James Gunn Says The Black Superman Movie Will Be Elseworlds
James Gunn explains the black Superman film will be Elseworlds and not part of the main DCU.
With James Gunn taking the helm as co-CEO of DC Studios, we already know that the new DC Universe will kick off in 2025 with Superman: Legacy. But there is another Superman film in the works, according to Gizmodo, which will introduce a Black Superman, and is rumored to be set in the twentieth century. And if you’re worried about continuity, Gunn has gone on record stating that this additional Superman movie will take place in Elseworlds, which means that the film will take place outside of the canon that fans are already familiar with.
Elaborating on this statement, James Gunn has said, “Those two things are totally unrelated. That’s an exciting movie. I know that Chantal Nong, who is the executive on that project, is extremely excited about it.” In other words, if a second Superman movie does make the slate, it will be its own unique representation of Superman, with its separate storyline.
James Gunn also went on to say that he hasn’t yet read the script for the Ta-Nehisi Coates and J.J. Abrams Superman Movie. But if the timing works out, and he loves the story, then it’s within the realm of possibility that the project will be further pursued. We need to wait for further developments because we’re not sure if the script is ready for review or still being worked on at this point in time.
And if you’re looking for an explanation of James Gunn’s Elseworlds strategy, it’s quite simple. In the DC comic book world, Elseworlds represents alternate versions of well-known characters (Superman, in this case), in which they are thrown into new scenarios outside of their regular timeline. This strategy allows creators to explore new and unfamiliar territories that they couldn’t otherwise explore inside the main continuity of the DC Universe.
One notable Elseworlds concept that was well received was the 2018 adult animated film, entitled Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, which was directed by Sam Liu. This alternate version of the caped crusader is set in Victorian-era Gotham City, and we find Batman trying to track down Jack the Ripper. So James Gunn is right to be enthusiastic about possibly pursuing the Coates and Abrams version of Superman if the opportunity presents itself and the scheduling lines up.
This is just the beginning of James Gunn’s new concept of the DC Universe. In other words, if the stars align, we’ll be allowed to witness the best of both worlds; Gunn’s more modern iteration of Superman under the regular DC banner and Coates/Abram’s efforts under the Elseworlds banner. In a way, it’s a loophole that allows creators to take their own liberties outside of the traditional DC canon while pushing forward with the main storylines that we all know and love.
But we’re going to have to be patient. Not only is James Gunn wrapping up his tenure at Marvel Studios with the upcoming release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he’ll be hard at work directing Superman: Legacy, and mapping out the new DC Universe alongside Peter Safran. So although there is the possibility of a second Superman film, we’re not quite sure where it will fall into the equation as we’re in these current phases of development.
