DC Studios Co-Chair James Gunn Gives Insight On How The DCU Writers Room Operates

DC Studios Co-Chair James Gunn Gives Insight On How The DCU Writers Room Operates

When the Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters film slate was first announced, it was also revealed that James Gunn and Peter Safran had put together a small group of creatives to brainstorm concepts.

By MarkJulian - Jan 08, 2024 09:01 AM EST
Filed Under: DC Studios

Curious about just how much input the DCU Writers Room has on the upcoming Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters film and television slate? Studio co-chair James Gunn has taken to Threads to provide some insight.

In response to a fan question about whether the writers room meets on a regular basis, similar to a Monday morning staff meeting, Gunn revealed that's not the case at all.

Said Gunn, "It’s nothing like that. We gathered a few times at the beginning of all of this to map out some overarching concepts & ideas & stories. Other than that I trust in quite a few of the writers individually to read & comment & give notes on scripts, keeping things more in the creative sphere as opposed to your typical studio notes.

He went on to add, "Most have given notes on Legacy, for instance (along with other screenwriters & filmmakers). "

For those that may recall, the DC Studios writers room is comprised of Gunn, Drew Goddard (The Martian), Jeremy Slater (Moon Knight), Christina Hobson (The Flash), Christal Henry (Watchmen) and comic book writer, Tom King.

Image

To kick off the start of a new year, Gunn also shared a photo of some of the key people at DC Studios which included most of the individuals in the writers room.

Previously, Gunn also shared clarification on how DC Studios will look to work with writers and directors on projects.

"Even though this is all a connected universe, it’s really important to me that the individual writers and directors on the projects give their own self-expression to it, just like they do in the comics, said Gunn.

"Everything doesn’t always look the same. Everything doesn’t always have the same expression. Different artists bring remarkably different looks, feels and tones. This is not the Gunnverse."

Gunn has repeatedly said that despite Creature Commandos being released first, the DCU doesn't truly kick off in earnest until Superman: Legacy hits theaters on July 11, 2025. Filming was originally expected to begin this month but has now been confirmed to start in March.

The James Gunn-directed (and written) Superman: Legacy, film stars David Corenswet as Kal-El/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.

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marvel72
marvel72 - 1/8/2024, 9:48 AM
I hope this turns out good,I need an alternative to Disney Marvel, they just don't make movies for the true fans anymore.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 1/8/2024, 11:12 AM
@marvel72 - right there with you. I'm a DC guy so I hope we can bring back a pure Superman from the comics, films, or television shows.
and, as much as I love about 85% of their studio films, The formula ... it's over-staying. They need more depth from the comics so there's plenty of fan-services throughout their films.
Batmangina
Batmangina - 1/8/2024, 1:13 PM
@marvel72 - I'm a mostly Marvel guy, but if DC gets its shit together, I will happily pivot.
The1st
The1st - 1/8/2024, 1:16 PM
@marvel72 - but...we have spunk...er, the SPUMC 😅
dragon316
dragon316 - 1/8/2024, 2:56 PM
@lazlodaytona - Batman fan I am Batman and Superman fan for movies and tv shows
marvel72
marvel72 - 1/8/2024, 6:26 PM
@lazlodaytona - Exactly, I love most of, if not all of Phase 1-3 but nearly all of what has come after isn't as good.

I hope we see some new characters we haven't seen before like The Spectre,Deathstroke and Lobo.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 1/8/2024, 7:30 PM
@marvel72 - Oh yes. Any Green Lantern that isn't Hal, Booster Gold, Parasite, Metallo, Power Girl, Grundy, The Trickster, the 3 chicks that work for Granny Goodness, HUSH, Superboy Prime, Hank Henshaw/Cyborg Superman, Mongul, Brainiac, JSA, Lex's Super Suit, Flashpoint Batman, Mxyzptlk (wouldn't it had been fun if he guess stared on Lucifer?!), and so on. There are so many characters on both the hero and bad-guy sides that are untouched. I'm not saying that every little character needs their own movie or series. But having guest appearances, a couple cross-overs, and small teams could be a good way to utilize characters not as popular to the general audience.
TheLight
TheLight - 1/8/2024, 9:49 AM
FFS, could he at least give us a look at the new \S/ Shield?? GOOD GRIEF.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 1/8/2024, 11:13 AM
@TheLight - You WANT That S!
dragon316
dragon316 - 1/8/2024, 2:59 PM
@TheLight - Superman is getting s either way I’m in no hurry to see it it’s costume that will be intersting that is where fans will like it and hate it mostly for stupid trunks situation fans want demand Superman have trunks where is wolverine trunks and red belt for his comic accuate costume complaints there is none
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 1/8/2024, 9:52 AM
Cool.

Still hope Drew Goddard is involved in atleast a project such as Brave & The Bold.
RealTurner
RealTurner - 1/8/2024, 9:54 AM
This is the approach for not only intergrated TV and movies, but also animated content and video games? Good luck with that impossible task.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 1/8/2024, 11:15 AM
@RealTurner - positivity is healthier for yourself.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 1/8/2024, 9:55 AM
Cool. Now get rid of Muschietti as the Brave and The Bold director.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 1/8/2024, 10:29 AM
@GhostDog - Y'know... Matt Reeves is producing a DCU set Arkham series.

Why not Matt Reeves?

