James Gunn’s Next Movie May Not Be With Marvel or DC

After going from the Marvel galaxy to the DC universe, James Gunn may be stepping back from big-screen superheroes and supervillains. The Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad filmmaker, who is working on the second season of spinoff Peacemaker and another DC project for HBO Max, reveals his next film “could be something completely different” after he completes 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for Marvel Studios. In a new interview with The Playlist, Gunn hinted his future is with Warner Bros. Discovery, which underwent a recent regime change with Michael De Luca’s reported promotion to Warner Bros. Picture Group co-chairman.

“I’m thinking about what that next movie will be, and is that next movie going to be — first of all, it could be something completely different than [the world of DC],” the Slither and Super filmmaker said. “And I’m excited about Mike De Luca coming in to [Warner Bros.], frankly, because I’ve known him for a long time and I love Toby [Emmerich], but I’ve also known De Luca, he’s been a friend of mine for many, many years.”

De Luca, who Gunn thanked in the credits of The Suicide Squad, would oversee a potential Suicide Squad sequel with co-chair Pamela Abdy. In his interview with The Playlist, Gunn confirmed he’s “talked about” making a second Squad for DC, but remarked that his current focus is on the television side of the DC Extended Universe. 

“I’m not sure what I’m going to do next because it could be a movie outside of [DC], but it could be a DC movie that has to do with these characters,” Gunn teased. “Does that mean it’s the Suicide Squad movie or something else that’s within that world or a little bit different than that? And that I’m not exactly sure.”

Gunn will write and direct Season 2 of Peacemaker, his hit Suicide Squad spinoff starring John Cena, and is developing another DC series for WBD streaming service HBO Max. Gunn is the writer and producer of Coyote vs. Acme for Warner Bros., a live-action and animated Looney Tunes spinoff starring Cena, Will Forte, and Lana Condor.