Suicide Squad director James Gunn has been announced as one of the new co-leaders for DC Studios. This means that he will be taking the reins for future DC projects that would go on the big screen. At the moment, Gunn won’t be touching any current projects that are in the works, such as Joker: Folie à deux.
But just because Gunn hasn’t announced anything doesn’t mean there aren’t any potential stories the DCU could tackle. DC Comics has an extensive list of characters and stories that any one of them can land on the big screen. While it’s easy to just produce sequels, there are other DC heroes out there worth including.
5. Young Justice
Plenty of DC fans have asked Gunn on social media to bring a beloved animated series after its sudden cancelation. Gunn has the opportunity to give something back to the fans and revive the Young Justice series. If producing a fifth season is too much, why not consider a live-action adaptation set in either a separate timeline or somewhere in the future?
4. An MCU Crossover
Gunn should still have ties to the MCU despite jumping ship to the competition. Because let’s be real, the MCU can’t top off Avengers: Endgame, no matter how hard it tries. Meanwhile, the DCU has a lot of work to be done in order for it to rise from mediocrity. The perfect solution for these two problems — a crossover event. The MCU needs to retire at some point, and DC still has some stories to tell. Why not have both DC and Marvel team up as a way to pass the baton or crossover fans from one franchise to another?
Let’s not forget, both Kevin Feige and Dwayne Johnson are open to the idea. It’s up to Warner Bros and Disney to plan the superhero event to end all superhero events.
3. Black Adam vs. Superman
The people have asked for it. Dwayne Johnson has fought for it. Give the people what they want and produce a Black Adam vs. Superman film. Since Gunn had some experience with Marvel Studios, he should know how important a build-up should be before a huge film event is released. If Gunn could pull this off, this superhero matchup would determine who in the DC Universe is the most powerful of them all.
2. Braniac 5
DC loves to play with the themes of superhero ethics, and a film about Brainiac 5 is the perfect superhero where their morals are questioned. In the comics, Brainiac 5 is a descendant of the original Brainiac, who was also the arch-nemesis of Superman. He joins the Legion of Superheroes to right the wrongs of his ancestors. So perhaps the film could question where Brainiac 5 stands, whether he should still be good or follow his ancestors and go down the path of evil.
1. Teen Titans
Many fans had mixed feelings when Titans was released, and there is still so much love for the original animated series. The DCU already has a Cyborg, so why not bring back the other members of the Teen Titans team? Gunn has directed a superhero film filled with dark themes and a bit of comedy. So surely he’s able to give this beloved superhero team the big-screen adaptation it truly deserves.
These are just some ideas that Gunn could bring to the big screen, and there are many more where that came from. The intro card for the DCU showcased the Justice League before panning out to silhouette of the rest of their lineup. Not to mention, there are existing heroes that fans believe deserve justice. So why not showcase those superheroes’ potential? The MCU has pushed its lesser-known characters to the screen as the franchises get bigger and bigger. So why not do the same for DC? After all, not many people knew who the Guardians of the Galaxy were before they were introduced in the MCU.