The Authority was first published by DC Comics under the Wildstorm imprint in 1999. Created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, they're a team that gets the job done by any means necessary (their extreme methods care little for politics and law).
Boasting an eclectic cast of characters, it's easy to see why the team appealed to James Gunn, especially after his work on projects like Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, and Creature Commandos. Plans for a movie were announced when the DCU slate was revealed by DC Studios at the start of 2023, and the prevailing theory was that Gunn may even write and direct the project.
Superman even introduced a member of The Authority, though that version of The Engineer didn't have a huge amount in common with her comic book counterpart. Still, it was a start, and one that laid the groundwork for the team's eventual DCU debut.
Gunn has previously alluded to The Authority falling by the wayside, even amid reports that the project is being reworked. Now, he's confirmed that, not only were rumours of him writing and directing incorrect, but the project has been shelved.
"I would have never had time to do this, and although I know this is a popular theory online, I never had an intention of writing or directing The Authority," Gunn told a fan on Threads. "The script wasn't quite there, but more importantly, it didn't work in terms of the larger DCU, both in terms of the story and practical concerns. Maybe someday. Not soon."
With moviegoers now more discerning than ever when it comes to what they're willing to buy a ticket for, The Authority—which would have had to be a big-budget project—was a huge risk for DC Studios. Heading down the route of Superman and The Authority might have worked, but there are far more noteworthy characters who could and should be prioritised.
"The Authority are a group of superheroes who think the world is broken, and they want to fix it by any means necessary," Gunn said at the start of 2023. "I think it’s a very different look at superheroes."
He'd add that The Authority "will interact with all of our primary DCU characters," suggesting they'd be front and centre in future stories.
As a reminder, The Brave and the Bold, Swamp Thing, Waller, Paradise Lost, and Booster Gold have all similarly failed to come to fruition after first being announced over three years ago. Sgt. Rock is also in limbo after production was paused last year.
Still, there's hope for a couple of them today as Gunn has confirmed that Booster Gold "is in development," with Paradise Lost "in extreme development." He also revealed that he isn't writing Booster Gold and Creature Commandos Season 2.