Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: DC News

  • James Gunn Seemingly Confirms a Surprising Hero Will Make His DCU Debut in ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2

    Recently, DC Studios co-chair and Peacemaker creator James Gunn has drawn parallels between how John Cena‘s Christopher Smith was able to move from an “in-between universe” into the DCU and his plans for Blue Beetle, who made his big-screen debut in 2023.

    “Peacemaker was always in a weird place. People say he was part of the DCEU but he wasn’t really,” said Gunn in an interview with Rotten Tomatoes.”He was part of this “in-between Universe” of DC when there was nobody really making sure that everything was connected and at a time when they were going to rewrite everything with The Flash.We were kind of able to do whatever we wanted and we had that brash ending, which I loved, it was one of my favorite things from the whole season, but it just didn’t fit in with the DCU. And Peacemaker, there’s hardly anything else that you need to change for him, he can slide very easily into the DCU, same with Blue Beetle. They just kind of fit in very nicely, we just have to retcon a couple of things,” the DC boss explained. And it seems as though heat have had Blue Beetle on his mind for a reason.

    In an additional portion of the Rotten Tomatoes interview, Gunn seems to all but confirm that Blue Beetle will appear in an upcoming episode of Peacemaker Season 2.

    After the interviewer shares his love for the character with Gunn and expresses his desire to see Blue Beetle appear in Peacemaker, a grinning Gunn “Well, you know, I won’t say you’re not in luck.”

    Given Season 2’s use of the Multiverse as a primary plot device, a number of options are in play, including following up on the disappearance of Ted Kord, the original Blue Beetle, that was mentioned in the 2023 film. Whatever the path, it’s certain that the film’s star Xolo Maridueña, who has been teasing his character’s DCU future, will play some role.

    New episodes of the second season of Peacemaker debut weekly on Thursdays on HBO Max.

  • James Gunn Explains ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2’s Big Retcon

    James Gunn Explains ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2’s Big Retcon

    Before the DCU officially got underway with Creature Commandos in December 2024, DC Studios co-chair James Gunn had already muddied the canon waters. In what seemed to be an odd choice at the time, Gunn explained that events from The Suicide Squad or Season 1 of Peacemaker would “automatically become canon” when they were talked about in Creature Commandos.

    Released in 2021, The Suicide Squad introduced John Cena‘s Peacemaker to fans as part of a second team of degenerates sent by Amanda Waller to Corto Maltese. The events of The Suicide Squad, including the death of Rick Flag at the hands of Peacemaker, serve as the set up for Season 1 of Peacemaker. With Amanda Waller, who was featured in both projects, and Rick Flag’s father both appearing in Creature Commandos, and again in Season 2 of Peacemaker, a clear line of continuity seemed to be established from one project to the next…but then Gunn threw in a twist.

    “The truth is almost all of Peacemaker is canon with the exception of Justice League… which we will kind of deal with in the next season of Peacemaker,” Gunn teased in a November 2024 interview.

    Gunn was, of course referring to the season finale of the first season of Peacemaker, which featured some high profile cameos following the episode’s big battle. As Peacemaker and his crew walked away from the ashes of the barn battle, four members of the Justice League arrived on the scene. But with the DCEU dead and buried, how could they exist if Peacemaker is DCU canon?

    Ahead of the Season 2 premiere of Peacemaker, social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello shared word that Gunn’s decision to “deal with it” was to erase the Justice League entirely, replacing them with the Justice Gang during a “Previously in the DCU” opening. And that’s exactly how it went down, almost.

    3 CENTURIES AGO, the first superpowered beings, known as METAHUMANS, appeared on Earth, ushering in a new era of GODS AND MONSTERS.

    3 DECADES AGO, an extraterrestrial baby was sent in a spacecraft to Earth, and adopted by Kansas farmers.

    3 YEARS AGO, the baby, now grown, announced himself as SUPERMAN, the most powerful metahuman of all.

    3 WEEKS AGO, Superman stopped the country of BORAVIA from invading JARHANPUR, sparking controversy around the world

    3 HOURS AGO, a metahuman called the HAMMER OF BORAVIA attacked Superman in the city of METROPOLIS.

    3 MINUTES AGO, Superman lost a battle for the first time.

    While Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Superman and Supergirl did appear, the latter two were NOT members of the Justice Gang at that time because as Gunn reminded fans on Threads, the events of Peacemaker Season 1 happened “before Superman.” That also explains the absence of Metamorpho, who teamed up with the heroes, and why Clark was so familiar with those characters in Superman. According to Gunn, the Man of Steal and his cousin have been able to “team up with them a lot like they did in Superman,” in the three years since Clark announced himself as Superman.

    To recap, the events of Peacemaker Season 1 take place in the new DCU continuity before Superman and, as made clear by Rick Flag Sr.’s reference to the “Luthor incident,” Season 2 takes place after the events in Metropolis. Easy as that!

  • ‘The Batman-Part II’ Rumored to Be Moving Ahead without One Major Star

    ‘The Batman-Part II’ Rumored to Be Moving Ahead without One Major Star

    Just as fans finally received a positive update about the highly-anticipated sequel to 2022’s The Batman, along comes a potential downer. With Matt Reeves‘ script having been completed and approved for production by DC Studios co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran, production on the film was confirmed to begin in Spring 2026 ahead of its October 2027 release. However, a new rumor suggests that one key cast member from the first film won’t be on set.

    According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Zoe Kravitz, who played Bruce Wayne’s love interest, Selena Kyle/Catwoman in 2022′ The Batman, will not be in the sequel.

    “At last week’s Caught Stealing junket, journalists were asked by publicists not to ask Zoe Kravitz any questions about The Batman Part II because ‘she’s not in it and doesn’t know anything,’ per a source,” said Sneider.

    Sneider went on to caution that the rumor should not be taken as gospel given theeas-than-honest reputation of publicists. “No word on whether that’s true, as we all know publicists lie, but that’s the word on the street. Just saying! Don’t shoot the messenger.”

    While Sneider’s warning does ring true, in this particular instance, a publicist lying about an actress returning for a sequel seems like overkill. Given the size of her role in The Batman and the reminder of her character’s importance to Gotham in The Penguin, it would seem as though her return would be LESS surprising than her absence.

  • James Gunn Teases Production Start on the Next Installment of His Superman Saga

    James Gunn Teases Production Start on the Next Installment of His Superman Saga

    With DC Studios hosting the red carpet premiere of Season 2 of Peacemaker and Superman debuting on digital platforms this week, James Gunn has spent quite a bit of  time in front of the press and he has rarely remained silent in such situations. As such, it was no surprise that he broke some DCU news earlier this week, though the subject caught nearly everyone off guard.

    I’ve already finished the treatment for the next story in what I’ll call the Superman Saga. The treatment’s done–which means a very, very worked out and I’m hopefully going into production on that  treatment–and I’m working on that not too far away from today.

    -James Gunn

    After a recent mention of Gunn’s involvement in a “Super-Family” movie, the DC Studios co-chair revealed he has finished work on a treatment of what he referred to as the next story in the “Superman Saga.” Furthermore, the news that the film would be headed into production “not too far away from today,” certainly turned heads as it could possibly mean a third Superman Family film would be in theaters over a 2 or 3 year span, following this summer’s Superman and next year’s Supergirl. Now, in a new interview with Collider, Gunn has provided some additional information about the treatment and, once again, teased an imminent start of production.

    “We’re scheduling it now, ” said Gunn of the production of the new film which will star David Corenswet but will NOT be Superman 2.

