James Gunn Breaks Silence On The DCU’s Future Amid Warner Bros Netflix Deal: “Every Direction Has Really Exciting Things For DC”

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James Gunn Breaks Silence On The DCU’s Future Amid Warner Bros Netflix Deal Custom Image by Andy Behbakht

Having covered the world of entertainment journalism since 2010, including superhero/comic book media, Andy's career includes having worked for sites such FanSided, KSiteTV, TV Fanatic, It's Just Movies, Heroic Hollywood, TV Overmind, and more. Outside of writing, Andy is the host of The Showrunner Whisperer, The Flash Podcast, the editor-in-chief of Multiverse of Color, and the network director of DC TV Podcasts.

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With Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix's merger, many have obviously been asking about what it means for James Gunn's DC Universe and DC Studios. The DCU franchise is still in its early days, after launching in late December 2024, but with Warner Bros. Discovery's massive change coming up, it has raised a lot of questions about DC Studios' overall future.

During his appearance on Variety's Awards Circuit Podcast, Gunn spoke more about his expectations and hopes for the future of DC Studios with Warner Bros. and Netflix's upcoming deal. He said, "Do I have hopes? No, I really don’t because everything’s unknown. I think it’s all really exciting, frankly. So I hope and pray for the best."

Gunn elaborated by saying, "And I’ve been through these sorts of changes so many times that I’ll always be careful what you wish for because you don’t really know until you know." He stressed that "I hope it goes well, and I think it’s exciting, you know, every direction has really exciting things for DC, so I’m excited about where it’s going to go."

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav stated to Bloomberg in December 2025 that "The DC universe is big enough and strong enough that it should be available on all platforms." He stressed that "There are some stories that are important to be told in theaters around the world, and some stories that are important to be told as series.”

Should the $82.7 billion deal go through, Netflix will own some of the biggest IPs that have ever come out of Hollywood through Warner Bros., including the world of DC. The Netflix and Warner Bros. deal has so far also received a lot of criticism from numerous voices in the industry.

In the meantime, the DCU's Chapter 1: "Gods and Monsters" slate is continuing in 2026 with several major releases. For the big screen, Supergirl is flying into theaters on June 26, while the R-rated Batman horror spinoff, Clayface, is slated for September 11.

On the small screen, HBO's Lanterns TV show is on its way, as the series is being eyed for a late summer premiere. The DCU will also have the Man of Tomorrow movie going into production in April, with the film set to release in theaters on July 9, 2027.

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