6 Superhero Projects We’d Love To See In The DCU
With former Marvel wunderkind James Gunn assuming his position at the head of DC Studios, the future has never seemed brighter for the prominent comic book publishing company.
After years of creatively bland and financially disappointing box office flops, the studio seems poised to enter a new phase in their artistic evolution. Setting the past failures of the DCEU behind them, Gunn’s ascension hints at a new resurgence for DC’s cinematic output, propelling the comic creators to the same blockbuster heights as their longtime competitors at Marvel Studios.
Since taking over DC’s film and television production, Gunn and his co-CEO Peter Safran have announced several momentous projects currently in development, including 2025’s Superman, 2026’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, a horror-centric Clayface movie, and several TV series focused on Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, and the Green Lantern Corps, respectively. As speculation mounts over the DCU’s immediate plans for the future, we put together a list of projects we’d love to see in Gunn’s cinematic universe at some point or another.
A Martian Manhunter Project
Over the last several decades, we’ve seen all kinds of superhero films centered around DC’s most recognizable characters: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern – heck, even Aquaman has received his own two solo films! For every movie centered around Gotham’s Dark Knight or Metropolis’s Man of Steel, though, an equally memorable superhero like the Martian Manhunter goes largely ignored.
The last surviving member of the green-skinned Martian race and one of the founding members of the original Justice League, Martian Manhunter could feasibly find his way in James Gunn’s growing DC Universe. That being said, what better introduction is there than a full-blown spin-off movie or TV show detailing the character’s traumatic past, his subsequent arrival to Earth, and his constant struggle to blend with the human beings around him.
A Swamp Thing Project
Most dedicated readers of DC Comics continue to praise Alan Moore’s run on Swamp Thing as one of the finest storylines in comic book history. Reinventing the character and redefining the possibilities that lay in the comic book narrative, Moore introduced a whole new level of sophistication and storytelling complexity with his tenure on Swamp Thing. While the character briefly appeared in a short-lived DC Universe TV series, Swamp Thing has yet to receive the in-depth treatment his character rightfully deserves. With Gunn spearheading DC’s creative direction, the 2020s could spell out renewed hope for an entire film or TV series based on Moore’s treatment of the vegetative, bayou-dwelling, horror-based anti-hero.
A Justice League International Film
James Gunn has always succeeded whenever he shines a light on little-known characters from comic book history. Just as he’d elevated the Guardians of the Galaxy and DC’s Peacemaker to international recognition, so too does he have the potential to unearth long forgotten heroes in DC’s larger canon. Case in point with the various members of the Justice League International – a loose mix of both popular and little-known DC characters like Batman, Martian Manhunter, Shazam, Mister Miracle and Black Canary. With the original 1980s comic known for its wit and colorful characterization, Justice League International seems like the perfect source material for a Guardians-style superhero comedy, allowing Gunn to revitalize obscure DC creations like the Blue Beetle, Doctor Fate, and Guy Gardner, among others.
A Lobo Film
More recently, DC has announced that the intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo will make his on-screen debut in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, played by none other than former Aquaman star Jason Momoa. A cigar-chomping alien mercenary first introduced in DC’s Omega Men back in 1983, Lobo quickly took on a life of his own as one of the most popular comic book personalities of the ‘80s and ‘90s. To this day, the gunslinging anti-hero remains a keen favorite of comic aficionados across the globe, leaving little reason to wonder about his inclusion in the upcoming Supergirl film. While it’s unknown how big a part Lobo will play in the events of Supergirl, we have certainly have our fingers crossed when it comes to a potential Lobo spin-off (complete with a returning Jason Momoa, of course).
A Batgirl Film
The unreleased version of Batgirl remains in a state of limbo after DC’s controversial decision to cancel the film back in 2022. While there’s a 50/50 chance audiences will ever see the original version of Batgirl, there’s a distinct possibility Batman’s loyal protegee will soon find her way into the DCU. Both James Gunn and Peter Safran have routinely expressed their belief in the character’s potential in the DC Universe, with Safran personally stating, “Batgirl’s a character that inevitably we will include in our story.” With most fans continuing to bemoan Batgirl’s fate, it’s safe to say audiences are dying to see a Batgirl film included in Gunn and Safran’s lineup of releases.
A Batman Beyond Film
We’ve had plenty of Batman movies since the superhero genre took off in the late 1980s, from Gothic epics like 1989’s Batman to more realistic interpretations of the character as seen in Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. For as many different versions of Batman as we’ve seen in the past, audiences are still fervently praying to see a full-blown cinematic adaptation of Batman Beyond one day in the near future.
While there have been numerous discussions about adapting Batman Beyond onto film (either as a live-action movie or a 3D animated film), the project has yet to see the light of day. Hopefully, under Gunn’s supervision, a full-fledged Batman Beyond movie might eventually work its way into the DCU, ideally with Michael Keaton reprising his role as an elderly Caped Crusader.