    “I’m totally done with the treatment. My treatments are incredibly intense. They’re not regular treatments. They’re 60-page treatments with dialogue and everything,” Gunn devulged. “And so, now I’m just turning that into a script. We’re planning out when we’re going to shoot that. It’s going to be much sooner rather than later.“

    Though no details have been revealed, fans have come to believe that the project may see Kal-El, his cousin, Kara Zor-El, and her dog, Krypto, team up to take on classic Superman baddie Brainiac. Should DC Studios schedule production sometime in 2025–which would align with the idea of “not too far from today”–it wound stand to reason that casting would get underway soon and that more details about the film would begin to make their way online.

    Source: Collider

  • Wonder Woman Casting: The Search for a New DCU Star

    Wonder Woman Casting: The Search for a New DCU Star

    The future of the all-new DCU was riding on the successful launch of James Gunn‘s Superman. As the new film , which was a hit with audiences and critics, closes in on $200 million at the domestic box office, it seems safe to say that, at least for now, the future is secure… though it certainly won’t look much like the original plan laid out by Gunn and SC Studios’ co-chair Peter Safran.

    While Supergirl and Lanterns, which were both included in the first look at the studio’s Gods and Monsters slate, are on track for release in 2026, they’ll be joined by Clayface, a true horror film, which only took shape over the past year. Beyond that, projects such as Booster Gold, Swamp Thing and Paradise Lost, seem to have lost all creative momentum; however, there’s no shortage of ideas in the queue and it sounds as though one of them is starting to move ahead quickly.

    After a recent report by Variety claimed that a Wonder Woman movie was being fast tracked at DC Studios, longtime industry insider Umberto Gonzalez has added fuel to that fire. According to Gonzalez, who recently appeared on The Box Office Podcast, the studio has begun the search for an actress to portray the DCU’s Princess Diana of Themyscira.

    Gonzalez indicated that Gunn and Safran are following the same plan that led them to Milly Alcock as the shared universe’s Supergirl and are looking for a not-so-household name with a TV-heavy resume rather than an actress with a background in big studio fare. It’s a new age at the box office and it appears that saving salary will be a primary concern as the new studio gets up and running.

    For his part, Gunn has confirmed that Wonder Woman is in development, though he certainly has not given any indication it has been fast tracked. “I mean, it’s not going to be until the scripts are ready,” Gunn said recently when asked about when fans might expect to see Batman and Wonder Woman join Superman in the DCU. “So, both the scripts (The Brave and the Bold and Wonder Woman) are being written now, and, if they’re good, then we’ll go into production immediately.”

    Given Gunn’s recent comments that one planned film was abandoned because the writer could not put together a good script, the news is equal measures good and not so good; however, the studio is unlikely to bail on a member of the Trinity, meaning a new Wonder Woman film WILL happen, even if we can’t say when just yet.

    Source: The Box Office Podcast

  • Nathan Fillion Has Joined the Cast of ‘Lanterns’

    Nathan Fillion Has Joined the Cast of ‘Lanterns’

    Nathan Fillion has officially joined the cast of HBO’s Lanterns. The actor, who is set to portray Guy Gardner in this Summer’s Superman, will reprise his role in the HBO series. The news was reported on Monday afternoon, with Deadline suggesting the actor has, perhaps unsurprisingly, long been attached to the project for some time. Fillion is no stranger to Gardner, having voiced the character in numerous animated projects for DC, including Green Lantern: Emerald Knight and Reign of Superman.

    HBO’s Lanterns series, which is inspired by DC Comics’ characters, focuses on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two intergalactic cops who ultimately find themselves drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland. Lanterns will consist of eight-episodes, and hails from Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and comics writer, Tom King. Mundy, who is the showrunner, co-wrote the series with Lindelof and King. All three will serve as executive producers on the project.

    RELATED: DC Studios’ Co-Chair’s ‘Lanterns’ Tease Has Reignited a Very Exciting Rumor

    The HBO series is currently in production and is set to be headlined by Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively. It will also star Kelly MacDonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Ulrich Thomsen. Episodes of Lanterns are confirmed to be directed by James Hawes, Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Alik Sakharov. As of right now, the series does not yet have a release date announced.

