Unlike the previous administration, new co-head of DC Studios, James Gunn He is very active on social media. Since DC announced him for the role, he’s been teasing fans about which characters from the pages of DC Comics might be on his mind regarding future projects. Gunn did this with random image reveals. So far, he’s released some images of comic book characters that might excite fans – including some that haven’t yet appeared in any live-action incarnation before. Some he teased, like Mister Terrific, were officially announced just a few months later. Let’s record all of Gunn’s tips we’ve had so far, keeping in mind that they may not actually be tips.
Mister Mxyzptlk
He’s been one of Superman’s most powerful (and annoying) enemies since the Golden Age, and yet he’s never appeared in a live-action film. We refer to the imp from the 5th Dimension, Mister Mxyzptlk. This diminutive guy is actually an all-powerful being, who can bend reality to his will. Think Star Trek P, and equally annoying, and wearing a bowler hat. He appeared every 90 days to cause trouble for Superman, returning to his home dimension only when Big Blue managed to trick him into saying his name backwards. James Gunn recently posted an Mxy action figure on his Instagram, which is raising eyebrows. Although the assumption is that Mxy would appear in SupermanWe think it could also be for the for coming Peacemaker second season.
Captain Atom
James Gunn’s latest post suggesting a possible classic hero coming to the DCU came in response to a fan question. When asked if he liked the character Captain Atom, he responded on his Instagram story saying “I have been a huge fan of Captain Atom for a long time.” He even added comic artwork to his response. We’d say it’s a possible hint that he has plans for Captain Atom.
So who is the good captain? Like Peacemaker and Blue Beetle, he originated as a hero in the Charlton Comics line in the 1960s. DC purchased these characters and absorbed them into the DC Universe in the 1980s. Nathaniel Adam was an Air Force officer who volunteered for an experiment involving nuclear energy and an alien alloy, in exchange for forgiveness for a crime he didn’t commit. Disintegrated in the experiment, Adam reformed decades later, now fused with the alien metal and wielding nuclear power.
Nathaniel Adam then became the government agent and superhero Captain Atom, and joined the Justice League International. It was also the base of Doctor Manhattan in watchmakers, although a little less powerful. Along with Booster Gold, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Maxwell Lord, he would be another famous JLI character joining the DCU. We think this gives more credibility to the our theory that Justice League International is on the way for UDC.
The Fantastics
James Gunn teased an image of hero Mister Terrific in 2022, a character later cast to Superman: Legacy. But now those plans appear to have expanded. He also shared an image of the DC heroes hovering around the Terrifics, a somewhat recent DC Comics superteam launched in 2018. The Terrifics are something of a riff on Marvel’s Fantastic Four, as they are more of the explorer and adventurer type. . Mister Terrific leads, and the other members include Plastic Man, Phantom Girl and Shapeshifterwho was also recently cast in Superman: Legacy. We could easily see them as the themes of a Max streaming series.
Dead man
On Halloween 2022, Gunn shared an image of one of DC Comics’ most prominent supernatural heroes, Deadman. Introduced by DC in the late ’60s, Deadman was circus performer Boston Brand. During a performance, a group of criminals murdered him. They (the supernatural powers) granted his soul the power to possess living people until he discovered who was behind their murder. In the meantime, he used the bodies he “borrowed” to help innocent people and fight various criminals.
Although he was a ghost, Brand’s spectral form still had the circus outfit and makeup he wore in his performance. For the most part, he was essentially a superhero that no one in the living world could see. However, some mystical DC characters were able to sense it. Despite being a prominent DC character for years, aside from a few animated appearances, we’ve never seen Deadman in live action. From the looks of it, James Gunn is hoping to change all that – unless he’s just having fun on Halloween. Once upon a time, Guillermo del Toro talked about producing a Deadman project. Maybe now is the time for that to finally happen.
It’s worth noting that Gunn recently shared the Deadman image again on your Instagram.
Wolf
And then there’s the one that gets everyone talking. Recently, Gunn posted an image of DC’s most famous intergalactic bounty hunter, Lobo, and fans were super excited. The “Main Man,” a big seller in the 1990s, has long been rumored for a film or TV project. In fact, it was reported that Syfy was developing a Lobo TV series a few years ago, but nothing came of it.
With people clamoring for Jason Momoa to play the role, including Momoa himself, it seems like now would be the right time to see the space biker finally get a movie of my own. The character is an exaggeration of tough characters, but handled correctly, he made for some very funny comics. We think the character’s comedic sensibilities also feel right in James Gunn’s wheelhouse.
Future kingdom
Perhaps the post that excited fans the most was on November 30th. Gunn simply tweeted the words “Making plans” accompanied by an image of artist Alex Ross from his seminal series Future kingdom. That comic was about an older Justice League versus their younger, more violent successors in an End Times setting. Now, on the surface, it’s just Superman around a table with other heroes literally making plans. It’s probably just Gunn’s fun way of teasing his upcoming DC Studios plans, using an image of his main heroes.
On the other hand, he also used the same Alex Ross illustration as a featured image on his Hive Social account. He might have something to cook Future kingdom? Looks path Too early for a live-action adaptation. You need to first reestablish the Justice League as a viable franchise. However, Gunn recently stated that DC Studios planned to incorporate animation as well. It’s at least a possibility.
Again, James Gunn could be posting random images of all these characters and stories he likes. Time will tell.
Originally published on November 16, 2022.
