James Gunn unveiled his plans for the new DCU. The franchise will have a fresh start and a variety of projects were announced that will connect movies, television, and animated projects in one shared universe. Audiences got release dates for a new Superman movie as well as details on projects focusing on Batman, Booster Gold, and Green Lantern just to name a few.
In contrast to Marvel Studios' use of the term Phases, DC Studios will be calling their connected plans Chapters, very similar to a comic book. Chapter 1 of the DCU carried the ominous subtitle, "Gods and Monsters." While DC previously used the name for the subtitle of the 2015 animated film Justice League: Gods and Monsters, it will not be connected to that property. Instead, the expression has a rich history which could hint at the thematic throughline across Chapter 1, and what the future may hold for the franchise.
Why Does Gods and Monsters Sound Familiar
Chapter 1 of the DCU draws its name from a line in 1935's Bride of Frankenstein, where Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) toasts Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) "To a new world of gods and monsters!". The line clearly draws a line between the two concepts, as Dr. Frankenstein is clearly creating life as a god, and his most famous creature is known as a monster, but Dr. Frankenstein himself is a monster.
The line was used as the title for the biopic on Bride of Frankenstein director James Whales called Gods and Monsters. The line also was used in the context of a failed cinematic universe, Universal Pictures' The Dark Universe, where Dr. Jekyll (Russell Crowe) says the exact same line in 2017's The Mummy. Seeing as how Dark Universe was originally going to be a name that Warner Bros. used for their planned Justice League Dark movie before Universal took the name, it is somewhat fitting for Warner Bros. to take that expression for the beginning of the new DCU.
What Are the Monsters
James Gunn's new DC slate features two titles with prominent horror ties" the animated series Creature Commandos and a new Swamp Thing film. Unlike the previous DCU, which put emphasis on the superheroes of the Justice League, the fact that Gunn is putting these two monster-based properties front and center suggests not only a more diverse cinematic universe in terms of stories but also one that will blur the line between heroes and monsters. Notably, Creature Commandos features both Frankenstein's Monster and the Bride of Frankenstein, for which "Gods and Monsters" name originates, so it is fitting this is the project that kicks off Gunn's new DC vision.
Yet there are other hints at monsters that are less literal and more figurative. Brave and the Bold will see Bruce Wayne take on his son Damian Wayne as the new Robin. Damian's mother is Talia Al Ghul, making the Batman villain Ra's Al Ghul his grandfather. Ra's Al Ghuls name in Arabic translates to "Head of the Demon," another kind of monster. It is likely the Al Ghul family will play a major role in the DCU Batman project, meaning that Batman will be facing a family named after a demon as well as ones from his past. Monsters have a tendency to take many forms.
Who Are the Gods?
The gods seem to be defined by projects like Superman: Legacy, Paradise Lost, and The Authority. Superman has always drawn godlike comparisons, and it was a heavy aspect of Zack Snyder's take on the character. While the new Superman movie has been mentioned as exploring Clark Kent as a reporter as well as his dual relations between his heritage between his human upbringing and his Kryptonian heritage.
Paradise Lost, meanwhile, will be set on the island of Themysicara before Wonder Woman's birth. The Wonder Woman mythology has deep ties to Greek gods and myths, particularly the runs by the late great George Perez and writer Brian Azzarello. There is a good chance the series will feature many of the iconic mythical gods like Ares the God of War and even some creatures from Greek myth to fit the monsters.
Meanwhile, The Authority will see a group of superpowered individuals enforce their will upon the world to save it, seeing themselves as god-like figures. The Authority may seem like gods, but in many ways represent a monstrous side of superheroism which will contrast with the Creature Commandos and Swamp Thing as heroic monsters.
What Other DC Projects Could Fit in Chapter 1
Gunn said this was not the complete list of projects that would make up this first chapter of the DCU. With that, there are many projects that could fit into this thematic arc the franchise is building to kick things off. New Gods is an obvious one and one that holds some weight as writer Tom King was developing a film based on the property with Ava DuVernay before it was canceled. With King now working as part of the writer's room to shape the DCU, it is possible that the project could be revived as part of this new DCU.
Swamp Thing could lay the groundwork for other supernatural heroes like Etrigan the Demon, The Spectre, Deadman, and Zatanna to join the franchise and unite to form the Justice League Dark. A major crossover could even be brewing across the franchise between the traditional superheroes like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and more against the monster characters until they unite to stop a greater threat. There is plenty more left to explore in this first chapter.
What Does This Mean for the DCU?
One of the biggest differences between DC and Marvel have been how they write their heroes. The Marvel characters, and the universe as a whole, are meant to represent the real world and the characters are very relatable humans with everyday problems, even gods like Thor. DC on the other hand has always been a franchise that has worked on a mythic scale. Many of the characters from the franchise are larger than life, with rich complex science fiction or fantasy mythologies that feel like they have a sense of history.
Gods and Monsters seem to be steering into that, with much of the projects teasing the history and untold secrets of the DC Universe. Paradise Island will be a prequel showing a new side to Themysicara, Lanterns will see Hal Jordan and John Stewart Green Lanterns investigating a conspiracy that may have major ramifications for the DC Universe. Creature Commandos will be set in World War 2. This new DCU will have a rich history, one filled with legends, and eventually, heroes and monsters will need to step out of the darkness into the light of day and let the world decide where they fall. This new beginning chapter for the DCU is full of possibilities.