    Source: Deadline

  • DC Studios’ Reportedly Preparing to Film “Insane” Sci-fi Series

    DC Studios’ Reportedly Preparing to Film “Insane” Sci-fi Series

    Even as James Gunn and Peter Safran set out to build the DCU, the DC Studios’ co-chairs have made it clear that creatives will have freedom to tell stories through different mediums, genres and aesthetics. And so while Gunn’s Superman looks to be a bright, pulpy take on the Man of Steel, it takes place in the same continuity as Mike Flannigan‘s body horror flick, Clayface, and James Mangold‘s Swamp Thing, described as a “simple gothic horror movie.”

    The idea is, of course, in line with the long publishing history of DC Comics and should have a similar impact at DC Studios in that it will allow for original ideas to evolve into (hopefully) great superhero stories. One of the earliest test cases for the premise may well be Lanterns, a streaming series that continues to sound a lot like an HBO prestige series. And if one cast member is to be believed, fans may not quite be ready for what DC Studios is about to do with Hal Jordan and John Stewart’s “terrestrial-based investigation story.”

    John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU…

    -James Gunn
    In an interview with Collider, Poorna Jagannathan, who was cast in a supporting role in Lanterns, described it as “the best sci-fi script I’ve ever read.”

    “This is the first script that I’ve read that I understand why there’s an NDA,” explained Jagannathan. “Everything is so insane. It is the best writing that I have ever read.” Created by Ozark writer Chris Mundy, DC Comics ace Tom King and TV legend Damon Lindelof, Lanterns will focus on two of the corps‘ most well-known members, John Stewart and Hal Jordan who will be working as “supercops on Precinct Earth.”

    “I don’t know anything about sci-fi, and I don’t care, actually,” continued Jagannathan. “But this script makes sci-fi seem like my world. It makes it so accessible to me. I understand everything about this world even though I don’t understand this world.”

    The series, with an impressive cast led by Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, had already begun to generate some buzz online and Jagannathan’s comments won’t do anything to temper expectations. With cameras set to roll this week, it may only be a matter of time before DC Studios gives fans a first look at Lanterns which is expected to stream in mid-2026.

    Source: Collider

  • DC Studios Casts Ulrich Thomsen as Classic Legion of Doom Villain

    DC Studios Casts Ulrich Thomsen as Classic Legion of Doom Villain

    First introduced in ABC’s Challenge of the Superfriends in 1978, the Legion of Doom has since appeared across multiple mediums and become a staple of supervillainy for DC. Originally assembled by Lex Luthor, the Legion consisted of 13 baddies from the rogues galleries of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash and Green Lantern.

    Over the years, different iterations of the team have added and subtracted members and grown the roster beyond the original 13. In any case, the group represents a sinister and serious threat to heroes of the DC Universe. And while it may be years down the road, there’s some chance that the all-new DCU might bring the characters together on the big screen for the first time.

    With Nicholas Hoult already on board as Lex Luthor in Superman, a second key member of the Legion of Doom is now confirmed to be on the way as well. According to a trade report, Banshee and The Blacklist star Ulrich Thomsen has joined Lanterns as Sinestro.

    In Lanterns, it seems Thomsen will be playing the charactsr as “a former Green Lantern who turned rogue and is described as ruthless yet undeniably charming. Sinestro’s manipulative nature drives his enduring obsession with his former mentee, Hal Jordan.” Traditionally, Sinestro has been Jordan’s mentor, making the DCU’s take a fresh one that could provide some unique narrative opportunities.

    Said to play “a really big role leading us into the main story” of DC Studios’ Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, Lanterns was created by what DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn described as “a crack team of writers” that consists of Tom King, Chris Mundy and Damon Lindelof and was ordered straight to series by HBO in 2024.

