Last month, we learned that DC Studios has tapped Our Flag Means Death creator David Jenkins to write Booster Gold's pilot. If co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are happy with his take on the time-travelling superhero, Jenkins will eventually serve as showrunner.
Booster Gold was announced at the start of 2023 as part of the DCU's "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters" slate. It's previously been revealed that the series lost its original showrunner (since confirmed to be The Righteous Gemstones' Danny McBride), while rumours have swirled that Eternals star Kumail Nanjiani is being lined up to play the title character.
Now, a fresh wave of speculation has ignited about Nanjiani's possible DCU role after the actor was spotted embracing Gunn at the recent Peacemaker season 2 premiere.
There's a lot of potential for a character like Booster Gold in the DCU, even though Gunn has repeatedly said that he isn't the biggest fan of time travel. However, by rooting Carter in the present day and perhaps pairing him up with Blue Beetle, the result could be an irreverent take on this shared world from the perspective of this wannabe hero.
Adding further fuel to the fire are comments from Nexus Point News scooper @ApocHorseman, strongly hinting that Nanjiani has been tapped to play Michael Jon Carter.
Nanjiani is 47, and while that might be a good age for a washed-up former sports star like Booster Gold, many fans have already pointed out that DC Studios seems to be casting older actors as characters expected to skew young. Hal Jordan, for example, will be played by 59-year-old Kyle Chandler, while Nathan Fillion, who plays Guy Gardner, is 54.
Last December, Gunn dodged a question about Nanjiani playing Booster Gold when he said, "We're not quite there yet in terms of Booster Gold. The scripts aren't quite where I want them to be."
He'd add, "The goal from the beginning was to give the honor that the great characters deserved; the Wonder Womans, Batmans, and Supermans. But then also to prop up these lesser-known characters like Peacemaker, Booster Gold, and The Huntress."
Booster Gold was created by writer Dan Jurgens and first appeared in Booster Gold #1 in 1986. His real name is Michael Jon Carter, a former football star from the 25th century who becomes a time-travelling hero.
Carter, disillusioned by his lack of success and fame in his own time, steals advanced technology, including a powered suit and a robotic sidekick named Skeets, and travels back to the 20th Century to become a superhero. Initially motivated by fame and fortune, Booster eventually matures into a genuine hero, using his abilities to protect the innocent and uphold justice.
When Booster Gold was first announced, it was described as following its title character, who uses basic technology from the future to pretend to be a superhero in the present day.
Stay tuned for updates on DC Studios' plans for Booster Gold as we have them.