There’s Almost No Way A DCU Video Game Could Be Impactful

According to DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, a DCU video game is probably at least “a couple years” away. Forgive my cynicism, but I have doubts that any video game set in the DC film and TV show universe could have a significant impact.

Setting a video game within a larger continuity gives developers a vast sandbox to work with, including pre-established concepts, locations, and characters. There are designs that can be reused or remixed, pieces of worldbuilding and lore to reference, and performers that can reprise their roles.

At the same time, a DCU video game would have to stay out of the way of the path that DC Studios is forging in the film and television universe. Gunn’s approach to the DCU has been centered on creating self-contained stories rather than making each show or movie just a small piece of a larger story. It’s about worldbuilding, not just foreshadowing a big event.

Initially, it sounds like this approach works just fine for a video game. But considering the coordination required for a multimedia project like the DC Universe, I’m doubtful that a game in the franchise can successfully come together.

Who Would A DCU Game Be About?

There’s a long history of DC video games, from the maligned Superman games on Atari 2600 and Nintendo 64 to the acclaimed Batman: Arkham trilogy. Unsurprisingly, most of the titles have primarily focused on Superman and Batman, with perhaps a Teen Titans game here or a Green Lantern game there.

Would Gunn greenlight a video game starring David Corenswet’s Superman or whoever the DCU Batman ends up being?

Even if movie stars had time to participate in the making of a triple-A video game, there’s very little room to craft a story that isn’t a cheap tie-in or an inconsequential side story. You can’t have any significant events happen in a Superman game, because then it would have to be addressed in whatever next movie he shows up in.

Imagine if Batman: Arkham City took place in the Nolan-verse, or if Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4 was in the MCU. You couldn’t kill Joker or Aunt May, which were significant and lasting beats in their respective stories. Gunn wouldn’t make movie audiences play an entire video game to understand the next movie in the saga.

Of course, you don’t need a major character death to make a story impactful. The story and gameplay could just be really good. A hypothetical DCU Superman or Batman game could just be the equivalent of a really cool one-shot comic. And maybe a movie sequel to Superman could include some winks or nods to those events, or simply recount them for audiences out of the know.

An easier approach would be to base a game on a supporting character, like any of the Justice Gang members, or Krypto, as Gunn suggested once. Game makers could have a lot more creative freedom to develop stories centered on the non-leading players in the DCU.

“[The idea is] to give the sort of prominence to games that they deserve,” Gunn said in 2023. But any commercial success would be pending — how well could Warner Bros. market a Mr. Terrific video game, for instance?

How Long Would A DCU Game Take To Develop?

A blockbuster movie typically takes around three years to produce, from pre-production to release — in comparison, the development of a video game can last four or five years. For reference, Batman: Arkham Knight took four years to make, and Gunn himself mentioned a four-year figure for game development. (“…we’re planned out beyond that far already, so we’re good!” he added.)

If a DCU game were to have a story that would be affected by anything that happens in a movie or show, that story would have to be locked down pretty early in development. We know that Gunn would only greenlight a project if it had a solid script, but anything can happen in creative development, and a video game would have a harder time adjusting to any change in direction in the larger DCU.

If we take Gunn’s “couple years” claim literally, we could guess that a DCU game will release in 2027 at the earliest. If that’s the case, then the hypothetical game would have to be well into development by now. It certainly isn’t an impossible scenario, but it would beg the question of who is making it and for how long.

What Studio Would Make A DCU Game?

Recently, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran discussed DCU video games and namedropped Rocksteady Studios and NetherRealm Studios.

Reportedly, Rocksteady is working on a new Batman game, but seeing how the DCU Batman isn’t even established yet, it’s nearly impossible for this title to be a DCU installment. Rumors suggest that a third Injustice game from NetherRealm is in development, but that would likely be set in the reestablished Injustice continuity. Having a DCU-centered fighting game would be compelling, but there might not be enough marketable characters in the DCU yet to fill out that roster, in my opinion.

There aren’t many in-house options left: TT Games is rumored to be making a new LEGO Batman, which would be far removed from the DCU. Avalanche Software is likely working on a follow-up to Hogwarts Legacy. A possible candidate to make a proper DCU game could be Gotham Knights maker WB Games Montreal, which is reportedly making a DC live-service game.

Even with any games in the works, the volatile position of Warner Bros. Games gives me pause that any of them will see the light of day, considering the company is undergoing a restructuring, and after the closure of Monolith Productions and its Wonder Woman game.

Do You Want A DCU Game?

Ultimately, I’m curious about how DC fans would take to a DCU video game. Affection for comic book-based video games, in my view, stems from players’ love of the characters, rather than the need to keep up with a larger franchise.

Games like the Arkham series and Insomniac’s Spider-Man games, as well as Square Enix’s Guardians of the Galaxy game, stood out for being reminiscent of other iterations of the characters while forging their own unique paths with them. Most comic book games prior to those tied in directly with a cartoon or a blockbuster movie, and almost all of them were rushed, half-baked, unmemorable efforts.

Video gaming is such a massive industry, but unless it’s Grand Theft Auto VI, no game release will ever match the zeitgeist of a big movie premiere. Having a video game that’s both a solid entry in the DCU and an excellent game with an amazing, impactful story seems unattainable to me.

I hope to be proven wrong, and I’d be happy for Gunn to dunk on this feature once I am.