking entire cities into bottles after obliterating their worlds. Famously, Superman once discovered the shrunken Kryptonian city of Kandor among Brainiac's captured treasures, forever tying the villain's fate to the Last Son of Krypton. Interestingly, Brainiac's name has seeped into popular culture to describe anyone exceptionally intelligent, but it's actually the villain who popularized the term, not the other way around. Over decades, Brainiac's origins have shifted. Originally an alien from the planet Colu, DC eventually reimagined him as an advanced android, partly due to legal issues with a similarly named product. Later interpretations, notably the acclaimed Superman: Brainiac storyline by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, blended both concepts, showing a green-skinned cyborg controlling skull-faced robotic drones. Superman: The Animated Series in 1996 took Brainiac in a fresh direction by making him a rogue Kryptonian AI, voiced by Corey Burton. Rather than saving Krypton from destruction, Brainiac preserved only himself and the planet's knowledge, coldly allowing Krypton's demise to occur. This gave Superman and Brainiac an intensely personal rivalry, one further explored in the recent animated series My Adventures with Superman , where Michael Emerson voiced the villain. Brainiac has long been a fan-favorite villain, so it's surprising he's never appeared on the big screen. It's not for lack of trying. Early drafts of Superman III included Brainiac as the primary villain, though the final product opted for a rediculous amnd generic supercomputer antagonist instead. Similarly, early concepts for Zack Snyder's follow-up to Man of Steel also featured Brainiac, though the sequel never materialized. One explanation for Brainiac's cinematic absence might be because of the recurring reliance on Lex Luthor and General Zod. These villains dominated early Superman movies due to memorable performances by Gene Hackman and Terence Stamp, respectively. Later reboots like Superman Returns and Man of Steel continued this pattern, returning to these familiar foes rather than venturing into less-explored territory. Additionally, Zod already occupies Brainiac's narrative territory, an alien villain connected intimately to Superman's Kryptonian past. However, Brainiac's appeal is unique as he combines the intellectual threat of Lex Luthor with the physical menace of Zod. This dual threat positions Brainiac as potentially the most formidable foe Superman has yet to face in cinema.