It’s a hen! It’s a airplane! It’s the very first film in James Gunn’s revamped DC Universe!
Now that Superman has hit theaters, James Gunn’s DC Universe is totally underway… Or is it? Whereas Gunn has now launched a film, a TV present (Peacemaker), and an animated collection (Creature Commandos) underneath his stewardship, there’s nonetheless a lacking piece of the DC Universe puzzle: video video games.
Gunn informed followers again in 2022 that his grasp plan for an interconnected DC Universe contains video video games. However not like on the flicks and TV facet of issues, there have been no official bulletins concerning what the primary DC Universe online game can be.
An absence of reveals doesn’t imply we don’t have a fairly clear image of what to anticipate, although. Throughout a number of interviews and press occasions, Gunn and co-studio head Peter Safran have defined their plans, together with the truth that whereas they don’t technically oversee Warner Bros.’ gaming division, there’s now a a lot deeper collaboration between WB Video games and DC Studios that would dramatically alter the way in which future DC video video games are made. With that in thoughts, let’s analyze what the way forward for video games will seem like within the new DCU period.
Gunn Takes Over DC
The primary time we realized that video video games factored into Gunn’s DC plans was shortly after he and producer Peter Safran have been introduced as co-heads of DC Studios on October 25, 2022. Whereas answering fan questions on X, Gunn responded to 1 consumer who requested if video games could be linked to the DCU alongside movies and TV. To this, he simply replied, “Yes.
It wouldn’t be till a number of months later that Gunn revealed what films and exhibits have been in growth as a part of Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, which is the DCU’s equal of the MCU’s Part 1. And whereas video video games have been conspicuously lacking from the Chapter 1 roadmap, Gunn informed members of the press, “Tv, films, and video games all intertwine inside the similar universe. We’re going to solid actors who’re going to have the ability to play the characters in [animation and TV], in addition to in different issues.” This was the primary clear indication from Gunn that video video games have been certainly part of his plans for the DCU.
One vital factor to know is that Gunn’s job as head of DC Studios doesn’t embrace management over any of Warner Bros’ online game studios, which embrace builders like Avalanche Software program (Hogwarts Legacy), NetherRealm Studios (Mortal Kombat), Rocksteady Studios (Batman Arkham), and TT Video games (Lego).
Underneath the present Warner Bros. Discovery company construction, Warner Bros. Video games exists individually from DC Studios and is overseen by Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO of world streaming and gaming, JB Perrette. However after Gunn and Safran have been named DC co-heads in 2022, Perrette seems to be deferring to the brand new DC bosses in terms of issues of comedian e-book video video games.
The Partitions Break Down Between WB Video games and DC Studios
In an interview with Variety in 2024, Perrette revealed, “Frankly, there hasn’t been as shut a relationship between the studio and the video games enterprise as there ought to have been. And James [Gunn] is definitely a gamer, so having somebody who’s obsessed with it’s tremendous useful.” Perrette added that the video games departments are actually “actively working with [Gunn and Safran] on the core franchises inside the DC Universe.”
Based mostly on this interview, it seems there was as soon as a wall that divided WB’s gaming division from the film and TV studios. And based on Perrette, it was solely after Gunn and Safran took over DC Studios {that a} newfound sense of collaboration was achieved.
This dividing wall was confirmed a 12 months later throughout a DC Studios Presentation held on February 24, 2025. Through the occasion, James Gunn and Peter Safran confirmed Perrette’s statements concerning the separation between the 2 WB divisions and the way that relationship has modified since they took over.
“We work extremely intently with JB Perrette, who runs that division, and it’s actually the primary time ever it’s been this manner at Warner Bros,” Safran confirmed. “It’s been nice, and we’ve loved it enormously. Everything had been so siloed, and now that’s utterly damaged down, and it’s been nice. As a result of it additionally applies to client merchandise and experiences, and the whole lot that DC touches runs up by means of us now, which is superior.”
“James [Gunn] and I sit with actually the fellows that run the studios beneath JB,” Safran added. “Whether or not it’s NetherRealm or whether or not it’s Rocksteady, [we] sit with them and discuss characters and tales that we’re eager about and that they’re eager about.”
