James Gunn And Peter Safran Are Apparently Almost Done With Their DC Road Map Already - November 15, 2022 at 01:30PM

It’s been a curious last few weeks for DC films, to say the least. Ever since the bombshell news that “The Suicide Squad” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn had teamed up with executive Peter Safran to take charge of Warner Bros.’ superhero division of feature films, fans and observers alike have waited with baited breath to see just how their grand vision would unfold. After filmmaker Zack Snyder first attempted to guide the franchise through one all-encompassing story — one that alienated as many viewers as it appealed to — the subsequent years have been filled with a somewhat scattershot method of various directors being brought on and having to adjust on the fly. Between Matt Reeves, Todd Phillips, James Wan, and more, there are now several different continuities co-existing at the same time, leading many to seek a unifying voice that could help the new DC Universe truly compete with its Marvel Studios rivals.

Well, that day is now closer than ever to coming to fruition, if Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav is to be believed. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the CEO spoke at an annual technology investor conference hosted by the Royal Bank of Canada and revealed that the freshly installed duo of Gunn and Safran are “coming close to the end” of completing their official plan for the future of DC films. That comes in the form of a “bible,” which THR defines as “an entertainment term for a document roadmap that outlines key characters and plot points” that may actually live up to Zaslav’s (rather premature) vision of a “10-year plan” for the superhero series.

Read on for all the details.

‘There’s Not Going To Be Four Batmans’

Some big changes are ahead for the DC franchise, one way or another. (Dare we say that Dwayne Johnson has been proven correct with all that talk about the “hierarchy of power” … just maybe not in the way he envisioned?) With James Gunn and Peter Safran now firmly entrenched in their new roles as co-heads of the newly-christened DC Studios, their infamously hands-on boss is now touting their progress for all to see. In a revealing statement about the franchise’s new direction, David Zaslav had this to say:

“I think over the next few years, you’re going to see a lot of growth and opportunity around DC, there’s not going to be four Batmans. And so part of our strategy is drive the hell out of DC, which James and Peter are going to do. I think they’ve thrilled the fans. I think they’re going to thrill you over a period of time.”

That quip about multiple Batmans sure sounds like Zaslav (and, by extension, Gunn and Safran) is eager to bring the franchise into one cohesive whole — a stark turnaround from the chaotic “Anything goes” approach that has traded the kind of connective storytelling that the MCU thrives on for one that allows distinctive movies like 2019’s “Joker,” last year’s “The Batman,” and even Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” and “Peacemaker” series to all exist simultaneously.

Speaking of Gunn, he’s also gone ahead and teased the appearance of niche, fan-favorite DC character Mister Terrific in a recent tweet, which follows a similar post about Lobo on the social media site Mastodon in recent days: