James Gunn and Peter Safran came into DC Studios with a full-fledged plan to revive the dwindling DCEU and did a complete reboot, announcing a bunch of projects. While many are in active development and the cinematic universe is slowly building, there are many announced projects that have already been canceled.
Apart from the Tier-1 characters, many secondary and tertiary heroes and teams seem to be in murky waters. From long-gestating projects like Waller to fairly new ones, here are all the canceled DC projects from James Gunn. These projects are ranked from worst to best decisions, judging by the overall direction of the franchise.
7. Luca Guadagnino’s Sgt. Rock Movie with Colin Farrell Would Have Been Odd This Early
Colin Farrell in The Penguin | Credits: HBO Max
Luca Guadagnino helming a DC project would have been an interesting take. The filmmaker comes from a different school of thought, with movies like Challengers, Call Me by Your Name, and Queer under his belt. Guadagnino was attached to direct Sgt. Rock, with Colin Farrell set to star. However, the film seems to be canceled as of now (via Variety).
While it would have been an interesting project to see, it would have been too left-field for the DCU at such an early stage. Farrell already plays the Penguin in Matt Reeves’ BatVerse, so it would have been confusing the audience. It was a good decision to scrap the project.
6. Scrapping Black Adam 2 is Good for the DCU in the Long Run
Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam | Credits: Warner Bros.
All prospects of a second Black Adam film were ruined with the scrapping of the DCEU and the box office performance of the first film. Rumors of Dwayne Johnson involving himself in the production of the film, cutting out Zachary Levi’s Shazam and more were also damaging to the brand and the larger direction of the franchise.
It was a good decision to stop the project, as it seemed to be going away from the franchise’s larger direction.
5. Prioritizing Other Characters over The Authority Was a Good Decision
The Authority | Credits: DC Comics
Among the first few projects James Gunn announced as part of the ‘Gods and Monsters’ chapter, The Authority was set to be an R-rated adaptation of Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch’s anti-Justice League was shelved by 2026. Gunn mentioned that the script was not strong enough and did not fit into the larger DCU narrative.
While it would have been exciting for hardcore fans, The Authority would have been too secondary to be included in the first chapter of the franchise.
4. James Gunn May Have Made a Good Decision to Scrap Wonder Woman 3
Gal Gadot in Batman V. Superman | Credits: Warner Bros.
Patty Jenkins’ script, submitted in late 2022, was reportedly told it did not mesh with Gunn and Safran’s new plans. Jenkins maintained that she did not walk away from the project and was open to coming back. While Wonder Woman 1984 did not have the impact the first film had, it was still a bankable IP.
This ranks lower because, unlike the cleaner cuts above, DC lost a two-time franchise director with a proven box-office track record and never articulated a specific creative flaw in her script. It was just an incompatibility with an evolving universe plan, which is a weaker justification and left Gal Gadot’s future in limbo for years.
3. The DCU Could Have Introduced Wonder Woman with Paradise Lost
Themyscira in Wonder Woman | Credits: Warner Bros.
The HBO Max series Paradise Lost would be the DCU’s introduction to Themyscira. Described as a story of political intrigue like Game of Thrones, the series was set before the birth of Wonder Woman. It would have been an interesting take, like Dune: Prophecy, expanding the political landscape of a fantastical world. However, the project seems to be put on hold after years in development (via Variety).
2. Waller Was a Missed Opportunity to Expand on a Fan-Favorite Character
Viola Davis in The Suicide Squad | Credits: Warner Bros.
Viola Davis’ Waller was another show that was in development even before DCU was a thing. Based on the character from David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, Davis was one of the few actors to stay after the reboot. She was there in Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, and The Suicide Squad. A series centered around her would have been a great expansion on one of the most-appeared characters.
Reports tied the decision to Supergirl‘s costly box-office underperformance, with DC Studios reportedly pivoting toward Marvel’s theater-first model rather than any flaw in Waller itself.
1. Scrapping Man of Steel 2 Was a Terrible Decision by James Gunn
Henry Cavill in Man of Steel | Credits: Warner Bros.
Henry Cavill’s time in the DCEU was one of the most chaotic times in the franchise. After Man of Steel, Cavill was only there in Batman V. Superman and Justice League. He had a cameo in Black Adam, after which it was confirmed that he would return as Superman in Man of Steel 2. He even left The Witcher for the role.
However, once James Gunn rebooted the franchise and chose to go for a new Superman, all hopes for a Cavill return were squashed. Despite the success of David Corenswet’s Superman, Henry Cavill remains a definitive version of the character. He already has a large fanbase, and Gunn missed an opportunity to capitalize on it.
Which canceled DCU project do you think was a missed opportunity? Comment below.
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