Why James Gunn's DC Universe Plans Shifted After Warner Bros' Initial Announcement

Back in 2023, we heard about a fresh slate of DC Studios films and TV shows that would usher in a new age for Warner Bros.' beleaguered DC franchise. In the time since, some of these projects have emerged, some are still in development, and some appear to have completely fallen by the wayside. A movie adaptation of the "Authority" comic book, for example, seemed to be a passion project for Gunn, but it's since been put on the back-burner. Now, Gunn has explained why his initial plans for DC's cinematic future have changed, and it comes down to the fact that, well ... things change. More specifically, Gunn talked about how certain things simply haven't come together the way he envisioned, and with his commitment to only shoot projects that have finished scripts, that's meant that his original DC roadmap has evolved.

Gunn spoke in greater detail about the process of planning DC's on-screen trajectory while visiting the "2 Bears, 1 Cave" podcast. The DC Studios co-head revealed that he'd actually written up a story plan for the DC Universe when he initially came aboard, which he proceeded to share with Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav (who, according to Gunn, was "into" it). After that, Gunn and fellow DC Studios co-head Peter Safran shared their plan with Warner movie bosses Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy and HBO Max head Casey Boyce before hiring a team of writers. Gunn and the new writing team then "worked out the whole story" for DC's on-screen future. But it seems that initial plan — which Gunn says covered slightly less than a decade's worth of storyline — had to change shortly after. "Some things have changed since then for various reasons," he admitted. "But the basic thrust of the big story is the same."

During his "2 Bears, 1 Cave" appearance, James Gunn went on to explain in more detail how his vision for the DC Universe has shifted since his initial days as DC Studios' co-head. The story still began in earnest with "Creature Commandos" season 1 and "Superman" (which kicked off the official "Gods and Monsters" chapter of the DC Universe) and continued with "Peacemaker" season 2 ahead of the upcoming "Superman" sequel "Man of Tomorrow" (which may feature the same villain as Henry Cavill's canceled "Man of Steel 2"). But the director also made clear that this plan is "very loose." He continued, "You have to be careful because there were certain projects that were a part of that plan that [...] just haven't worked yet."

Gunn specifically highlighted his commitment to only green-lighting projects with a finished screenplay that he "loves." In 2025, the director made clear his opinion that the movie industry is "dying" due to projects being shot with incomplete scripts and reiterated his vow to only shoot DC Studios films using complete screenplays. But while that rule in and of itself seems to be entirely inflexible, the willingness to adapt is still there. "You've got to be able to have the big picture in mind but then also be willing and be able to shift anytime you need to," Gunn explained. "So, the pinpoints are the same, but some of the specifics have changed."

The biggest change thus far seems to be the aforementioned "The Authority" movie, but Gunn and Peter Safran also promised a "Swamp Thing" movie back in 2023, which thus far appears to have been similarly neglected — though it appears it's still on the docket.

Speaking at a special DC presentation in February 2025, James Gunn revealed that "The Authority" has proved the most difficult to fit into his constantly-evolving plan for DC. "'['The Authority' has] been the one that's been the hardest," he explained. "Both because of the shifting overall story and because of getting it right in a world with 'The Boys.' And a world with all the things that 'The Authority' influenced that came out after it." Originally created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch for WildStorm Comics, "The Authority" took some cues from the deconstructionist commentary of "Watchmen" in depicting flawed superheroes who go to extreme measures to save the world. Lately, however, "The Boys" and "Invincible" have provided similarly satirical takes on superhero stories and it seems this has affected Gunn's project.

The filmmaker also pointed to the other new projects from DC Studios, saying he's "fallen in love with" some of the characters. This, it seems, has made things harder since the urge to "continue their stories and see them meet each other" simultaneously distracts from developing other shows and films, "The Authority" included. As Gunn admitted, "I will admittedly say ['The Authority' is] a little bit more on the back-burner right now. Sorry to you."

Aside from "The Authority"  however, things seem to be mostly on the track Gunn initially set out. "The Brave and the Bold" movie is still being developed, while "Supergirl" is set to make its scheduled 2026 release date. That same year, we'll also get an R-rated body horror take on Batman villain Clayface that was written by Mike Flanagan and only announced in late 2024 — an example of the ways in which Gunn's roadmap changes in response to finished scripts impressing the DC Studios co-head.