James Gunn is the architect of the DCU, but the next series he gets a major credit on will look very different to everything that came before. James Gunn has been telling superhero stories for decades. Long before he gained notoriety as the writer and director of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, he created films like The Specials and Super.
Since then, Gunn has gone on to become the co-head of DC Studios, with a mission to reimagine the DC Universe on the big and small screens. And so far, he has done a great job of setting up the new DCU. But the next DCU projects could be even more important for showing how Gunn’s world will look in the years to come.
Lanterns Is The Next DCU Project To Be Executively Produced By James Gunn
As the co-head of DC Studios, James Gunn gets executive producer credit, alongside his peer Peter Safran, on every DCU project. And with that, he is listed as an EP on Lanterns, the upcoming TV series that will dive into exploring the Green Lantern Corps in the DCU.
As an executive producer, Gunn’s opinion holds a lot of weight, and with his role in DC Studios, he could easily step in to take control, request rewrites, or shut down a project altogether.
James Gunn Is Not The Writer Or Director Of Lanterns
However, as an EP, Gunn is not the writer or the director for the Lanterns series. His role is more supervisory in nature, and the creativity is being managed and delivered by others. Because Gunn has been the writer and primary director or showrunner for every DCU project up to this point, it makes Lanterns stand out.
This is the first time that Gunn is handing over and entrusting someone else with a lot more control on a single project that will help to shape the DCU. In fact, the characters will play a huge role in the DCU going forward, especially if plans to bring the Justice League to the big screen are to happen at any point within the next few years.
Lanterns Will Benefit From Different Creative Styles To James Gunn
Gunn has been a small part of a bigger project before, with his central role in the MCU, working under Kevin Feige, and helping to create a larger narrative. But this is the first time he is directly handing that responsibility to someone else, or at least the first time the audience sees the results of that trust.
Gunn will still have considerable sway in the development of the series, but with someone else’s signature all over the work, it’s unlikely to have the same tone, charm, and humor as Gunn’s previous work. However, the DCU needs variety. Not every project should look and feel like The Suicide Squad.
Lanterns will be a turning point for the DCU, followed in quick succession by films like Supergirl and Clayface, both of which are also being spearheaded by other writers and directors. And ultimately, this is what will define the DCU. Not just Gunn’s creations, but the projects that go into making the larger shared universe.
