James Gunn says he’s building a new DC Universe, but why does it feel like he doesn’t have a real plan or even like DC Comics?

Let’s start with Creature Commandos. This was picked as the first official project of the new era, a choice that matters. First impressions matter. So why lean into animation, featuring a little known team, using hard-R content with sex and profanity that shuts out a big chunk of your audience? Why take a property that could sell toys and turn it into something parents won’t touch and few people ended up watching? 

Then came Superman (2025). The casting worked, mostly, but that was the easy part. Unfortunately the film kept pushing Superman to the side so the so-called Justice Gang could grab all the attention. Is that really his plan? Sideline the most iconic hero in comics? On top of that, the Kents feel small and borderline mockery, and Superman himself became the punchline more than the centerpiece, and he repeadly gets beat down and whining. That’s not a bold new take. That’s a complete misunderstanding of the character.

Next up was Peacemaker. Same problems, same results. Hard-R tone again. Low viewership again. And no clear connection to a larger vision for the DCU. If everything’s supposed to connect, why does each project feel like it’s pulling in a different direction?

Last month we had Supergirl, and it landed with a thud. This should’ve expanded the DCU world. Instead, it leaned on an Elseworlds angle, written by a deconstructionist writer, adapted by an amatuer, and that didn’t present Kara in a strong or hopeful light. Where’s the care for these legacy characters? Where’s the strategy? This was a chance to build off of Superman and grow the audience. Another missed opportunity.

Looking ahead, Lanterns is rumored to open with the death of a major DC character, Hal Jordan himself aka Green Lantern. Again, darker, harder, more shock value. Why? Does every story need to start with a loss just to get attention? And if Hal Jordan’s coming to the screen, shouldn’t he match the tone already set by Superman? Or is tone something this universe just doesn’t worry about?

Then there’s Clayface. A movie about a Batman villain without Batman. We’ve seen this before with Sony’s Spider-Man spinoffs, Venom, Carnage, Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter. It didn’t work there, so why is Gunn copying a failed model? How does this fit into a shared universe that’s supposed to feel connected?

Put it all together and the pattern’s clear. There is no clear plan. One project doesn’t build on the previous one. Each one undercuts the brand in a new way. That’s not how you rebuild trust with fans. DC Comics has lasted for decades because its core heroes stand for something simple and strong. Hope. Heroism. Legacy. Strip that away and what are you left with?

James Gunn has a very short time to course correct. But at some point, the audience is going to stop waiting and move on.

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