See James Gunn Confirm DC Video Games Rumor
DC Studios CEO James Gunn has announced that DC video games will be directly connected to the DC Cinematic Universe.
James Gunn, the American filmmaker and actor who has recently come under fire from Zack Snyder fans, just confirmed what the fans of DC Universe have hoped to hear: the DC Expanded Universe will be connected across multiple forms of media, including video games. This revelation comes only a week after the CEO of the DC Studios shot down various rumors regarding the franchises developed by the said studio.
According to Destructoid, James Gunn has suggested that the upcoming gaming titles set in the DC Comics universe will be included in the overall lore of the DC Universe at large. To be entirely honest, Gunn didn’t include gaming alone; instead, he confirmed the plans to have the studio’s future projects, regardless of the medium, inhabit the same fictional universe. This, basically, broadens the scope for different character arcs beyond anything currently known in the entertainment industry, including the MCU, which is currently encompassing cinematic and television releases only.
It also opens the fictional doors of the DC Universe to unprecedented chaos, considering that there are discrepancies in the current releases. For example, what is the fandom supposed to make out of the horrible Gotham Knight? If that’s included in the official canon, does it mean that Bruce Wayne is dead? Or what about the Dark Knight movie series or Matt Reeves’ The Batman? Those are notable exceptions that are basically disconnected from the official DC canon, which is littered with mediocre superhero films, at best.
So, what does that mean for the upcoming DC games and the Extended Universe? That’s a difficult question to answer, especially since James Gunn hasn’t elaborated on his comments. It’s entirely possible that he’ll have to brainstorm which of the current releases would constitute official canon, which would be multiversal stories, and which would fall under the “alternate universe” category narratives. The number of previously launched canon releases that would be deemed exceptional isn’t really that broad, so the change is likely encompassing the upcoming releases.
Admittedly, all of this resembles a DC Multiverse rather than a single, shared mythos, which is yet another instance of Warner Bros. copying MCU’s homework in a true reactionary manner. Yet, there’s a hint of visionary thinking in terms of including gaming titles in the overall canon. This indicates a massive shift in the WB’s way of thinking; the company previously preferred to have its titles in their respective continuities. For example, Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham inspired the creation of Arkhamverse, which will include the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
The best thing about James Gunn’s plan to include DC games in the DCEU is that it would set it apart and perhaps give it an advantage over its main competitor, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel currently has a plethora of AAA gaming titles under its banner — from different developers, though — and while some are better than others, most of them, if not all, aren’t connected to the MCU narrative. This includes the Guardians of the Galaxy and the recently announced WWII game featuring Captain America and Black Panther.
The addition of games into the official canon could, provided that DC is capable of producing a good game, finally challenge MCU as one of the greatest entertainment franchises in the world.
