James Gunn says he is “probably not going to do certain movies” with unknown DC characters: “It’s harder to get people in the theater”
By Mireia Mullor
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James Gunn says he is “probably not going to do certain movies” with unknown DC characters: “It’s harder to get people in the theater”
Mireia Mullor
29 September 2025
Lesser known DC characters might not lead the movies
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(Image credit: DC Studios)
As we’ve seen in recent projects like Superman and Peacemaker season 2, James Gunn loves to bring back DC characters that might be unknown to non-comic readers and wider audiences in general, like Mister Terrific and Metamorpho. However, as the DC boss revealed recently, those characters won’t be leading their own movies any time soon.
During an interview with Deadline, Gunn was asked for an update on the previously announced movie The Authority, which will see WildStorm characters join the DCU. The project was put on the backburner earlier this year, but Gunn confirmed it’s still happening.
“There’s someone who is a really good creator who talked to me the other day,” he told the outlet.
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James Gunn says 9 DC projects are currently in the works, but seems to suggest The Authority isn’t
James Gunn reveals more about the greenlit DC movie that he scrapped over script issues: “We can’t make this film. We can’t. It’s not good. We know it’s not good”
Superman director James Gunn wants the DCU “to be mostly self-contained,” because it’s not about telling “one long story,” it’s about “creating a universe”
Since Gunn used the word “creator”, does that mean The Authority is now a TV series? “Who knows,” answered Gunn, “I’m probably not going to do certain movies with characters who [audiences] don’t know; it’s harder to get people in the theater for that kind of thing.”
Back in February, Gunn said The Authority “got messed with through all of the other things that were happening”, including Superman, and wasn’t “a priority” at the moment. “The script had a harder time coming along,” he told journalists then (per Deadline).
Often described as an edgier Justice League, The Authority was originally created in 1999 as a black-ops team of anti-heroes. With members including The Engineer, played by MarÃa Gabriela de FarÃa, in Superman, they are willing to go to almost any lengths necessary to save the world, with a much grayer moral compass than DC’s biggest superheroes.
Big-screen names are also popping up on the small screen thanks to Peacemaker season 2. Last week’s episode included a cameo from Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, which was filmed during the Superman shoot.
“It was cool, it was weird because tonally, it instantly felt different from Superman, which is so big and brash, and then this show is so strangely grounded and gritty,” Gunn said.
Next up in the DCU is Supergirl, which is flying to cinemas on June 26, 2026.
For more, keep up with Peacemaker with our Peacemaker season 2 release schedule, and read our Peacemaker season 2 review. You can also keep up to date with our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows.
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Mireia Mullor
Contributing Writer
Mireia is a UK-based culture journalist and critic. She previously worked as Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy, and her work as a freelance writer has appeared in WeLoveCinema and Spanish magazines Fotogramas, Esquire, and Elle. She is also a published author, having written a book about Studio Ghibli’s ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ in 2023. Talking about anime and musicals is the best way to grab her attention.
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James Gunn says 9 DC projects are currently in the works, but seems to suggest The Authority isn’t
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