When James Gunn took the reins of DC Studios, fans immediately began speculating who the Ultimate villain of the slate of upcoming DC movies would be. After all, every great superhero saga needs a great big bad, and for many DC fans, that name has always been Darkseid. But according to the mastermind behind the gods and monsters of the DCU and beyond, the Universe might not be headed in that direction at all.
In a recent interview with New Rockstars’ YouTube channel, the Superman director opened up about the challenges of setting up the long-term arc for the rebooted DC Universe and addressed why one of DC’s most iconic villains might not fit into his plans right now. While the Studio head is known for keeping details close to the chest, his comments suggest a surprising shift in direction for the recently launched DC Universe over the next decade. And in classic Gunn fashion, he managed to shout out Zack Snyder in the process. He explained:
Using Darkseid as the big bad now is not necessarily the thing … because for a lot of reasons. Zack [Snyder] did it so cool in his way and because of Thanos and Marvel.
It’s a revealing, and surprisingly candid, statement from the man now guiding the studio’s creative future. While Gunn has praised Snyder’s influence before, this marks one of the first times he’s acknowledged the specific creative overlap between the two cinematic universes. After all, Snyder’s Justice League cut (streaming with an HBO Max subscription) gave fans one of the most memorable portrayals of Darkseid to date, and Marvel’s Thanos storyline has dominated pop culture for over a decade.
It's more than apparent that the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker is very cognizant of what’s already been done in the new superhero movie space and isn’t necessarily interested in retreading familiar territory, especially as they move forward with an entirely new DC continuity. Instead, his approach seems focused on exploring fresh threats rather than simply escalating the scale of destruction.
That doesn’t mean Darkseid is off the table forever. The DC bench is deep and the universe is vast, not to mention Gunn has already hinted that the story he’s telling will unfold over multiple “chapters,” mirroring Marvel’s phased storytelling but with its own tone and rhythm. By the time the DCU reaches its Infinity War-level event, the ultimate villain could look very different; maybe someone more grounded, or even personally connected to Superman. Given that the upcoming Man of Tomorrow has been described as a “Superman and Lex vs. a bigger threat” story, it’s not hard to imagine that this next major foe could be introduced there. Many fans, myself included, are betting that the mastermind in question will be Brainiac.
The next generation of DC storytelling might not start with Darkseid as its big bad, but it might eventually circle back to him, but I imagine it'll be in a way we don’t expect. For now, though, James Gunn’s focus seems clear, and that is no copycatting of cosmic villains that Zack Snyder already touched on. Though Gunn did give the Man of Steel filmmaker his flowers, he isn't looking to retread what’s already been done. And I can get on board with that.
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