There's always news coming out of the superhero genre, and this week's was a doozy. The internet exploded when it was revealed that James Gunn was stepping down as co-CEO of DC Studios, just four years after crafting the new shared universe (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription). We've seen how fans reacted to Gunn's departure, and now previous comments about the shared universe are coming out... and they didn't age well.
Gunn's plans for the DCU are seemingly cooked, and there are countless questions about how the burgeoning shared universe will continue. Will Gods and Monsters continue as planned, or could the DCU as we know it end? Only time will tell, but an interview from Parade's Instagram featuring Clayface star Tom Rhys Harries carries extra weight now. He spoke enthusiastically about Gunn's role as CEO, saying:
I think I was prior to Clayface, a big DC fan. And what Peter and James are doing with that universe, I’m excited to see expanding. And I’m really proud to be a part of that.
Ouch. I can't imagine the whiplash that Harries must be feeling, just weeks after Clayface hit theaters. The 36-year-old actor transformed into the Clayface we know and love in the movie's final moments, but now it's unclear if we'll ever get to see him again. Will he finally get to fight Batman in the DCU? It's unclear, but these comments show just how unexpected the regime change at DC was.
Indeed, actors like Skyler Gisondo have been breaking their silence about Gunn's departure, and it looks like no one knows what's going to come next. Gunn and Peter Safran originally listed a long list of projects that would be coming together, but who knows what their replacement Jeremy Latcham will do with the shared universe.
You can see Tom Rhys Harries's comments about the DCU below:
Fans are bummed that DC's shared universe has once again hit a huge setback, with moviegoers wondering if we'll ever get a bona fide shared universe like the MCU. The previous DCEU started strong with Zack Snyder's trilogy of movies, but it largely abandoned crossovers and interconnected stories in the years that followed. James Gunn was crafting his own cohesive universe, although now we're left with more questions than answers.
By all accounts, actors who worked with James Gunn and Peter Safran seem to have enjoyed their time collaborating with them in the DCU. But after Supergirl flopped at the box office and Clayface wasn't a home run, it sounds like the decision was made to find new leadership. Hopefully we get some information about what Latcham is planning.
The next upcoming DC movie hitting theaters is Man of Tomorrow on July 9, 2027. That movie is already shot and directed by Gunn himself, so smart money says the publicity tour is going to get awkward.
