While the New York Comic Con panel on the upcoming HBO animated series Creature Commanodos gave DC Comics fans plenty of things to look forward to when the series premiers on HBO on December 5, that doesn’t mean that James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, wasn’t about to not drop some updates on other upcoming projects in the relaunching DC Universe film and TV franchise. At the insistence of the moderator, Gunn ran down a list of a few of the forthcoming projects in the new DCU pipeline, teased at what might be canon from what has come before, and even hinted at a new project he is gearing up to write.
Superman
While he didn’t bring a trailer to surprise drop on the crowd, Gunn did share some encouraging updates about the progress being made on Superman. He stated that the film is “deep in the edit” and “really close to being good.” Nevertheless, Gunn promised that the trailer was “coming soon, but not too soon.”
Gunn also praised lead actor David Corenswet, saying he “is going to blow people the fuck away,” while also expressing enthusiasm for Rachel Brosnahan’s portrayal of Lois Lane and Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific.
Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow Prepares for Takeoff
The second of the live actions films in the rebooted superhero franchise, Gunn enthusiastically declared that the project is going “tremendously well,” with significant progress being made behind the scenes. The film is set to begin filming in England this January, with a June 2026 release being targeted. The project promises to offer a fresh take on the character being played by Milly Alcock, with Ana Nogeuira’s screenplay being based based on the acclaimed comic series that depicts a more jaded Supergirl who witnessed the destruction of Krypton firsthand.
Lanterns
Gunn described the upcoming HBO Max series developed by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King and based on comics about the outer space police force, as “a very grounded series, it’s a very real series” The show is currently prepping to shoot later this year. Gunn did reveal an interesting casting tidbit – Aaron Pierre, who plays Green Lantern John Stewart, was previously considered for Adam Warlock, and was someone that Gunn had wanted to work with for a long time. Gunn also described the series as a major foundational piece of the new DCU. Previous descriptions have compared it to True Detective in terms of quality and scope, and it will focus on Hal Jordan and John Stewart investigating a mystery that will have significant implications for the broader universe.
Peacemaker Season 2
Gunn noted he was literally in the middle of filming the follow up season to the surprise hit series from earlier this year. “We’re shooting it now. I shot until late last night, and then came in today for this. I have to go back and shoot on Monday,” he revealed. He described the new season as “very magical” and “a very different season” from what came before. Gunn also revealed that Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. will serve as a connecting thread between multiple DCU projects, appearing in Creature Commandos, Superman, and Peacemaker Season 2.
And Beyond
Looking beyond the immediate slate, Gunn has already begun “pre-writing” his next DCU project after completing Superman and Peacemaker Season 2, though he was coy about what the upcoming project may be.
Gunn also took a moment to address what recent DC films and television projects could be folded into his newly rebooted DCU. Gunn states that next summer’s Superman film represents the “true start” of the DCU, even though Creature Commandos premieres first and describing the animated series as an “aperitif” for the DCU. He stated that it serves as a way for audiences to “take a little nibble and see what it tastes like” before the main course arrives with Superman. Projects prior to Creature Commandos like feature The Suicide Squad and the first season of Peacemaker might have similar events in the new timeline, but only what’s explicitly referenced in the new canon actually “counts.” As Gunn explained, “There are references to things that happened in the past, and those references then become canon in the DCU because we mention them.” Meanwhile, Gunn hinted that Creature Commandos will contain “a ton of fun references to other DC stuff” and “a bunch of hints for things that are coming.”
