With Superman reportedly bombing financially and with Peacemaker Season 2 flopping with fans, I reached out to my insiders about the state of the DCU under James Gunn.
The short of it is that James Gunn will be out as the head of DCU with the WBD sale. I’m told if David Ellison of Skydance Paramount buys WBD, that Mike De Luca will be in charge of DC and do a completely new start.
More below.
Gunn recently said he is doing whatever he wants with DC. That sounded odd to me as if you are building a new universe, you would want it to be successful with the fans.
That’s not happening as both Creature Commandos and Peacemaker fail to chart on Nielsen. They don’t have a big audience, and Gunn’s claims that Peacemaker Season 2 was meant to be a sequel to his Superman movie was pure BS.
Superman also failed to resonate with international fans. Its box office also came in under Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel by a large margin.
Gunn’s approach to the DCU has been all about divisive messaging. It’s splitting the fan base.
I am of the opinion that Gunn is doing whatever he wants with DC because his days are numbered and he knows it. So he’s getting himself, all his friends – and his wife – big paychecks before WBD sells.
That’s means when a sale goes through, James Gunn is out.
So I reached out to my Hollywood insiders. Here’s what I am told.
Recently saw the big news that Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy resigned with Warner Bros. In Deadline‘s report, they basically said it’s because of the sale of Warner Bros. Discovery. David Ellison is looking to purchase WBD, so WBD CEO David Zaslav is putting people in place that Ellison wants. That means Ellison wants De Luca and Abdy in charge of Warner Bros. films.
You’ll notice that Gunn has pivoted from his planned “Gods and Monsters” storyline into what he calls his “Superman Family” saga. The “Superman Family” is all Gunn. The “Gods and Monsters” storyline is likely ditched because Gunn knows he can only get a select amount of movies out before the sale. I’ve also been told the reason why DCU projects have been stalling is because of Gunn’s interference. The filmmakers want their own vision and not Gunn’s. I’m told that most visionary directors in Hollywood are staying away from not only DC, but Marvel and Star Wars “because life is too short and everyone is looking for original properties.” I’m told Zack Snyder is happy doing his original stuff but would only return to DC for one last movie, an adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns.
I’m told that if Warner Bros. gets sold – that whoever buys it – wants a completely new start.
While it has been reported that Skydance is eyeing to purchase WBD, I’m told Universal (Comcast) is still in the mix. I know they’ve been eyeing WBD for years.
What I am told if David Ellison buys Warner Bros. Discovery, is that James Gunn will be out. David Ellison’s father, billionaire David Ellison, is close to President Donald Trump.
So Peacemaker isn’t getting a Season 3, and Gunn “lied about a family friendly approach to DC.”
I’m told that actually “nobody in the building knows his status except for Gunn himself,” but “his action speak as to what might happen.”
Again, it’s obvious – and Gunn has said it himself – he’s doing whatever he wants with DC. It’s because with the sale, his DCU will be dead.
Back to David Ellison, I’m told Mike De Luca will take over DC.
Recall how my insiders told you about the real ending of The Flash, which is something Gunn completely changed. De Luca wanted to bring back Zack Snyder’s DCEU, which would have in part led to the return of Henry Cavill as Superman and the return of Ben Affleck as Batman, with a Batman Multiverse happening.
That all got scrapped when Gunn took over the DCU. I am of the opinion that Gunn knew about the eventual sale of WBD and that Zaslav handed him over the reins and gave him the ability to do whatever he wants before the sale. They just want DC content out there to make the sale of WBD look better.
Back to De Luca and DC, I’m told he won’t be bringing back the Snyder Verse, as “EVERYONE” has moved on. He’ll be starting a new DU universe under David Ellison and Skydance (and it’s my guess will bring back “Truth, Justice, and the American Way”).
We also know Gunn’s history with the conservatives, which also likely explains Gunn’s DCU agenda. He’s getting it all out there before the sale.
Mike De Luca discovered David S. Goyer who is known for Blade, Man of Steel, and of course Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. Mike also brought in Sinners and Weapons, and oversaw The Conjuring franchise. Also add in Minecraft.
“He knows cinema, history and global movements, AND is a die hard comic book fan,” the insiders said.