    John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.

    -James Gunn and Peter Safran

    Lanterns will revolve around Green Lantern Corps members Hal Jordan and John Stewart finding an “ancient horror on Earth.” Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre were cast as Jordan and Stewart, respectively. Word is that Jordan will be a grizzled vet–which makes Chandler a great choice–and that Stewart, played by the up-and-coming Pierre, will be a new member of the Corps working with him as “supercops on Precinct Earth.” Nathan Fillion‘s Guy Gardner, who will debut in Superman, is also reportedly set to play a role in the series.

    We have a few other Lanterns peppered in there but this is really a terrestrial based TV show which is almost like True Detective with a couple of Green Lanterns who are space cops watching over Precinct Earth in it they discover a terrifying mystery that ties into our largest story of the DCU.

    -James Gunn

    Lanterns will begin production this year and is expected to release in mid-2026 on Max.

    Source: Deadline

  • David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham Join the Cast ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’

    David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham Join the Cast ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’

    Filming on DC Studios’ second film, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, got underway in the UK this week and it didn’t take long for news to escape Leavesden. According to THR’s Borys Kit, David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham have joined the production as the parents of Milly Alcock‘s Kara Zor-El.

    It’s unclear if Krumholz and Beecham are teaming up as Kara’s Earth parents, Jeremiah and Eliza, or her space mommy and daddy.

    If it’s the latter, Krumholz will portray Zor-El, a Kryptonian scientist who is also the uncle of Kal-El, aka Superman. After surviving the destruction of his home planet, Krypton, the character has evolved into an antagonist to his daughter and nephew in recent years. Beecham would then fill the role of Alura In-Ze who also survived Krypton’s apocalypse and has also caused her own share of problems over the years despite working mostly as a force for good. If the actors are playing Supergirl’s birth parents, the film’s plot could contain some Brainiac bread crumbs.

    Given the lack of clarity on THR’s report, however, the former option must be considered as well and, in one particular way, would be interesting. If Krumholtz and Beecham are set to pay Kara’s adoptive Earth parents, it could bring into play one of DC Comics more interesting clandestine organizations, the Department of Extranormal Operations. Tasked with tracking metahumans on Earth, that D.E.O. recently reactivated in the comics.

    Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is set for a June 26, 2026 theatrical debut.

    Source: THR

  • James Gunn Reveals One Project DC Studios Fans Won’t See Anytime Soon

    James Gunn Reveals One Project DC Studios Fans Won’t See Anytime Soon

    After nearly a decade in development hell, The Flash finally hit theaters in 2023. Mired in controversy due to star Ezra Miller‘s legal trouble and dead on arrival as Warner Bros. had committed to rebooting with the DCU in late 2022, the film performed poorly at the box office and served as a dour sendoff to the DCEU. Now, as DC Studios continues to forge ahead, it seems as though the specter of The Flash may continue to haunt the world of DC Comics’ greatest heroes.

    While responding to a question about the recently announced Clayface film on Threads, DC Studios’ co-CEO James Gunn clarified that a DCU-set Flash project won’t happen anytime soon.

    “We’re holding a beat on development,” said Gunn of a potential Flash-led project. No Flash-centric project was announced during the January 2024 reveal of projects expected to be part of DC Studios’ Chapter One: Gods and Monsters and even as the makeup of that batch of projects evolves, no word about the Scarlet Speedster getting another crack at a solo outing has come.

    That’s not to say, of course, that Barry Allen, Wally West or both won’t appear in other projects. Though the studio’s Teen Titans film is expected to feature the same core cast as Teen Titans Go!, Wally West, aka Kid Flash, appeared in over a dozen episodes over five seasons and has always been a core team member in the comics. Additionally, a character who many have presumed to be Wally West was among the dead heroes shown to Amanda Waller in a vision of one possible future of the DCU.

    Source: Threads