In case it wasn't obvious, DC Studios only has a loose plan for the DCU. While it would be unfair to say James Gunn is making it up as he goes, a glance at how little from the "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters" slate has come to fruition confirms there's no definitive slate in place.
Various projects have been added to "Chapter 1," while many have fallen by the wayside or been the victim of creative issues. That's not to say they won't happen, but DC Studios currently has no movies or TV shows officially announced for 2027 (in fairness, Marvel Studios only has Avengers: Secret Wars officially lined up for that year).
Talking to Screen Rant, Superman star David Corenswet shared his take on why DC Studios not having a set plan is ultimately better for this franchise.
"I mean, [I know] essentially nothing. Essentially just that he means it when he says that no plan is better than the quality of the scripts and the directors who he and Peter have to do them. I don't know very much about the comic book fandom, and the idea of getting a timeline announcement. I know very little about that. But I know it's a thing, and I know that, for better or for worse, they will compromise a timeline rather than compromise a film. They want to make good movies and good television shows, and they want them to be worth watching, and worth rewatching."
"If people knew what goes into getting a movie together and making a movie, they'd understand that if you stick too closely to the plan, you're going to end up compromising on the things that are actually important, and the things that keep people coming back to the theater and get people wanting to show their kids the movies that they saw. So that's the guiding light for him and Peter [Safran] moving forward. There are some things coming up, but that's the main principle and that's a good person to be working for."
We've seen Marvel Studios struggle when it came to balancing quantity with quality. However, when fans have certain expectations of these movies, Gunn risks alienating them with a series of standalone projects. News of Clayface and Sgt. Rock being in the works wasn't exactly met with overwhelming excitement.
In a separate conversation with Collider, Gunn offered some insights into his creative process when he revealed that Project Hail Mary writer Drew Goddard convinced him to reshape Superman's ending.
"Drew Goddard was really helpful," he shared. "I think that there were a couple of little things in the movie, three or four things that we really argued about in the film, and all of them had to do with things that were a little bit darker or a little bit lighter. In discussing one of them, Drew Goddard was like, 'You know what? It’s just not that film. It’s not that film with this little dark ending bit.'"
"And I thought, 'He’s right. It’s not that film. It is not that film.' And so that line that he said stuck with me for the rest of editing."
Goddard is part of a DC Studios writers' room that reportedly includes Tom King, Christal Henry, Christina Hodson, and Jeremy Slater. Gunn later revealed that they weren't the only ones who helped guide his vision for the DCU's Man of Steel.
"I really go to Peter Safran and Chantal Nong and other directors. I showed [Superman] to Drew Goddard, and Jason Reitman, and Damon Lindelof, and all these people to get their input on what works and what doesn’t. And they were so helpful," the filmmaker added.
Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.