DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn Confirms Plans For DCU Animated Movies To Be Released In Theaters

DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn Confirms Plans For DCU Animated Movies To Be Released In Theaters

While future plans for current DC Animated Universe movies beyond 2024 remain unclear, James Gunn has confirmed DC Studios will release animated DCU stories in theaters. Find more details after the jump!

By JoshWilding - Aug 01, 2023 10:08 PM EST
Source: Toonado.com

We recently learned that 2024 will see the release of Crisis on Infinite Earths and Watchmen from Warner Bros. Discovery Animation. The former was branded as a "DC Universe" feature, and those unfamiliar with the direct-to-DVD titles and "Tomorrowverse" assumed that meant it was somehow tied to DC Studios' DCU.

There's no denying a proper Multiverse movie setting the stage for the upcoming reboot would be a fun way to kick things off after The Flash failed to impress. However, Gunn has now confirmed what most of us already realised by confirming these movies are in no way connected to the new DCU. 

It's unclear whether the popular "Tomorrowverse" movies will continue once DC Studios is fully up and running, something which has concerned many fans (and the voice actors who make a living from projects like these). 

There is, however, always a possibility they'll continue under whatever "Elseworlds" branding James Gunn and Peter Safran have planned for stories not set in the rebooted continuity (The Batman II and The Penguin, for example) but Gunn has shed new light on his own animation plans. 

That's going to include releasing animated movies theatrically, an intriguing prospect that will definitely differentiate DC Studios from Marvel Studios in at least one key way. 

Previously, Gunn has said the same actors will play the DCU characters across all forms of media, including live-action, animation, and video games. 

Check out his comments from Threads (via Toonado.com) below. 

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TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 8/1/2023, 10:07 PM


It will be interesting to see the connectivity extend to animation and also video games outside of the movies & shows…

Seems kinda risky , especially since not everyone watched animation or plays video games so they will miss out but i honestly doubt Gunn & Safran would tie anything TOO important to those so they don’t alienate some people.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 8/1/2023, 10:10 PM
Off topic-ish:

My 3 choices for DCU Batman…

Tom Bateman



Tom Cullen



Oliver Jackson Cohen

GhostDog
GhostDog - 8/1/2023, 10:19 PM
@TheVisionary25 - Cohen has been my pick for a good while
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 8/1/2023, 10:20 PM
@GhostDog - he could pull it off

Plus he’s 36 so if he’s been Batman for awhile and has already had Damien , I could see it work.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 8/1/2023, 10:21 PM
@TheVisionary25 - exactly. He has the look, build, the flair, and the chops.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 8/1/2023, 10:22 PM
@GhostDog - yep

We already got Corenswet so hopefully one more fancast comes true.
MCUKnight11
MCUKnight11 - 8/1/2023, 10:38 PM
@TheVisionary25 - Mine is Jamie dornan. He's already played a billionaire with issues before and he's old enough for it to be believable for him to raise a family. He was also part of a group of actors who already have big CB roles like Andrew Garfield and Charlie Cox. Like Pattinson, he could redeem himself in the mainstream if he were to get this.
dragon316
dragon316 - 8/2/2023, 5:04 AM
@GhostDog - look? Who does actress resemble playing valkery in thor in comics valkery is white , kang in comics is white who does john majors could play ?
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 8/1/2023, 10:15 PM
Gunn reminds me of a guy that just arrived to a party as people are leaving🥲
McGee
McGee - 8/2/2023, 12:29 AM
@AmazingFILMporg -

GhostDog
GhostDog - 8/1/2023, 10:18 PM
DocSpock
DocSpock - 8/1/2023, 10:20 PM

We can't get the most popular comic book characters right on the big screen.

So let's make cartoons.

Sigh...

AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 8/1/2023, 10:22 PM
@DocSpock -


They have no money so they'll probably turn Gunn's awful slate into animation films😳
DocSpock
DocSpock - 8/2/2023, 12:39 AM
@AmazingFILMporg -

That would save me the trouble of watching them.
EZBeast
EZBeast - 8/1/2023, 10:22 PM
As someone who reached super hero fatigue a long time ago the amount of upcoming dc overload is not helping with the insane number of projects coming along with marvel…it exhausting attempting to even keep up with it all…
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 8/1/2023, 10:23 PM
@EZBeast -


I wonder if Gunn will cut back like marvel is doing.


Gunn connecting games, movies, tv shows and comics is so dumb🤡
EZBeast
EZBeast - 8/1/2023, 10:32 PM
@AmazingFILMporg - absolutely disgusting…there is literally no other way I can describe it. Why the [frick] does it all have to be connected anyways? No one besides the most loyal insane diehards will keep up with that…
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 8/1/2023, 10:38 PM
@EZBeast -


When marvel ramped up productions on projects it was hard for me to keep up.


In 2 years marvel had 18 projects😐


To Feiges credit it was Disney's
now fired CEO that mandated shows but still. That number is insane



Now Gunn is adding games, animation and comics?


It's not going to work and we can all see it. The CBM era is over. Only the really good stuff will survive.
Kadara
Kadara - 8/1/2023, 11:13 PM
@EZBeast - The cure for comic book fatigue is the Barbie movie.
EZBeast
EZBeast - 8/1/2023, 11:14 PM
@Kadara - guess I better go buy a ticket then
MCUKnight11
MCUKnight11 - 8/1/2023, 10:27 PM
Wonder woman, Flash and Aquaman would be neat.
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 8/1/2023, 10:37 PM
If they want to do that then the quality better improve.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 8/1/2023, 10:40 PM
Sometimes it feels like his plans are a little too ambitious; for something that is just starting out and is arguably a huge gamble given the damage done to DC. I think DC should really hone in on not being concerned with interconnected-ness and universe building and being in animation and video games all at the same time as they attempt kick off this reboot, but to just make a few superhero character pieces and let everything come to you.

Iron Man was truly special. I know Feige had an idea for something huge but none of that mattered if iron man did not work. It was this small character driven gamble. Once that worked I think the MCU sort of let things come to them and just went with the flow of things. The DCU plans feel like a lot for something that is just getting off the ground. I’m sure Gunn has a lot of it planned and well thought out but I think there’s been a GLUT with comic book properties and an overwhelming ask to have to consume so much to know what’s going on and him asking fans to play videogames, watch the animated stuff, read the comics and watch arch the movies is a tall order at the inception of this thing.
MCUKnight11
MCUKnight11 - 8/1/2023, 11:05 PM
@GhostDog - I have high hopes for Legacy because of his track record but I would be lying if I said I thought this is going to last long. We won't know how much damage they'll have to recover from until Lost kingdom come out. DC just doesn't have that brand security or loyalty. Despite some hiccups, Loki s2 trailer views prove that regardless of what happens the MCU will still be here tomorrow.
MCUKnight11
MCUKnight11 - 8/1/2023, 11:12 PM
@GhostDog - Only way I could see this working is if the animated movies don't contribute to an overarching narrative in live action. As much as I believe the spiderverse crew will show up in Secret Wars, the MCU and spiderverse can still be enjoyed as their own things. I don't want people who don't have the time to check out every single thing like my Mom to get lost in the consumption.
Nightmare
Nightmare - 8/1/2023, 11:31 PM
@GhostDog - Kinda weird that we're back to this. I always thought MoS was a decent starting point to do what Iron Man did. Rather than further develop the universe within a MoS2 WB and Snyder tried stuff it into BvS. Now we're back to Superman again in hopes of building a shared universe. The animated stuff is fine, but the video games are way too ambitious. Think Gunn feels a lil cocky after running his first ever show in Peacemaker and wants to tackle too much, but we'll see.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 8/1/2023, 11:58 PM
@Nightmare - agreed. I can see the vision with the animation but the videogames is way too much. Yea it’s like right after Legacy he’s not letting that necessarily settle.

Sometimes I wonder if rebooting this with a character who isn’t Superman would be refreshing. Take a swing with someone who isn’t the Trinity.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 8/1/2023, 11:59 PM
@MCUKnight11 - the animated flicks would have to be almost like one shots that add context but don’t necessarily need to be watched to get the overall narrative. Like the earth MCU one shots. It’s just a little extra delicacy
Nightmare
Nightmare - 8/2/2023, 12:03 AM
@GhostDog -


But hey, no reshoots.
Arthorious
Arthorious - 8/1/2023, 10:48 PM
He’ll have to take it up a notch because these last few DC animated films have been lackluster
Kadara
Kadara - 8/1/2023, 11:10 PM
The more passes, the less confidence I have in Gunn's leadership.
Forthas
Forthas - 8/1/2023, 11:11 PM
"...confirming these movies are in no way connected to the new DCU."

So Gunn lied AGAIN!!!!

https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1596921811374964736
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 8/1/2023, 11:31 PM
@Forthas -


He has not been consistent at all. He is straight up lying and it's obvious 😳
Forthas
Forthas - 8/1/2023, 11:38 PM
@AmazingFILMporg - I know! Geez at least try to be vague about these things and give yourself some wiggle room. He needs to go to PR school.
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