It’s humorous that Safran mentions Rocksteady, because it was reported earlier this 12 months that the studio is growing a brand new single-player Batman recreation. Whereas it might be too quickly to inform, not less than based on Gunn and Safran, there’ll seemingly be some enter from their facet of issues at DC Studios.
“We see designs for the tasks of their very earliest levels,” Gunn stated on the occasion. “Once they’re speaking about what the story is likely to be, we are saying, ‘Properly, perhaps you wish to go this manner as a result of we’re planning on perhaps doing one thing with this character and so forth and so forth,’ and assist take care of that.”
Does this imply Gunn can be totally answerable for the following Rocksteady Batman recreation? Not fairly. Gunn confirmed that “not all” video games can be linked to the DCU’s overarching story when one other fan on X shared their concern about dropping standalone experiences like Rocksteady’s Arkham collection. So, relying on the place Rocksteady desires to take its subsequent single-player Batman recreation, there’s an opportunity it may very well be integrated into the DCU, or handled as a separate universe like Matt Reeves’ The Batman films.
Moreover, Perrette stated within the aforementioned Selection interview that WB’s recreation studios will nonetheless be making tasks primarily based on what’s greatest for the studios and players, saying, “We’re not going to launch a Superman recreation purely as a result of we really feel obligated. We must do one thing that is smart for the gaming technique and for followers and for the buyer.”
How James Gunn’s DCU Is Already Shaping Video games
Even when DC’s full gaming plans stay a thriller, we’re already seeing Gunn’s unified imaginative and prescient for DC play out in a number of video games proper now.
“Our characters can transfer out and in of animation or leap right into a recreation or onto the large display screen, however they are going to stay constant all through: similar character, similar historical past, similar actor,” Gunn stated through the press tour for Creature Commandos final 12 months — a pair months after Peacemaker was added to Mortal Kombat 1 as a DLC character on February 28, 2024.
Simply as Gunn stated, NetherRealm enlisted John Cena to reprise his TV and film position as Peacemaker in Mortal Kombat 1. Not solely is his likeness and design an identical to the model of the character that seems within the HBO collection and The Suicide Squad film, however even his Victory Pose in Mortal Kombat 1 is a direct reference to Peacemaker’s glam rock-themed opening credits.
Equally, this month’s Superman-themed content material for Fortnite options skins for Superman, Mr. Terrific, and The Engineer, that are all primarily based on the likenesses of their film counterparts. So, slightly than a comic-book model of those characters, you’re enjoying as David Corenswet’s Superman, Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific, and Maria Gabriela de Faria’s Engineer. Like Peacemaker, evidently any look by a DCU character in a online game can be an identical to their film and TV counterpart, simply as Gunn promised (excluding these standalone tasks Gunn additionally promised, in fact.)
“Since taking the reins, our true north has been to deliver DC movie, TV, animation, and gaming into alignment underneath a single banner and convey a way of unity and consistency into the DCU as a complete,” Gunn stated forward of the premiere of Creature Commandos. “This frees us to create a spread of merchandise which are numerous and compelling, and ship nice stand-alone leisure experiences on each medium, whereas additionally being half of a bigger story that we’re telling inside our unified DCU.”
It’s been a tough couple of years for DC video games underneath Warner Bros.. Between the closing of Monolith Software program and the cancellation of a Surprise Lady online game, to Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s lackluster launch, the way forward for DC video video games gave the impression to be in main flux. Warner Bros. even thought-about selling off its gaming business entirely.
And whereas WB Video games’ fortunes have modified with the large success of video games like Hogwarts Legacy, there’s nonetheless no official phrase but on the way forward for DC video video games. But it surely’s clear primarily based on statements from Gunn, Safran, and Perrette that Warner Bros. Video games and DC Studios are collaborating deeply in terms of any upcoming online game starring DC’s caped heroes. Though the fundamental expectation is that if a personality from DC’s films and exhibits seems in a recreation, it would function the identical actor, the total plans for DC video video games, particularly from builders like Rocksteady, stay to be seen.
You’ll want to try our full checklist of upcoming DC films and TV exhibits, in addition to our Superman evaluation for our full DC protection.
Matt Kim is IGN’s Senior Options Editor.