In the year 2008, as I watched the first Iron Man movie, Mr. Stark, little did you know that you were stepping into a much larger universe, even if it wasn’t apparent to you at the time. The groundbreaking film, Iron Man, marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey for the armored avenger – although, as Phil Coulson would say, S.H.I.E.L.D. was still fairly new to him.
As we moved towards The Avengers in 2012, it became clear that a green gamma monster, an Asgardian god, and a World War II super soldier had all existed long before your superhero days. Later films, such as Ant-Man in 2015 and Captain Marvel in 2019, further reinforced this by revealing that Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym and Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers were already active decades prior to when you uttered the words “I am Iron Man.
In contrast to the extended timelines of “Eternals” (2021) and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (2022), which introduced the centuries-old Namor, the Marvel Cinematic Universe character Vision, played by Paul Bettany, discussed in “Captain America: Civil War” about the rapid increase of enhanced individuals since Tony Stark’s Iron Man debut. However, when it comes to the fresh DC Universe that James Gunn and Peter Safran are developing as DC Studios CEOs and co-chiefs, there seems to be no clear dividing line marking a similar escalation in the number of enhanced beings.
In contrast to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where ordinary people have been familiar with superhumans such as the first Captain America since the 1940s, metahumans have been part of public knowledge for about 300 years. James Gunn told Entertainment Weekly that if you saw a man with shark-like features strolling down the street, you’d likely be overwhelmed and frightened to the point of vomiting or having an accident. However, if they saw one, it would be like spotting Paul McCartney casually walking on a New York City sidewalk.
In the upcoming film “Superman” (releasing on July 11), it’s been confirmed that the character Man of Steel, played by David Corenswet, is already recognized by Metropolis citizens before our encounter with him. On the other hand, the script for “Creature Commandos,” penned by Gunn, suggests that the public has some familiarity with the mysterious all-female island nation Themyscira, which will be highlighted in the series “Paradise Lost” and likely in the upcoming DC Studios project titled “Wonder Woman.
In addition to the Superman film by Gunn, there’s a new team of superheroes introduced: The “Justice Gang”. This group is backed by corporations and consists of three members. One is Mister Terrific, a brilliant superhero played by Edi Gathegi. Another member is Green Lantern Guy Gardner, who is known for his ring-slinging abilities, as portrayed by Nathan Fillion. Lastly, there’s Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), who flies high among the team members.
Beyond Metamorpho, a man with transformative abilities played by Anthony Carrigan, and Krypto, a powerful canine, Superman also connects to the broader DC Universe through General Rick Flag Sr., portrayed by Frank Grillo. This character was previously seen in Creature Commandos and is set to reappear in Peacemaker’s second season on HBO Max.
In DC, we’ve built Metropolis, Gotham, Themyscira, Atlantis, and Bialya – this is the realm we’re shaping, as Gunn explained when unveiling the initial phase of the DC Universe in 2023. This world is already home to superheroes, some of whom have been around for quite a while, making it their universe.
In relation to the all-encompassing universe of the MCU, Gunn commented, “We’re crafting a massive, expansive narrative that resembles Marvel, but I believe our planning and organization from the start is more meticulous. This is because we’ve assembled a team of writers to fully outline our story beforehand.
Superman marks the official beginning of that story when the film flies into theaters on July 11.
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2025-06-10 20:40