James Gunn Confirms Batman and Wonder Woman Are 'Diamond Characters' in the DCU Despite Their Continued Absence
James Gunn has clarified DC Studios’ 8-10 year roadmap and confirmed its focus on Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman as its “diamond characters.”
Gunn shared this information on Threads in response to a now-deleted post, where he urged the original poster to study up on his quotes from January 2023 in regards to what his version of the DCU will end up looking like.
“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,” he said.
He went on to clarify that the “often-cited 8-10 year roadmap” for the DCU doesn’t just apply to story points, but also outlines the plan for “DC as a whole.” This includes focusing on “diamond characters,” which Gunn confirmed are, perhaps unsurprisingly, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, as well as “smaller characters we could turn into diamonds.” These smaller characters were listed as Krypto the Superdog, John Stewart, and Peacemaker.
According to Gunn, this plan also factors in how DC will “foster filmmaker freedom and allow for multiple tones and ratings, the influences of Star Wars and George R.R. Martin, and so much more."
“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 said.
It’s encouraging to see Gunn confirm that Batman and Wonder Woman are still a big focus for his DCU, given that we haven’t seen hide nor hair of Wonder Woman and barely a glimpse of Batman’s silhouette in the animated Creature Commandos series.
Thus far, the only “diamond character” mentioned in this specific post that has been featured in Gunn’s DCU is Superman. Elsewhere, the Lanterns and Clayface have finally gotten some love (with Lanterns receiving rave reviews, though audience opinions on Clayface have been a mixed bag), and The People v. Gorilla Grodd is also in the works. It seems that Supergirl wasn’t mentioned as either a “diamond character” or a character that could be turned "into a diamond" in Gunn's post — though, given that she had her own movie, it’s safe to assume that she has firmly established her place in the DCU hierarchy as a central figure.
Batman is another story altogether. Unrelated to Matt Reeves’ The Batman movies, the DCU’s take on the caped crusader has yet to be revealed; while Alan Ritchson was a popular pick from fans, DC Studios boss Peter Safran has stated they still haven’t found the right role for him to play. Batman is set to have his own movie in the DCU, titled The Brave and the Bold, which is in the works but has no official release date.
Where Wonder Woman fits in Gunn’s DCU is just as nebulous. Similarly, no casting has been confirmed for this part, though fans are convinced that Adria Arjona will soon wield the Lasso of Truth on screen. It’s also unclear when, or how, she’ll be introduced to things, but Gunn has made it clear that she’s a priority.
In other exciting DC news, a live-action Poison Ivy show was confirmed to be in the works earlier this month, with The Penguin showrunner Lauren LeFranc set to produce. Similarly, no casting has been confirmed (though rumors of ScarJo playing the character continue to swirl).