James Gunn has finally addressed the absence of Aquaman and The Flash in the DCU ahead of the Superman movie release. It’s a pretty reasonable answer, but it may mean these characters will not be absent much longer.
He gave an easy answer: the universe has barely started. Plenty of characters are probably coming that have yet to be announced. He did not provide any specific details about the future of these characters, but his answer lets us know that they aren’t out of the question yet.
This answer came from a string of questions asking if the movies would be available in India and China (they are). A fan jumped on the bandwagon to ask about Aquaman and The Flash. We still don’t have a confirmed Batman since Robert Pattinson’s role in The Batman is not part of the DCU, so we shouldn’t take the absence of an announcement as if the characters will be left out.
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These two characters will likely be recast like the recasting of Superman and Wonder Woman. Both DCEU versions have a lot of negative history, and a reboot is likely what they need. The Ezra Miller controversies and the Depp v. Heard case are baggage that DC likely wants to avoid. It is reasonable to assume that Gunn is taking time to rebuild the characters’ images before reintroducing them to the DCU.
Right now, the main focus is Superman to start things off, much like how Superman was the first superhero to appear in comics. This is a great way to introduce the new DC Universe.
While the future of Aquaman and The Flash remains uncertain, Gunn’s statements imply that they are part of the long-term plans for the DCU. The announcement of new movies starring these characters is likely to happen after the establishment of the DCU’s core or sometime in 2025.
Published: Oct 29, 2024 03:02 pm