Booster Gold (Hi-Fi/DC Comics), Superman (Jim Lee/DC Comics), Damian Wayne (Frank Quitely/DC Comics)Graphic: The A.V. Club
When Warner Bros. tapped James Gunn and Peter Safran to run DC Studios, we expected they’d draw a new roadmap for the turbulent comics-to-film universe. Now that they’ve revealed plans for their upcoming projects, we have our first sense of what the map looks like, at least for the near future. This first chapter, which Gunn and Safran are calling “Gods and Monsters,” will include 10 new film and TV projects. Gunn and Safran have said they intend to focus on screenwriting and allowing other creators to put their stamp on familiar characters as well as more obscure ones from the comics.
These titles will exist in their own corner of the DC universe, distinct from upcoming releases that predate Gunn and Safran’s tenure. Still to come this year are Shazam! Fury Of The Gods on March 17, The Flash on June 16, Blue Beetle on Aug. 18, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom on Dec. 25. Once those are cleared from the slate, the pair expect to launch two films and two series per year from 2024 on. The only DC projects that have broad release dates so far are Superman: Legacy and The Batman: Part II, both due in 2025. Read on for a complete list of all the newly announced titles.
Drax’s final ride comes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.Image: Marvel Studios
Ten years ago, when James Gunn cast former professional wrestler Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, some were skeptical. Sure, this dude was a charismatic wrestler, but could he act? Oh, how that has changed, now that Bautista’s breakout Marvel Studios role has propelled him into a diverse, impressive acting career. Though the character is a fan favorite, the actor reveals that he never wanted Drax to be his signature role and that he’ll officially be leaving it behind this May when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 his theaters.
“I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him,” Bautista told GQ magazine. “But there’s a relief [that it’s over]. It wasn’t all pleasant. It was hard playing that role. The makeup process was beating me down. And I just don’t know if I want Drax to be my legacy—it’s a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff.”
So, there are a few things to unpack here and we’ll start with what we know. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 writer/director James Gunn confirmed on his Instagram Stories that, yes, the upcoming film will be the final time Bautista plays Drax. Does that mean Drax will be recast (which Bautista himself said he’s cool with)? Does he die? Does he just go off and leave the Guardians? Those answers will come in a few months. But, for now, we at least know where these feelings are coming from.
As for Bautista’s relief at leaving it behind, you almost understand that too. While Drax is a big, boisterous character, matching Bautista’s physical stature, those aren’t the types of characters he’s most interested in playing. For example, in the GQ profile, he talks about just wanting to work more and more with director Denis Villeneuve, who cast Bautista in small roles in both Blade Runner 2049 and Dune (though the role is significantly expanded in this year’s Dune: Part Two). “If I could be a number one [on the callsheet] with Denis, I would do it for fucking free,” the actor said. “I think that’s how I could find out how good I could be. He brings out the best in me. He sees me in a different light, sees the performer that I want to be. That might be how I solve the puzzle.”
He’s also worked with the likes of Sam Mendes, Zack Snyder, Rian Johnson, and, later this year, M. Night Shyamalan. He’s not afraid to take a smaller role, as long as it means working with someone great. And while Gunn is certainly great, after three full films, a Holiday Special, and several other Marvel cameos, you understand how a performer like that is ready to leave it behind and try something new.
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What do you think happens to Drax in Guardians 3? Let us know below.
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James Gunn (with Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista) on the set of the Guardians Holiday Special.Image: Marvel Studios
It’s fitting that James Gunn just released a holiday special because he’s currently the bright star at the center of the superhero movie world. Not only did Gunn just release The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special ahead of next year’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but he’s also the new co-head of DC Films, currently working out how to compete with Marvel across all media.
If those types of things interest you—and if you’re reading this, they probably do—Gunn’s Twitter is a must-follow. He’s one of a very, very small handful of powerful geek creatives who still actively engages on the platform, and this past weekend Gunn was in full force, answering fans’ burning questions about the Guardians and even teasing some larger generalizations about the future of DC.
Starting with Guardians, Gunn did his best to clear up one of the bigger questions surrounding the special, which is when and how did the Guardians of the Galaxy buy Knowhere, the huge celestial skull where the Collector resided in the first film. “Although the Guardians are sometimes heroes, they work as mercenaries & it brings in a fair amount of money,” Gunn tweeted. “So after Thanos attacked Knowhere they bought it from the Collector. It was a burnt out husk & they’ve been rebuilding it.” On Knowhere, we see the Guardians are now friends with Cosmo, the dog briefly seen in the Collector’s collection in the original Guardians. Gunn confirmed Cosmo hadn’t left, and met the Guardians on the planet.
