When DC Studios announced its first slate of TV and film projects, there were a few eyebrow-raising titles in the mix. One of the most surprising titles was The Authority, a team that is far from what most fans think of when imagining mainstream DC characters, worthy of a blockbuster movie. That’s because The Authority is basically an R-rated version of Marvel’s Avengers – a hard-edged team of superheroes for a darker modern era. The Authority movie raised a lot of interesting questions about the larger storyline and themes of the first volume of the DCU, “Gods and Monsters.”
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Well, today, DCU fans are going to have a whole new set of questions to ask, after James Gunn has finally, officially, declared that The Authority film project is dead. At least for this first chapter of the franchise.
James Gunn Confirms The Fate of The Authority DCU Movie
DC Studios co-head James Gunn is famously active on social media platforms; during his latest round of debunking rumors and confirming facts, Gunn addressed what’s happening with The Authority. He let one fan know that he was never planning on writing or directing the project, while also confirming that the film is no longer in active development.
“I would have never had time to do this, and although I know this is a popular theory online, I never had an intention of writing or directing The Authority,” Gunn said. “The script wasn’t quite there, but more importantly, it didn’t work in terms of the larger DCU, both in terms of the story and practical concerns. Maybe someday. Not soon.”
This is a pivot from what Gunn was saying just last fall, when he teased that The Authority could move forward as a TV series, rather than a film. The reasoning being that the more obscure characters could get a better introduction in longform, rather than in a single film (with a much riskier blockbuster budget).
“There’s someone who is a really good creator who talked to me the other day,” Gunn revealed to Deadline back in September. He then addressed whether or not The Authority – originally announced as a DCU movie – could be done as a series: “Who knows? I’m probably not going to do certain movies with characters who [audiences] don’t know; it’s harder to get people in the theater for that kind of thing.” While this isn’t a definite update, it spells good news for the Authority in the DCU’s future.
What Was The Authority Movie About?
The Authority was published as part of DC’s WildStorm imprint in 1999. The book and the team were a soft reboot of the series Stormwatch, which was one of the original Image Comics titles launched by Jim Lee. Writer Warren Ellis had taken over “Vol. 2” of Stormwatch when it landed at DC’s Wildstorm imprint; Ellis killed off most of the original roster during a crossover with Alien, before rebooting the surviving members as “The Authority.” The original team included Jenny Sparks, Apollo, Lucas Trent’s Midnighter, Jeroen Thornedike’s Doctor, Jack Hawksmoor, Shen Li-Min’s Swift, and Angela Spica’s The Engineer, who already appeared in the DCU Superman movie, played by María Gabriela de Faría. The character wasn’t really a breakout hit with fans, which was looked at as a red flag for the spinoff film.
For a long time, it was speculated that The Authority was going to be released soon after Superman. Fans assumed the film would borrow from DC comic books like Superman and the Authority, or “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice, And The American Way” (Action Comics #775), as well as the acclaimed animated film Superman vs. The Elite. All of those aforementioned tales focus on how Superman’s idealistic heroism clashes with the harder-edged cynicism of “modern” heroes. Gunn’s Superman movie deepened those stakes by introducing The Engineer as an agent of Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult).
At the same time, Superman (2025) also took things in a new direction, thematically. That film dealt directly with the question of whether or not Superman is too old-fashioned for the modern world, introducing the theme that “kindness is the new punk rock.” More importantly, Gunn succeeded in reintroducing Superman to the world and making him a merchandising brand leader for DC, Warner Bros., and their partners. The DCU immediately re-aligned itself once Superman started looking like it was going to be a win; the Supergirl movie was fast-tracked for release this year, and a sequel, Superman: Man of Tomorrow, is set to follow in 2027. The Superman brand will be in theaters for three straight years, and it will establish a solid foundation for the larger DCU to build on. In other words, it’s clearly not the time for The Authority to be a priority.
Supergirl has a release date of June 26th. Superman: Man of Tomorrow has a release date of July 9, 2027. Discuss all things DCU with us over on the ComicBook Forum!
