James Gunn Had Two Major DC Projects in the Works Before Taking Over DC Studios

Last Halloween, James Gunn and Peter Safran were named as the co-CEOs of DC Studios, a new Warner Bros. Discovery-owned film studio charged with making films and television shows based upon the wide stable of DC Comics characters. Prior to the new structure, however, the two already had some projects in the works. Sunday, Gunn confirmed that he was working on the DCU's projects before he even got his new job.

Sharing an article to his Instagram story, Gunn clarified the production schedule of Superman: Legacy—a live-action feature film—and Creature Commandos—an animated HBO Max series. According to him, both of the projects were already being developed by he and Safran before the two landed atop DC Studios.

What is going to be the first DCU project released?

As of now, it looks like Creature Commandos will be the first project released by DC Studios. Since Superman: Legacy is currently dated for July 2025, it's possible the animated series could see release in the closing months of 2024.

"Creature Commandos is based on the great team from DC," Gunn previously said at a DC Studios event. "What we're doing with the DCU is, we are having animation tied directly into live action. Television, movies, and games all intertwine within the same universe. We're going to cast actors that are going to be able to play the characters in this as well as in other things, some of which we've already cast. I've written all seven episodes of the show, and it's in production. So that's the first thing, and I love it."

Who are the Creature Commandos?

Created by Jeff Lemire and Ibraim Roberson, Nina Mazursky was a scientist for S.H.A.D.E. whose life and marriage fell apart after losing her young daughter to a terminal illness. She created the Creature Commandos, and at first ended up squaring off against The Atom. That first generation of creatures was unstable, and had to be imprisoned in a microscopic prison called The Zoo, but Nina created a second generation of Creature Commandos, which turned out to be the heroes she fights alongside now. Including herself in the experiment, she was transformed into an amphibious genius in a special suit.

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!