In terms of timelines between the Holiday Special and the Guardians’ last appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder, Gunn was a little less clear. “I’m not sure how it works out in the timeline (these things aren’t discussed) but in my mind they were only with Thor a few weeks,” he said. He was clear though on why Peter Quill is less OK going back to Earth than he is other places. “Because when we’re 8 years old we process trauma much, much differently than we do when we’re 38,” Gunn tweeted.
There also seemed to be many, many questions about the new Groot, which Gunn has lovingly dubbed “Swole Groot.” In his mind, this is not the same Groot we saw in the first film who lovingly sacrificed himself for his team. And with a new life and experiences, that explains why his body has developed differently. “I think it’s explicit in the movies,” Gunn tweeted. “As Baby Groot was explicitly a baby without the knowledge of OG Groot. But now that Groot’s body is developing differently it’s more obvious.”
Answering questions about the practicality of the special, Gunn confirmed what was, and wasn’t real, in terms of shooting locations. “Knowhere was mostly practical with some extensions & the spaceship (& Hollywood Blvd) were all practical,” he said.
Just a bevy of Marvel information. Since it’s much newer in Gunn’s career, his openness about the future of DC Film was certainly less specific, but no less exciting. “The DCU will be connected across film and TV (and animation),” Gunn said, kind of wrapping up a slew of tweets where he said there would be 2D and 3D animation, that some of the animations would tie into the world of the movies and TV (while others won’t), future video games will tie into the larger DC Universe, he expects to write and direct some DC projects in the future, and while there is communication between film and comics, he is only involved with the films.
Finally, while Gunn is honest that he’s only been at DC a few weeks and plans are in place, he expects at least some news to be out about his and co-chair Peter Safran’s plans well before next year’s San Diego Comic-Con. But in the meantime, he’s got to finish and promote Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which will tie up not just the story of the Guardians, but Gunn’s at Marvel too.
What’s the main takeaway here? Well, follow James Gunn on Twitter for one. And two, everyone please keep being nice to him so he doesn’t leave. Because it’s incredible to have someone with such influence be so accessible.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water.
Godzilla vs. Kong 2 has begun filming. Jameela Jamil talks She-Hulk’s Titania. Plus, good news for Moonhaven, and what’s coming on Westworld, Ghosts, and Primal. Spoilers, away!
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
Deadline reports Holt McCallany (Mind Hunter) has joined the cast of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning as Bernstein, the United States Secretary of Defense.
Creepers
Bloody-Disgusting reports Jake Manley, Adeline Rudolph, Francesca Reale, Laurence O’Faurain, Nicholas Hamilton, Javier Botet, Skylan Brooks, and Kai Caster will star in the film adaptation of David Morrell’s Creepers. Manley will play Rick, “the official leader of the Creepers” while Rudolph plays Diane, “the unofficial leader of the group, and Rick’s rebellious, defying, impulsive girlfriend.” Reale has been cast as Cora, “a parkour expert and the key in the group who opens doors wherever they’re closed while keeping everyone honest” while O’Faurain joins as Balenger, “a mysterious, brooding, powerful stranger with a secret and who isn’t who he says he is.” Hamilton is said to play Tod, “leader of the Scavengers, a rival urbex group and who is particularly cruel and vicious” opposite Botet as the supernatural Pale Creature” whose domain is the abandoned Paragon Hotel.” Brooks has been cast as Vernon, “the 4th Creeper, a wise-cracking tech-nerd who is not doing a good job of hiding his true feelings for Cora” while Caster rounds out the cast as JD, a former Creeper “exiled after breaking their code and further betraying them by joining the rival Scavs.”
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Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3
During a recent interview with Extra, James Gunn confirmed Harry Styles’ Eros/Starfox does not appear in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3.
Nope. I’m setting the record straight. Starfox doesn’t pop up.
James Gunn Says Harry Styles’ Starfox Is NOT in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Exclusive)
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Meanwhile, David F. Sandberg confirmed Rizwan Manji appears as an unnamed character in Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
Godzilla Vs. Kong 2
Godzilla Vs. Kong 2 is currently filming under the working title Origins.
Kung Fu
Deadline reports Kim Rhodes and Ben Levin have joined the third season of Kung Fu in recurring roles. Rhodes will play Carrie, “the representative of a restaurant investment group that takes an interest in Harmony Dumplings” while Levin has been cast as Bo, “a barista/vigilante whose extracurricular crime fighting leads to a collision with Nicky and her siblings.”
