James Gunn Addresses Possibility of Open Casting Calls for DC Movies

Casting is well underway for DC Studios and its new DC Universe. David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan have been cast as Superman and Lois Lane, and the starring ensemble for Creature Commandos has been set as well. Though DC Studios boss James Gunn has said he often chooses to work with actors he’s gotten glowing references from, the filmmaker-turned-executive now says he may choose to do some open casting calls should certain roles warrant it.

“I’ve done open casting calls & they’re difficult because you get thousands upon thousands of people auditioning & less than 0.1% of them are as good as the average actor who comes through the door with an agent,” Gunn said in response a fan’s inquiry on Threads. “But I wouldn’t rule it completely out – perhaps when auditioning someone of a very specific type, for instance.”

When does the DC Universe begin?

The DC Universe will officially begin with Creature Commandos, which is set to hit Max at some point this year. Though animated, characters appearing in Creature Commandos will also crossover to the franchise’s live-action fare.

“I mean, I don’t know how they do it nowadays. It feels like Mark Ruffalo just puts some dots on his face for the Hulk. But I don’t know how they’ll do it,” David Harbour previously told io9 about his casting as the DCU’s Frankenstein. “I’ve worn prosthetics in movies before, I’m definitely down for it. I just love telling great stories that people love. I’m just happy to get back to work.”

It terms of the role itself, Harbour says his Frankenstein is “wacky,” “strange,” and “complex.”

“Oh, yeah. No, he’s very different. I mean, it’s the mind of James Gunn so it is wacky and strange, but also full of a lot of depth and complexity,” he added. “The most interesting thing to me about Frankenstein’s monster in general is that he was created to be this sort of erudite, intellectual, romantic, brilliant person, and he winds up being a monster. I mean, that complexity can make for some pretty ripe comedy and also pathos—that a guy who considers himself one thing,  is viewed by others as something very different.”

He continued, “That’s the broadest, most mysterious way I can put it, because all I know is the scripts are really good. What we recorded is really great. I’ve seen the art, James is a genius. I think it’s going to be really fun and really exciting, and it opens up a whole new door to the DC Universe of how these characters will occupy the world. I like the concept of a live action and cartoon back and forth.”

The DC Universe officially kicks off with Creature Commandos, which has yet to set a release date, and Superman: Legacy, which enters theaters July 11, 2025.

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