James Gunn’s Plan For DC’s Most Divisive Villain Is Inspired By Zack Snyder & That’s Perfect

by

Zack Snyder‘s ideas for how to use one of DC’s most controversial villains could be key to the success of the new DC Universe and help it establish its own unique approach to its big bad guys. The studio views the first chapter of the DCU as a chance to take the franchise in a fresh direction.

That’s understandable. The last few DC movies released in 2023, including The Flash, didn’t do well in theaters. The DC movie universe had been struggling for a while, with many films receiving mixed or negative reviews and disappointing box office results. Things were made even harder when Zack Snyder, who originally planned the direction of the series, was removed from the project before he could finish his vision.

Whether you liked Zack Snyder’s DC films or not, he definitely had a specific plan for how the DC Universe would unfold. For example, his version of Superman, played by Henry Cavill, was ultimately supposed to evolve into the hopeful, everyday Clark Kent we’re now seeing with David Corenswet, but the story wasn’t allowed to reach that point. The same thing happened with the main villain, and the new DC Universe seems to be learning from those past mistakes.

Zack Snyder’s DCEU Villain Ideas Were Not Fully Brought To Life

Marvel’s Thanos was a hugely successful villain in the Infinity Saga. Zack Snyder attempted to create a similar impactful villain for DC with Darkseid, but wasn’t able to fully develop the character until the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League in 2021, where Ray Porter’s portrayal finally received the attention it deserved.

The original movie version of Justice League didn’t give the villain Darkseid the attention he deserved, choosing instead to feature Steppenwolf, who wasn’t a very compelling character. Zack Snyder’s original plan for a Justice League trilogy would have introduced Darkseid as the main threat after the team first assembled. He would have been a powerful villain, using the Anti-Life Equation to create a dystopian future – the terrifying “Knightmare” seen in visions by Batman.

Zack Snyder had big plans for the future of the DC movie universe. His vision included major events like the death of Lois Lane, Superman’s struggle with a powerful force before ultimately finding hope, and the use of time travel to fix things. A key moment would have been Batman sacrificing himself to save Lois, and the whole story had the potential to be incredible.

James Gunn Has Revealed Snyder Is Behind Why Darkseid Is Not The DCU’s Main Villain

Credit: James Gunn

I was really hoping James Gunn would use Darkseid as the big bad in the new DCU, especially since the old DCEU didn’t quite give him the role he deserved. It seemed possible, but Gunn recently clarified things. Apparently, Darkseid isn’t the one behind the shocking twist with Peacemaker and Salvation. It’s a little disappointing, but I’m still excited to see what Gunn has planned!

The season finale of Peacemaker sends John Cena’s character to a prison planet called Salvation, a place based on the DC comic Salvation Run. That comic established a link between the prison and the powerful villain Darkseid and his New Gods. However, James Gunn, the show’s creator, won’t be exploring that connection in the same way, explaining that Zack Snyder “did it so cool” in his previous films.

James Gunn understands how Zack Snyder’s Justice League portrayed Darkseid and what the original plans were for the character in the previous DC Universe. Because of this, he’s decided not to use Darkseid as the primary villain to kick off the new DC Universe, which I think is a smart move. Even though he only appeared in a streaming movie, Ray Porter’s version of Darkseid was compelling and gained a fanbase.

Since Snyder had already featured Darkseid, DC is focusing on new storylines. Gunn also explained that DC wants to avoid similarities between Darkseid and Thanos from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel drew inspiration from Darkseid in the comics when creating Thanos, so using Darkseid now would make the DC Universe feel too similar to its competitor.

The DCU Is Better Off Not Focusing On Darkseid

I think James Gunn is smart to avoid making Darkseid the big bad guy in the new DC Universe. While Darkseid could definitely fit that role, this choice helps clearly separate the DCU from the previous DCEU, which had been leading up to him. It sounds like Gunn might be moving away from having one central villain altogether.

Rather than focusing on one main villain, the DC Universe could feature several, contributing to a larger, interconnected story. This makes sense, as every DC project released so far has successfully included a variety of both heroes and villains, quickly establishing a rich and populated world. While DC Comics previously explored this idea with a storyline called Salvation Run which focused on its iconic villains, the DCU version doesn’t need to follow that same path.

Peacemaker isn’t truly a villain, but he ended up in the Salvation prison. This prison seems to be for superheroes who disobey the government, putting them alongside actual villains. This creates a potential for conflict between different groups, which could be a more compelling story than if a major villain like Darkseid was pulling the strings.

DC At Least Has A Major Role For Darkseid In An Upcoming Series

Okay, so James Gunn isn’t setting Darkseid up as the big bad for the whole DCU right away, but don’t count him out just yet! I’m hearing he will be showing up in the animated Mister Miracle series, which is fantastic news for fans of the comics. The show is adapting Tom King’s incredible Mister Miracle run, and King himself is back as showrunner, which means we’re likely to get a very faithful and compelling adaptation. And for those unfamiliar, Darkseid isn’t just some random villain here – he’s actually Scott Free’s adoptive father, adding a really interesting dynamic to the story.

As a huge DC fan, I’m really excited about this series because it finally lets them delve into Darkseid’s potential. It’s not just about a one-dimensional bad guy; they seem to be aiming for a really complex and interesting take on the character, showing all his different facets. Plus, it opens the door to explore the whole world of the New Gods, which is awesome! Even though it’s not totally confirmed if this fits into the new DCU, the Mister Miracle storyline is definitely giving fans what they want: more Darkseid and a deeper look into his universe.

Read More

2025-10-24 02:34