Moonhaven
Moonhaven has been officially renewed for a second season at AMC+. [Deadline]
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
Jameela Jamil described her character Titania as both “annoying” and “unselfconscious” in a recent interview with Screen Rant.
Titania stands out because I think she’s the most annoying of them, actually. I think she almost doesn’t need to use her strength; she could just annoy you to death. And I think that is a superpower that we haven’t really utilized enough.
She’s also very glamorous. I like the fact that she’s a bit curvy, and I like the fact that she’s completely unselfconscious. She’s completely unselfconscious and so, so weird. We’ll see.
Ghosts
Ghosts has released a “this year on…” trailer for its second season premiering on September 29.
Ghosts Season 2 Teaser Promo
Westworld
The hosts endure spiritual conversion in the trailer for “Metanoia,” next week’s episode of Westworld.
Westworld 4×07 Promo “Metanoia”
Primal
Finally, Spear and Fang battle vikings in a new clip from this week’s episode of Primal.
Primal | S2E4 Sneak Peek: Spear and Fang Battle the Warrior Clan | adult swim
Banner art by Jim Cook
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
James Gunn wants you to know that the military doesn’t approve Marvel scripts—regardless of how many promos Brie Larson did for the Air Force in the run-up to Captain Marvel.
After the embargo lifted on Eternals and reviewers began divulging plot details online, readers shared some of the film’s shocking elements. One moment, in particular, that’s getting a lot of attention involves the character Phastos (Bryan Tyree Henry) taking responsibility for the United States Air Force dropping an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, killing between 70,000 and 126,000 civilians.
Podcaster Jesse Hawken took umbrage with the scene, referencing Marvel’s relationship with the military. “The gay Eternal assuming responsibility for the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima is even more amazing once you factor in that Marvel scripts are all approved in advance by the Pentagon,” Hawken wrote.
The tweet caught the addition of superhero moviemaker James Gunn, who made two Guardians Of The Galaxy films for Marvel and is currently working on the third. He also made the decidedly anti-military (or at least military critical) The Suicide Squad, but that’s neither here nor there.
“Marvel scripts are not all approved by the Pentagon,” Gunn tweeted. “Where do people come up with this nonsense?”
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Just Dune it Play the game based on the new book the movie is based on.
“When a film uses military assets for free those specific scripts have to get military approval to make sure the military isn’t disparaged,” he continued in follow-up posts. “This is very few films—and, from what I know, the military is pretty loose about it.”
“This is so stupid. The guy said all Marvel movies are pre approved by the military. This isn’t true. Saying some movies in Hollywood get approval in exchange for assets doesn’t make that any less true. I’ve never had a movie get approved by the military.”
These criticisms of Marvel are not new. Hawken points to a 2019 piece in Newsweek, which reported Captain Marvel’s military involvement. In the article, Newsweek quoted a military and veterans affairs website, Task & Purpose, who described the Captain Marvel spot as “the recruiting tool of the Air Force’s dreams.”
The article continues:
In a license agreement with the Department of Defense for Iron Man, Marvel Studios agreed—in exchange for military support—to conform to the “DoD-Approved” draft of the screenplay, loop the Pentagon into the editing process and cast only actors in compliance with “U.S. military physical, age, and grooming standards.” After the movie’s release, Marvel Studios agreed to “mutually beneficial marketing initiatives,” including “encouraging the involvement of recruiters.”
The Pentagon has partnered with Marvel Studios several times since, including on Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Iron Man 2, which included scenes shot on-location at Edwards Air Force Base in California, just like Captain Marvel. For Iron Man 2, the military provided technical advice, locations and up to 60 military personnel to appear in the movie as background extras.
Of course, Gunn doesn’t work on every Marvel film, and his Guardians Of The Galaxy movies take place, appropriately, in distant galaxies. So, it’s fair to assume that his relationship with Marvel in this regard may be a bit different. Nevertheless, we’re all very excited to watch the Marvel superhero Phastos take responsibility for Hiroshima, which we all assume will be very tasteful and respectful.
Before the Guardians of the Galaxy became household names in their own Marvel Studios franchise, the characters were nearly introduced to movie-goers in a series of short films. In an excerpt from The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige recalls a time when the studio was ready to make four short films to get fans caught up on the respective characters — one with Rocket Raccoon and Groot, and one each for Gamora, Drax, and Star-Lord. After all, the outfit had just given each of the four primary Avengers their own solo film.
“We toyed with the idea of doing short films on Drax, on Rocket and Groot, and on Gamora, leading up to Guardians,” Feige told the writers behind the tell-all book. The producer then recalled wanting to do a fourth short film about a kid that was fascinated by fantasy stories.
“Then you’d star Guardians. And half-way through, we would reveal that big space hero is the kid from the short. We thought that would be clever, but it was too much,” he added.
In the same section of the book, it was revealed the Marvel Creative Committee — a group of creatives with Marvel Entertainment — also didn’t take kindly to much of James Gunn’s work on the franchise, including a big reveal in Vol. 2.
“The thinking was, when you tell your fan base that Kurt Russell and Chris Pratt are going to be playing father and son roles—two beloved actors from different generations who have hit action-comidies on their resumes—you’re signaling that they’re in for a great time,” the book says.
It quickly adds, “Yet Russell was as sure of the twist as Marvel Studios, [James] Gunn, and Pratt were.”
The Marvel Creative Committee found itself disbanded by 2017.
The first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies are now streaming on Disney+ while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is due to hit theaters May 5, 2023. I Am Groot and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special have yet to receive release dates.
What members of the Guardians would you like to see spin-off shows of? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!
John Cena as the titular Peacemaker.Screenshot: HBO Max
In HBO Max’s upcoming Peacemakerfollow up to James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, a deranged sociopath who sees himself as a savior is tasked by the American government to become the sort of superhero people are meant to look up to. But if people knew what kind of person John Cena’s Peacemaker actually was, they’d want absolutely nothing to do with him, mainly because of his blood thirst, but also because he’s just kind of a dweeb.
Just weeks out from Peacemaker’s premiere on HBO Max, the studio’s just dropped the first proper clip from the show that reintroduces Peacemaker into the picture, as well as establishes what sort of dynamic he’s going to have with his various allies. In the new clip, Peacemaker pulls up to a diner ready for… action (in theory) in his full vigilante costume even though he’s only meant to be meeting up with the people he’s working with for a casual chat. To Peacemaker, it’s perfectly normal for people to drive around with bald eagles chilling in their back seats. But to Belle Reve warden John Economos (Steve Agee), NSA agent Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), and Task Force X members Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) and Clemon Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji), the bird alone is a clear sign that Peacemaker’s a lunatic, and that being his colleague is going to be maddening.
Though you get a slight taste of Peacemaker’s sense of humor from the clip, it’s light in the way of the series’ plot or any glimpses of action, both of which are going to factor into how successfully the show—one of the first big episodic spinoffs from the DCEU—lands with audiences. Given Gunn’s involvement in Peacemaker and how effectively the character worked in The Suicide Squad, though, there’s a solid chance that this could be one of the more interesting new projects that kicks off the new year when Peacemaker hits HBO Max in January.
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Henry Cavill in Man Of SteelScreenshot: Warner Bros.
The Suicide Squadintroduced plenty of characters who hadn’t had their chance to shine onscreen, from Peacemaker to Polka-Dot Man. But perhaps the biggest surprise for DC fans was seeing Starro The Conqueror as the villain that the squad battles. James Gunn proved that a giant starfish can actually be pretty intimidating—and his inclusion inadvertently gave the very timely message that if you just cover your damn face, you won’t die (… from having Starro’s face-huggers sucking on your face to mind-control you). However, it turns out Gunn initially wanted a very different “villain” to face off against the squad: Superman.
While on the podcast Script Apart, The Suicide Squad’s writer and director talked about how, before choosing Starro as the villain, he thought the Suicide Squad should fight Superman. He believed that it would be “a very interesting story.” Ultimately, he scrapped the idea when he realized that Starro would make a far better villain to fight. “When I came up with Starro, he’s a character I love from the comics. I think he’s the perfect comic book character, because absolutely ludicrous but he’s also very scary in his own way,” he explained.
Gunn read the comics while growing up and he remembering thinking that Starro and his mind control powers were terrifying back then. “What he does is scary,” Gunn said. “He used to scare the crap out of me when I was a child, putting those face-huggers on Superman and Batman and stuff. So I thought he was one of the major, major DC villains that was probably never going to be put into another movie. And if they did, they would do it like, the black cloud version of Starro. Not a giant walking starfish, a kaiju that is bright pink and cerulean blue, just ridiculously big, bright bad guy.”
Having Superman be the villain wouldn’t be a bad fit; if anything, it’d feel reminiscent of the critically acclaimed Harley Quinn animated series. But Starro forces the squad to prove their abilities, with an intense and very entertaining face-off in the movie’s final moments.
