James Gunn’s DCU and Batman Future in Limbo Ahead of Warner Bros. Discovery Sale

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From what I’ve heard, James Gunn’s plans for the DC Universe are currently paused while Warner Bros. Discovery is being sold.

This count doesn’t include projects that have already been filmed, are currently being made, or are scheduled to be released.

James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow is scheduled to begin filming next year and will be released in 2027. Supergirl and Clayface have already been filmed and are both planned for release in 2026.

The show Lanterns is scheduled to premiere on HBO Max in early 2026. James Gunn is also developing two animated series: a second season of Creature Commandos and a show called Mister Miracle.

If no new projects are released by 2026, the future of DC will depend on the decisions of whoever acquires Warner Bros. Discovery.

Batman On Hold, Wonder Woman in Question

The planned Batman movie for the DC Universe is currently stalled. Although there are reports that Wonder Woman is moving forward quickly, it’s hard to see the benefit of continuing with other projects when the larger plan seems uncertain.

Before the second season of Peacemaker even came out, some people at Warner Bros. were already uneasy about James Gunn’s plans for Batman. However, because Peacemaker didn’t perform as well as hoped, those concerns have grown. Batman is a major property for Warner Bros. and a cornerstone of the DC brand.

James Gunn received significant criticism for the second season of Peacemaker, which he had framed as a continuation of the Superman story. Viewership dropped by almost 50%, and during that time, Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam actually performed better than Superman on HBO Max.

Gunn’s Contract Nears Its End

James Gunn has confirmed he won’t begin work on a Batman for his DC Universe while Matt Reeves is making the second Batman movie, scheduled for 2026. This means a DC Universe Batman, if it happens at all, wouldn’t start filming until 2027, after Gunn’s contract with DC ends.

And Gunn recently admitted he doesn’t know what his future is at DC following Man of Tomorrow.

I’ve been told that with new WBD owners comes a new direction for DC.

Director Andy Muschietti recently advised Variety to hold off on discussing the DCU Batman for a few months, likely due to the ongoing sale of the DC Universe.

Projects Delayed or Shelved

As a big DC fan, I’m hearing some disappointing news. It looks like both the Sgt. Rock movie and James Mangold’s Swamp Thing are on hold indefinitely. It seems this happened right as James Gunn’s contract was ending, and now everything’s being pushed back to 2027. Honestly, it’s making me think we probably won’t see those projects come to life at all, which is a real shame.

Peacemaker won’t be getting a Season 3. The Viola Davis Waller series isn’t happening.

According to sources familiar with the situation, James Gunn is now focusing on a story centered around Superman’s family, rather than building a large, interconnected universe. With Warner Bros. Discovery potentially being sold, there’s not much point in expanding the universe beyond that.

What Happens After the Sale?

There’s still a chance James Gunn will remain in charge of DC Studios. I initially heard that if Comcast/Universal acquired Warner Bros. Discovery, they’d likely keep Gunn on board, but that was before his DC Universe plans were revealed. Now, the response to those plans has been mixed, and reports – including one I published and later confirmed by Forbes – suggest they haven’t been financially successful.

There’s talk that if Skydance acquires Warner Bros. Discovery, Mike De Luca would likely be put in charge of DC Comics. He recently started dating the Minecraft sequel just two weeks after James Gunn presented his Man of Tomorrow plan, which tells me everything I need to know about the situation.

During a recent interview where he discussed his role at DC, James Gunn appeared unsure about the status of the Lanterns project. This is surprising, considering he’s in charge of DC Studios and should be informed about important developments.

At this point, Gunn looks more like a director doing his own thing than someone steering a studio.

Recently, Gunn has been doing a lot of YouTube interviews, likely to promote himself while Warner Bros. Discovery is being sold. This probably comes after Zack Snyder shared new pictures from the DC Extended Universe, which reminded fans how much they support Snyder’s ideas for DC films.

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2025-10-23 15:02