Hollywood — James Gunn Identifies DCU’s ‘Diamond Characters’ and Explains His Long-Term Franchise Plan
James Gunn has returned to Threads to defend his approach to the DC Universe, offering further details about his previously outlined eight- to 10-year roadmap and explaining how different characters fit into the franchise’s broader strategy.
In response to a post that has since been deleted, the DC Studios co-head pointed to comments he made in January 2023, when the studio’s plans were first introduced.
“You can look at my quotes from January ’23 when we started and I said we were going to do exactly what we’re doing,” Gunn wrote. “I said some stories would be standalone like the Guardians movies were (which is what Clayface is) and some stories would have part of a larger narrative structure, which is what the Superman Saga is. All that said, each piece of the larger story should work on its own with or without having to see everything else.”
Gunn elaborated in a separate post, explaining that the widely discussed roadmap covered more than the progression of individual storylines.
“ALSO, some things get conflated here. The often cited ‘8 to 10 year roadmap’ originally pitched wasn’t only story points (although that was a part of it), but also the plan for DC as a whole, including focusing on diamond characters (Superman, Batman, WW) as well as smaller characters we could turn into diamonds (Krypto, John Stewart, Peacemaker), how we would foster filmmaker freedom & allow for multiple tones & ratings, the influences of Star Wars & George RR Martin, and so much more.”
The roadmap Gunn referenced originated in 2022, when he and fellow DC Studios co-head Peter Safran addressed a virtual Warner Bros. Discovery town hall and discussed their plans for the franchise over the next eight to 10 years.
In a third Threads post, Gunn expressed enthusiasm about the direction of the DCU as its various projects begin to take shape.
“It’s exciting seeing things START to come together and all that makes me even more excited for what we have in store for everyone in Man of Tomorrow,” he wrote.
The latest comments follow another defense of Gunn’s creative approach on Saturday, when he pushed back against criticism that the DCU’s films should build toward a major crossover event. At the time, he defended the decision to develop individual stories within the expanding franchise.
Replying to a commenter who suggested that the DCU did not need to establish one completely interconnected universe, Gunn agreed with the argument.
“I couldn’t agree more.”
He then explained that the franchise could accommodate stories set in different places and periods without requiring every installment to connect directly to another.
“DCU is just an alternate universe; we can enter at any location or time and tell THAT story. I dislike the idea that individual stories aren’t meaningful unless they lead to something else. People not understanding this is strange to me, because ‘Star Wars’ has essentially been doing this for 50 years across movies, shows, games and books, admittedly without the tonal variety,” he wrote.
Gunn’s next film, Superman: Man of Tomorrow, is scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 9, 2027.
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