Although James Gunn and Peter Safran have plenty of plans laid out for their DCU, it appears that Paramount Skydance may have some ideas of its own if they take over at Warner Bros. A new report from Puck reveals that the now David Ellison-owned entertainment giant may already be considering projects they’d like to see made in the superhero cinematic universe following an acquisition. That includes a new project from Weapons director Zach Cregger that Paramount Pictures co-chair Josh Greenstein has already discussed with the filmmaker. All indications are that the company’s leadership would wrest some control from the current DCU heads if they’re eventually brought into the Paramount fold.
As it currently stands, Gunn and Safran call all the shots at the DCU, from who’s directing and writing each of their films to what projects get the highest priority. In 2023, they laid out a long list of ideas for the first phase, Gods and Monsters, that has continuously shifted since then, with Superman’s success this year spurring the fast-tracked development of spin-offs and a follow-up, Man of Tomorrow, coming in 2027. They’ve also been deeply involved in finding the stars at the center of their universe, like David Corenswet and Milly Alcock. Greenstein getting involved and reportedly telling Cregger he’d be “more than happy” to make his DC project a reality seemingly flies in the face of that model of creative freedom. Moreover, the report affirms that this, likely, wouldn’t be a one-time thing under the Ellisons, but rather an entire shift in the mindset towards the DCU and how it’s run.
Part of the appeal for Gunn and Safran taking over at DC after Gunn’s success directing the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and The Suicide Squad was the ability to shape an entire interconnected universe. It was an opportunity to not just explore giants like Superman and Batman, but also introduce more obscure comic characters like Booster Gold and the Creature Commandos, and explore more genres through the DC lens. So far, that’s worked out well for all involved, with Gunn’s first three projects — Creature Commandos, Superman, and Peacemaker Season 2 — all becoming hits with critics and audiences and, in the case of Superman, contributing to Warner Bros’ recent box office dominance. For now, all the ways that structure could change under Paramount Skydance remain hypothetical until the rubber meets the road on a sale of WBD. Netflix has also made its interest known in buying the legacy media giant.
Zach Cregger Has Shown Interest in Exploring DC Before
Paramount’s infatuation with Cregger stems from the white-hot run of Weapons in theaters, earning $268 million worldwide in another big win for Warner Bros. Currently, he’s also attached to direct the next iteration of the iconic horror video game franchise Resident Evil for the big screen and has also confirmed a Weapons prequel film centering on Amy Madigan’s breakout character, Aunt Gladys. Courting him for the DCU isn’t coming from nowhere, though. Cregger caused a ton of buzz when he revealed he wrote a horror script set within the universe, though not involving any superheroes. Although he quickly downplayed it all by affirming he hadn’t spoken to Gunn, it was confirmation that he had an interest in bringing his terrifying skills to that sandbox.
On the horizon for the DCU in 2026 is the Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler-led Lanterns, set to premiere sometime around the end of next summer, alongside Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl on June 26 and Clayface on September 11, penned by horror maestro Mike Flanagan and helmed by James Watkins. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on the future of the cinematic universe and Warner Bros. Discovery as a sale is explored.
Release Date
August 8, 2025
Runtime
128 minutes
Director
Zach Cregger
Writers
Zach Cregger
Producers
Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, J.D. Lifshitz