Credit: DC / Warner Bros.In a surprising revelation, James Gunn has confirmed that two of the DC Universe’s most popular and critically acclaimed franchises will be a part of his DCU.
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The DC Extended Universe has had some mixed success. While some movies have been smash hits, like Man of Steel (2013) starring Henry Cavill, Wonder Woman (2017) starring Gal Gadot, and Aquaman (2018) starring Jason Momoa, others have been received less positively, like Black Adam (2021) starring Dwayne Jonson and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
However, two DC films separate from the Snyderverse have proven to be massive successes: The Batman (2022) and Joker (2019).
Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker serves as an R-rated origin story for the iconic Batman villain, with an Academy Award-winning performance from Joaquin Phoenix as the titular Joker. The film also features performances from Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Frances Conroy. A sequel to the movie, Joker: Folie à Deux (2024), is set to release in 2024 with Lady Gaga costarring as Harley Quinn.
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The Batman received almost equal attention for arguably the darkest take on the Caped Crusader. Starring Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, this film follows Batman when he first starts fighting crime. The movie also features memorable performances from Zoë Kravitz as Cat Woman, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, and John Turturro as Carmine Falcone. A sequel is also set to release in 2024.
Naturally, the wild popularity of these films and their upcoming sequels have fans wondering how exactly they’ll fit into James Gunn’s vision for the DC Universe. According to Gunn, the answer is simple: they won’t.
James Gunn Confirms That ‘The Batman’ and ‘Joker’ Aren’t In His DC Universe
James Gunn has recently revealed that the first chapter of his version of the DCU will be called Gods and Monsters, with the first series being Creature Commandos (2024) and the first film being Superman: Legacy (2025) starring David Corenswet as Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane.
Looking at these starting points, you’ll notice that two major DC movies are missing from this list. That’s because The Batman – Part 2 (2024) and Joker: Folie à Deux will not be a part of James Gunn’s DC Universe.
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This may be surprising since both films are sequels to massive financial and critical successes. Why wouldn’t you want Robert Pattinson to be Batman and Joaquin Phoenix to be Joker? However, it looks like the DC Studios head honcho has a plan.
Much like how Christopher Nolan‘s Dark Knight trilogy wasn’t connected to Zack Snyder‘s DCEU, these films will not be connected to the James Gunniverse. Instead, they’ll be a part of a different category called DC Elseworlds.
‘DC Elseworlds’ Creates a Separate Universe From The DCU
DC Elseworlds is precisely what it sounds like: stories based on DC Comics characters that take place in a different universe. This will allow DC Studios to tell stories that are separate from the grand scheme of things. However, this doesn’t mean James Gunn and Co-CEO Peter Safran will greenlight anything.
“The bar for an Elseworlds tale is going to be higher than the bar for a movie within the DCU,” said Gunn. “Not that we’re not always going to have a high bar, but it’s got to be something really special for us to tell that story outside of our regular continuity and to spend the money to make it.”
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Currently, only The Batman – Part 2 and Joker: Folie à Deux are guaranteed to be released under the DC Elseworlds label. That being said, there are plans for two other movies at this moment: Constantine 2 (TBA) starring Keanu Reeves and a new Superman film written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and produced by J. J. Abrams featuring a black Man of Steel.
This is an incredibly smart decision, especially if DC Studios wants to stand out from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Currently, any movie or series made by Marvel Studios is forced to fit into the MCU. Now, James Gunn and DC Studios have the room to make just about anything they want, even continue old DC stories. And that is the exact creative freedom artists need to create memorable films.
Do you think having films separate from the DCU is a good idea for DC Studios? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!