Why Animal Man Should Be James Gunn’s Next DC Studios Project

James Gunn has built a career off of turning D-list comic characters into household names. With Marvel Studios, the filmmaker was responsible for transforming the Guardians of the Galaxy into one of Marvel’s most popular IPs, a formula he went on to replicate with DC and the publisher’s Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, and soon enough, the Creature Commandos. Now that Gunn himself is in post-production on Superman, there’s one particularly interesting character he should set his eyes on next for a film or series—Buddy Baker, a.k.a. Animal Man.

Even though the character’s relative anonymity is enough for Gunn to pull the trigger, one of the character’s most popular comic runs is perfect for the filmmaker to adapt.

As a part of DC’s New 52 relaunch, Jeff Lemire and Travel Foreman told the perfectly Gunnian story. The story deconstructs Animal Man, taking a hero with seemingly inconsequential powers and putting him through a story that’d make David Lynch salivate. It builds on the concept of The Red, a mystical force the connects all living creatures and organisms. It’s through this otherworldly realm the character undergoes horrific changes as the story involves body horror and takes on the tones of a creature feature.

With a resume that features both Guardians of the Galaxy and Slither, and with a knack for making gut-wrenching superhero films involving virtual nobodies, James Gunn’s Animal Man could be the makings of one Hell of a superhero flick.

What is on the DC Universe slate?

As Gunn and Safran revealed, the initial DC Studios slate for “Gods and Monsters” will include movies for Superman: Legacy, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Swamp Thing, and The Authority. It will include the HBO Max television shows Waller, Booster Gold, Lanterns, Paradise Lost, and an animated Creature Commandos series.

“We’re honored to be the stewards of these DC characters we’ve loved since we were children,” Gunn and Safran said in a statement when their roles were first announced. “We look forward to collaborating with the most talented writers, directors, and actors in the world to create an integrated, multilayered universe that still allows for the individual expression of the artists involved. Our commitment to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Harley Quinn, and the rest of the DC stable of characters is only equaled by our commitment to the wonder of human possibility these characters represent. We’re excited to invigorate the theatrical experience around the world as we tell some of the biggest, most beautiful, and grandest stories ever told.”

The DC Universe officially kicks off with Creature Commandos, which will see release this December, and Superman, which enters theaters July 11, 2025.

What part of Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters excites you most? Let us know your thoughts by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter!