It’s again being claimed by multiple scoopers that Matthew Vaughn is going to direct The Authority movie for James Gunn as part of the upcoming DCU.
While it is also rumored that Matthew Vaughn is the top choice to direct a James Bond movie, according to scoopers, Vaughn is actually going to direct and develop The Authority in the DCU.
Vaughn’s name was first mentioned back in April.
The Authority was announced as part of James Gunn’s plans for Chapter 1 of the DCU, “Gods and Monsters,” with the film described as: WildStorm characters will join the DCU as members of The Authority take matters into their own hands to do what they believe is right.
“One of our strategies is that we take our diamond characters — Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman– and we use that to help prop up other characters that people don’t know. Like what happened with the Guardians (of the Galaxy) in some way. Like taking teams like The Authority, which is I know is just as spectacular idea for a film that is completely different take on superheroes. Because it’s really connected to Superman. It’s about to use those well-known properties to help lead into lesser-known properties,” Gunn said at the press at the event held back in January.
Gunn’s Superman: Legacy movie has actually been rumored to be pitting his new Man of Steel, David Corenswet, versus members of The Authority, so if that is the case, it seems as if Superman: Legacy will lead into the flick.
Or what could be happening is that down the road there will be a Superman vs. The Authority movie.
As I said before, Matthew Vaughn, who is known for Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, and Kingsman, actually pitched a Superman movie prior to the release of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, and The Authority happens to feature a Superman-type character, and Vaughn did have quite the out-there approach to Superman, so maybe The Authority is a good fit for him.
Who is The Authority?
Back in 2021, DC.com went over the team, described as the “anti-Justice League”:
To put it simply, the Authority is a team of cynical, brutally pragmatic superheroes. The group first appeared in 1999’s The Authority, a title by writer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch. Some of the team members and concepts originated during Ellis’s run on Stormwatch.
WHO ARE THE MEMBERS?
Jenny Sparks – A woman who can manipulate electricity. As if that wasn’t enough, she’s also considered “the Spirit of the 20th Century.” Born in 1900, Jenny stopped aging when she turned 19 and secretly influenced most of the century’s biggest turning points.
Apollo – A solar battery with super strength, invulnerability and flight. Sound familiar? Apollo is one of the first openly gay superheroes to appear in a mainstream comic. He’s married to Midnighter, one of his Authority teammates.
The Engineer – A woman who infused herself with Nanomachines, causing her body to transform into liquid metal. Now she can interface with any machine—from toasters to mainframes. She can also shapeshift and use her liquid metal body to create any object she imagines.
The Doctor – The latest in a long line of Earth sorcerers, the Doctor is one of the greatest magic users on the planet. He’s also a recovering junkie trying to put his life back together. (No relation to the guy on TV who hangs out in the phone booth.)
Swift – A woman with the ability to manifest wings and claws. When she’s airborne, Swift’s speed is greater than most of Earth’s speedsters. Imagine looking up at the sky and seeing a winged woman with claws diving down after you.
Midnighter – A former soldier with enhanced abilities and probably the most widely known member of the Authority thanks to his self-titled series and appearances in books like Nightwing. Midnighter can see how a battle will play out before it begins, making him the Authority’s master tactician. Think of him like a more psychotic version of Batman. Midnighter is married to his Authority teammate Apollo.
Jack Hawksmoor – A man who was given strange abilities after aliens abducted and experimented on him. Jack has superstrength and psychic abilities which allow him to form a symbiotic connection to whatever city he comes in contact with. He’s also the group’s resident jerk, which is saying a lot since we’re talking about the Authority here.
(rumors via World of Reel, Reddit, Twitter)