Oh because he's already doing one? Well then problem solved. How bout that; two birds with one stone. That's better than two young ladies pooping in a cup and then eating the poop, if you're asking me. Which you're not. But if you were that would be my answer: Matt Reeves.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 1/8/2024, 10:48 AM
@GhostDog - haven’t seen Flash but 50/50 on Muschietti given his work on both IT’s

The guy can do heart do we’ll see
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 1/8/2024, 11:18 AM
@ObserverIO - Not a fan of Reeves. He's a good filmmaker, but not great. I found his "Planet of the Apes" films and "The Batman" just bland. eh. not bad, but just ...eh
soberchimera
soberchimera - 1/8/2024, 11:33 AM
@GhostDog - Get rid of the Brave and the Bold movie altogether, we don't need another Batman until Reeves is done with his trilogy, and no one likes Damien anyway especially since he railroaded the best Robin, Tim Drake.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 1/8/2024, 11:37 AM
@soberchimera - I don't totally disagree with holding off on Batman until Reeves is done.

DCU could treat him like a specter, a recluse of sorts who the heroes barely see unless he wants them too. Give him a mention here and there. Then do a film when Reeves is done.
NathanDx
NathanDx - 1/8/2024, 4:58 PM
@GhostDog - I'm hell scared of him been the director but I trust James Gunn tho
NathanDx
NathanDx - 1/8/2024, 5:02 PM
@ObserverIO - yeah matt Reeves is better but he already got Battison but then he's working on an Arkham show for DCU right ?
Then he should be let on board to work on BATB.. In all I trust James Gunn tho
Origame
Origame - 1/8/2024, 9:57 AM
I swear the dcu is like the last hope for the superhero genre at this point.

Not a great hope, but a hope.

?si=ZT8CmeHl238QTrAN
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 1/8/2024, 10:38 AM
@Origame - I'm putting all my hope on the \S/.

If it loses, I'm out. No more hope for DC. I'm getting too old for this hope shit.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 1/8/2024, 11:19 AM
@Origame - that film (and moment) NEVER gets old!
soberchimera
soberchimera - 1/8/2024, 11:37 AM
@Origame - They're copying the MCU method after the general audience is already sick of shared universe superhero movies and just want decent standalone films like Oppenheimer and Barbie. Way to be late to the party WB. That being said, if they can pull it off, I'll be more than happy to eat crow.
Origame
Origame - 1/8/2024, 11:41 AM
@soberchimera - I mean, we really don't know that. In fact we know it's gonna be distinct by starting with a superhero movie where superheroes are already a regular thing.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 1/8/2024, 11:44 AM
@Origame - where superheroes are already a regular thing.
That's basically where the MCU is at right now.
Origame
Origame - 1/8/2024, 12:14 PM
@soberchimera - ...but it didn't start like that.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 1/8/2024, 12:56 PM
@Origame - My point being though, that audiences are tired of the MCU formula and superheroes have been a regular thing in that world well into phase 4 & 5, so I don't see how that particular aspect is going to elevate the DCU over the MCU. If anything it needs to focus on differentiating itself from the MCU in other ways, especially tonally. Not necessarily dark and humorless, but definitely take the source material more seriously and make it epic and grandiose, more Lord of the Rings less BvS, although that film had much bigger problems than the dark tone.
AleSir19
AleSir19 - 1/8/2024, 2:05 PM
@soberchimera - The problem of the MCU (and modern Hollywood films) isn't the shared universe or the concept.

The issue Is that the movies are Bad. That Is the end of it.

What Barbie, Oppenheimer AND almost every good movie in the year prove is that audiences just want a good story. They dont care where it comes from. But if the marketing does His thing, a good movie will do well.

That is why Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was a success, the movie was good, the audience is tired. But they went to see the movie anyway.

So the MCU problem isn't the shared universe. Just that they over satured their market with mediocre AND badly done products.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 1/8/2024, 2:18 PM
@AleSir19 -
The issue Is that the movies are Bad. That Is the end of it.
Meh, I've heard that argument over and over: "It's bad movie fatigue, not *insert struggling genre here*", but EVERY dead film genre had bad movies towards the end of their reigns. Westerns, pirate films, musicals, historical epics, disaster, film noir, parody movies, sword-and-sandal, zombie, etc. And even though we still get movies in those genres every now and then, they're not as prevalent and the superhero genre will follow suit.

The problem of the MCU (and modern Hollywood films) isn't the shared universe or the concept.
The shared universe very much was a problem with the MCU even during it's most successful tenure 2012-2019, Feige's insistence that everything be connected to the Avengers and the Infinity Stones really constrained directors and writers' freedom to the point where it was awkwardly inserted into films like The Dark World, Age of Ultron, The First Avenger which tampered with those films' quality to the point where only about a third of the MCU films are noteworthy and 2/3rd's of it is mediocre IMO.
NathanDx
NathanDx - 1/8/2024, 5:07 PM
@Origame - At this point the fate of the superhero genre hangs on James Gunn failure or success. It was the MCU before but it's pretty much useless now
NathanDx
NathanDx - 1/8/2024, 5:11 PM
@soberchimera - shared universe is the way DC and marvel. It one of the exciting thing about the comics. It's just that it's a mess these days. I hope James Gunn brings out the beauty of a shared universe to us as we have in the comics
BraxtonHicks
BraxtonHicks - 1/8/2024, 9:59 AM
Honestly, they want to build a universe different than marvel but achieve the same goal? Let a few movies evaluate parts of the same incident from different point of views.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 1/8/2024, 10:43 AM
@BraxtonHicks - "Honestly, they want to build a universe different than marvel but achieve the same goal?"

This.

This should be graffittied up on the walls of DC Offices in England. It should be all over the Burbank lot. It should be a good goddamned T-Shirt worn by true DC fans at comic conventions.

"Honestly, they want to build a universe different than marvel but achieve the same goal?"

A million times this.

This is where DC has consistently gone wrong and are very probably still going wrong, until someone grabs them by the face and shows them this. Like showing a puppy the doodoo it did on the floor.
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 1/8/2024, 10:25 AM
He should let his wife write some of that shit for once.
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