James Gunn Explains Why DC’s Biggest Villain Likely Won’t Appear in the New DCU

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James Gunn is clarifying the status of a major DC villain, explaining why it will likely be a while before they appear in any films.

Since the end of Peacemaker, James Gunn has been constantly questioned about John Cena’s character and the mysterious “Salvation” prison dimension built by ARGUS.

After the credits rolled, some viewers believed they spotted clues pointing to the villain Darkseid, particularly with the appearance of his parademons in the woods. However, James Gunn has clarified that this isn’t a setup for his introduction.

DC Studios’ head recently told Screen Crush that the upcoming ‘Salvation’ storyline won’t follow the comic book’s connection to Darkseid and the New Gods.

Gunn clarified that the final product wouldn’t be a direct adaptation. He explained that he drew inspiration from the 2007 comic series Salvation Run, created by Bill Willingham and Lilah Sturges, which itself originated from an idea by Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin.

I really loved the core concept of that story – the idea of taking a bunch of supervillains and dropping them on another world, forcing them to create their own civilization. As I see it, it’s a fascinating premise, and that’s what initially drew me in. It’s just a really cool ‘what if?’ scenario.

I appreciated how Amanda Waller and Rick Flag Jr. were tackling the issue of escaped meta-humans in a realistic way – it felt like exactly what a frustrated government would do.

As a huge comic book fan, I always knew there was a hidden link between the planet Mogo and Darkseid’s world in the source material. But James Gunn, who’s leading the new DC Universe, has said that’s not going to be part of his vision. We won’t see any connection to Apokolips or the villain DeSaad in this new take, which is a pretty big shift!

James Gunn explained that his primary focus is creating a cohesive universe. A key part of this world now includes ARGUS, an organization dealing with individuals with superpowers, and their new initiative to send meta-human prisoners to a place called Salvation. He added that the story will then explore the consequences of this plan and how it impacts everything else.

Despite the Parademons appearing, James Gunn assures fans a confrontation between Peacemaker and Darkseid isn’t planned for the immediate future. He explains this isn’t simply a deviation from the comic books, but also a matter of pacing the story appropriately.

James Gunn, having directed the Guardians of the Galaxy films for Marvel, is hesitant to introduce another large-scale cosmic villain. He explained that Darkseid and Thanos share many similarities in appearance. Gunn believes that using Darkseid as the primary antagonist right now wouldn’t be ideal, both because Zack Snyder portrayed him effectively and due to the recent presence of Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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2025-10-22 12:56