James Gunn is flipping the script on what fans can expect from the DC Universe, and he’s making it clear it’s not just DC’s answer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While comparisons are inevitable, the DC Studios co-head recently shared that his approach is rooted in something much more expansive and unpredictable.
During a conversation with Rainn Wilson for Interview Magazine, Gunn said:
“You talk about George R.R. Martin, and he is really one of the guys who I love and look up to. I’m an enormous fan of his and people say, ‘Oh, the DCU is doing what MCU is.’ But I think it really is a lot more to me what the Game of Thrones world is like or what Star Wars is like.”
He went on to explain, “Because we’re building a universe and then picking out little pieces of it and telling individual stories from that universe.”
That world-building-first direction is already front and center in the DCU’s initial slate of projects. Instead of starting with the familiar or mainstream, Gunn is leading with the animated series Creature Commandos, a deep-cut lineup that includes characters like Doctor Phosphorus and Frankenstein. That’s quickly followed by Superman and Peacemaker Season 2, each offering drastically different tones.
Gunn’s upcoming universe includes a body-horror vision of Clayface, a horror-infused Swamp Thing, a gritty noir take in Lanterns, and the cosmic vibes of Supergirl. Each project feels like its own genre experiment while still rooted in a larger shared world.
Yeah, the MCU had variety too, and Gunn knows this better than most, having directed the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. But even his Marvel work couldn’t completely avoid tying into overarching storylines like Thanos and the Infinity Saga. As Gunn recalled, he once had to build the lore of the Infinity Stones in just a few minutes of screen time.
That’s not how he’s playing it at DC. Gunn has said before that post-credit scenes in the DCU won’t just exist to set up the next movie. His latest comments reinforce that vision. This isn’t about a single linear storyline, it’s about an expansive, ever-evolving universe where any corner might get the spotlight.
The DCU isn’t aiming to mirror the MCU. According to Gunn, it’s carving its own path, and that path looks more like Game of Thrones and Star Wars than anything else.