(Photo Credit: DC Studios)
James Gunn recently teased two mystery additions coming to the DCU. While one of them might be a bit obvious, the other could be a potential major surprise.

Last week, Gunn teased the addition of two major DC characters into the blossoming DCU. Gunn was asked whether the universe would ever see General Zod, Doomsday, Dr. Fate, Black Adam, Ultraman with the Crime Syndicate, or Darkseid inside the cinematic universe. In surprising news, Gunn actually responded with news that we would see “two of them” soon. Gunn noted the two would arrive “not too long” from now, but didn’t exactly confirm who.

Due to where the general DCU seems to be heading, we have an idea as to who one might be. We’ll take a look at the others though and see where they might fit in the larger DCU.

James Gunn could be looking to add some major characters to the DCU

Darkseid

(Photo Credit: DC)

We’ll start with the most obvious option: Darkseid. Technically, Darkseid will be appearing in the DCU soon, as he’s set to appear in the upcoming animated series Mister Miracle, based on Tom King and Mitch Gerads’ comic run of the character. Gunn has already confirmed this show would be canon to the DCU, so it’s very likely this could be one of the references Gunn was making.

However, if it’s not, Darkseid’s DCU live-action debut could still be soon. The character is an iconic one in DC lore, and frequently is at odds with several of the major players in the DCU. With Gunn quickly building up the DCU with stars like Superman, Green Lantern, and more, it wouldn’t be too shocking to see Darkseid arrive soon.

General Zod

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Zod is another one that feels almost incredibly likely to appear. The DCU began with Superman, and we’ll be seeing more of the Superman universe in the upcoming movie Man of Tomorrow. With that in mind, it’s totally possible Zod appears in the follow-up, either as a main player or potential tease for the future. The character could even appear in this year’s Supergirl movie, setting the stage for a mash-up movie down the line.

However, Zod was just a main villain in Zack Snyder’s run of DC projects, played by Michael Shannon. It’s unclear if Gunn would want to bring him back so soon, especially with the DCU already featuring big Superman villains like Lex Luthor and (in Man of Tomorrow) Brainiac.

Black Adam

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When it comes to potential appearances in the DCU, this one feels like one of the least likely. Black Adam has already recently appeared in the previous DCEU, and in controversial fashion. Played by Dwayne Johnson, his Black Adam was meant to usher in a new era for the then-DCEU, and feature Black Adam going toe-to-toe with Henry Cavill’s Superman.

Instead, Black Adam’s solo movie was a box office failure, and things fizzled out for all involved after that. While Johnson never said he’d be done with the role, he did say in 2022 that Gunn had told him he has no plans for Black Adam in the first chapter of DCU storytelling, essentially confirming that we won’t be seeing him for some time.

Dr. Fate

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Doctor Fate is a potential dark horse for someone we could see going forward. The character did recently appear in 2022’s Black Adam movie (played by Pierce Brosnan), but Gunn could choose to bring him over into the DCU. Brosnan’s role was praised by fans, although should the character come to the DCU, it might be with a re-casting.

Fate is traditionally seen in the world of DC Comics as mingling with the likes of the Justice Society of America and Justice League Dark, so while it would be fun to see him, he just doesn’t seem to fit with the theme of the current DCU.

Ultraman

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Ultraman is an interesting name here because he technically was already in the DCU, by name. The character appeared in Gunn’s DCU debut, Superman, as a clone of Superman created by Lex Luthor. The difference, though, is that the character in the movie has a lot of mixed origins as that of Bizarro Superman, another comic book entity.

In the world of DC Comics, Ultraman is often a completely different, evil entity from an alternate universe. Bizarro is usually the imperfect clone of Superman, making the DCU version a bit inconclusive as to who is who. It’s possible Gunn meant we’d see more of the Ultraman they introduced in the film, though, and would be a cheeky way to confirm his inclusion down the line.

Doomsday

(Photo Credit: DC)

Finally, Doomsday represents perhaps the most fun addition to the DCU, but one of the most unlikely. The supervillain is often held as one of the most legendary in Superman’s rogues gallery, and for good reason. The menacing character looks imposing, is extremely powerful, and has been featured in some incredible stories. Although his inclusion would fit well with the general “Monsters and Gods” theme of the DCU’s first chapter, it also is very unlikely to happen.

For one, the Superman movies already seem a bit filled to the brim with villains. We’ve seen Lex Luthor, Ultraman/Bizarro, and soon-to-be Brainiac in the DCU version of Superman. Including Doomsday in the next movie would severely deplete the amount of villains to use in the future, while also pigeonholding one of Superman’s most iconic villains to a one-movie role.

Saving Doomsday for a future movie, or for larger plans in the DCU, is probably the right move, and one Gunn will likely make.