The Suicide Squad marks once-and-future Marvel Cinematic Universe director James Gunn’s first movie for rivals DC, but the film still includes plenty of MCU crossover. Before Idris Elba played Bloodsport for Gunn, he guarded the Bifröst as Heimdall in Thor and its sequels; Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love And Thunderdirector Taika Waititi plays The Suicide Squad’s Ratcatcher, appearing in flashbacks as Ratcatcher 2’s dad.
But there’s someone else from the MCU that fans may have missed in The Suicide Squad. In a new interview with Variety, James Gunn says “no one, not a single person” has brought up to him “that there’s a Guardian Of The Galaxy in The Suicide Squad.” For those who didn’t notice, in the scene where the members of Task Force X go to the seedy Corto Maltese bar La Gatita Amable, one of the dancers is played by Mantis herself, Pom Klementieff. Gunn, who’s been paying attention to what fans say about the movie on Twitter, says he’s only seen two tweets where people have spotted her. And Klementieff hasn’t had many people reach out to her about the cameo, either, according to Gunn: “I talked to Pom the other day—I’m like, have people been asking you? She’s like, yeah, a couple people. But she’s just not being recognized. I’m like, what is going on? I can’t believe it!”
Klementieff first played Mantis—who has empathic powers that let her sense and manipulate others’ emotions through touch—in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2. She appeared as the character in Infinity Warand Endgame, and is set to reprise her role in Thor: Love And Thunder next year.
In the same interview, Gunn addressed the movie’s mediocre opening weekend box office debut, saying, “The Suicide Squad is made to be seen first and foremost on a big screen. I think it’s gonna work just fine on television. Listen, movies don’t last because they’re seen on the big screen,” he says. “Movies last because they’re seen on television. Jaws isn’t still a classic because people are watching it in theaters. I’ve never seen Jaws in a movie theater. It’s one of my favorite movies.”
With the Delta variant spreading globally at an overwhelming speed, it’s understandable that, given the option of watching it at home on HBO Max, many would rather do that. Gunn gets that too, saying that as much as he’d want his movies to be watched in theaters, it’s still not fully safe to do so. “We’ve still got COVID, because people won’t get vaccinated, which, you know, they should. Hopefully—hopefully—that will not be a big deal to us in a year. And if that’s the case, what’s going to happen? We don’t know. Nobody knows. I care, because I would rather have people be able to go to the movies. But also, if they don’t, I’m not going to go slit my wrists. I don’t care that much,” he explains.
[The following contains spoilers for The Suicide Squad]
There’s a point in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squadwhere Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie, reprising her role from the first Suicide Squad and from Birds Of Prey) is captured and tortured by bad guy soldiers. She kills the torturer pretty quickly, because she’s Harley Quinn and murdering people should be no problem for her at this point, but then she does something even more impressive: In one fluid motion, Harley grabs a handcuff key from the goon’s corpse with her feet, then twists backward to put the key in the lock and free herself. It’s the kind of acrobatic trick that you’d expect an evil clown to pull off, but in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn revealed that it’s apparently also the kind of trick that non-evil Australian woman Margot Robbie can pull off, because she actually did that move. (Gunn points out that her face is covered, so you might not believe it, but he insists that it’s really her doing that painful-looking twist.)
That’s probably the most surprising revelation from Gunn in the THR interview, but it’s not the only one. For starters, Gunn said that Harley’s little sidequest was originally a bigger part of the movie, so he started to cut it down while editing because he didn’t want to end up “pushing audiences away” by diverting attention from the action. Also, while editing, Gunn said he was “a little surprised” by how violent the movie ended up being—which makes us wonder how closely he was paying attention while filming that scene of Peacemaker and Bloodsport clearing the camp, because that one’s pretty damn violent. Elsewhere in the chat, Gunn mentions that his boss over at Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige (who is, of course, a producer on Gunn’s Guardians Of The Galaxy movies), visited the set of The Suicide Squad during production and happened to be there when they first showed off surprise villain Starro The Conqueror. That means it’ll be Gunn’s fault if Marvel ends up ripping him off by throwing a mind-controlling starfish into Shang-Chi or the next The Eternals.
Really, though, Gunn’s favorite thing to talk about seems to be Margot Robbie. He said she’s “probably my favorite actor I’ve ever worked with,” because she’s able to do so much with Harley Quinn and her and John Cena are two people who “don’t have a chip on their shoulder.” Gunn also said that he was able to sort of “become Harley” while writing for the character, and he referred to it as a “terrible, wonderful place to be.” THR suggested that he should just make a Harley Quinn solo movie, but he dodged that question while also hinting that he wouldn’t necessarily hate to keep making comic book movies—even if they’re “kind of comic book movies” that aren’t just “from comic books.”