James Gunn is planning to use "diamond characters" of the DC Universe to support unknown characters as he takes on the new slate of the film franchise.
James Gunn announces new DC movie slate
The 56-year-old executive has teamed up with Peter Safran, 57, and the pair will oversee the creative aspects of a host of new superhero projects over the coming years at the DC studios, with a total of several new movies and TV shows announced on Tuesday (31.01.23).
He told The Hollywood Reporter: "One of our strategies is to take our diamond characters, which is Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and we use them to prop up other characters that people don’t know."
Peter added: "To build those lesser-known properties into the diamond properties of tomorrow."
The initial slate of Chapter One will consist of an animated seven-episode series titled 'Creature Commandos', which has been written by James and has already entered into production, while 'First Lady' actress Viola Davis will return to her role as morally ambiguous government head Amanda Waller in 'Waller', which will serve as a spin-off to 'Peacemaker.'
Meanwhile, the cinematic venture 'Superman: Legacy' is said to focus on the classic hero's "Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing" and has been slated for a release date of July 11 2025.
'Lanterns' has replaced Greg Berlanti’s long-in-the-works 'Green Lanterns' TV series and according to Peter will be a "terrestrial-based" project in a similar vein to 'True Detective.'
'Authority' will be a movie based on a team of superheroes with unorthodox methods of saving the planet, all stemming from an idea that has been in the works since the 1990s and, according to James, will "not just be a story of heroes and villains", whilst 'Paradise Lost' will be a 'Game of Thrones'-style drama set on the all-female island of Wonderwoman's birthplace which takes place before the events depicted in the 'Wonderwoman' film series.
'The Brave and the Bold' will serve as the "introduction of the DCU Batman" and will be a "very strange father-and-son story", whilst 'Twilight' star Robert Pattinson will continue as the alias of Bruce Wayne in a forthcoming crime saga movie directed by Matt Reeves following on from his star turn as the titular superhero in 2022's 'The Batman.'
Peter commented: "2025 is going to be a very big year for DC. Superman and Batman within the same year!"
Closing out the slate will be the HBO Max series 'Booster Gold' which is "about a loser from the future who uses basic future technology to come back to today and pretend to be a superhero", whilst 'Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow' , which will focus on a "much more hardcore" version of the character than has been seen before.
The conclusion of the first chapter of the slate will come in the form of 'Swamp Thing', a horror movie based on the comic strips that follow a humanoid/plant elemental creature.
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