James Gunn Confirms Two Iconic Villains Are Coming To The DCU “In Not Too Long”

5 days ago 17

Michael Shannon suited up as General Zod in Man of Steel

Published May 28, 2026, 8:11 PM EDT

Andy Behbakht has worked as an entertainment journalist since 2010, covering all the latest in Hollywood on both the big and small screens, from staying on top of the biggest breaking news, analyzing movies and television shows in Hollywood, to in-depth interviews with actors and storytellers.

Andy's career includes having worked for publications such as FanSided, KSiteTV, TV Fanatic, It's Just Movies, Heroic Hollywood, TV Overmind, and more. Outside of his career as an established reporter, Andy is the host and producer of The Showrunner Whisperer, The Flash Podcast, the editor-in-chief of Multiverse of Color, and the network director of DC TV Podcasts.

The DC Universe is about to get a lot more dangerous.

James Gunn Confirms DCU Characters Joining Soon

Given that the list consists mostly with DC villains, it seems fairly safe that Gunn is not teasing Doctor Fate as being one of the new faces coming to the franchise. The DCU's Chapter 1: "Gods and Monsters" slate also has a few confirmed projects where at least one of the suggested charaters is confirmed already.

DC Studios has the animated Mister Miracle TV show in the works, which will introduce Scott Free and several key players from Tom King's comic run that the series is adapting. After it was announced that it will be DCU canon, King confirmed that Darkseid has officially been cast, along with other heroes and villains from the 12-issue adventure by him and Mitch Gerads.

Darkseid extends his hand in front of his ship in Zack Snyder's Justice League

Following the Superman movie ending, Ultraman was never confirmed to have died, as audience members saw him get sucked into a black hole, leaving his fate up in the air. Many have theorized that the Man of Steel's clone could return in the future as part of a Crime Syndicate adaptation, if he ended up being sent to their reality.

Since the Black Adam film ended up being one of the last disappointments in the DCEU movie timeline, it feels highly unlikely that he is getting rebooted for the DCU anytime soon. The same can be said for Doomsday, who has been used heavily in live-action over the last decade across the big and small screens.

After General Zod was used in Man of Steel and The Flash, the ruthless Kryptonian antagonist is probably not someone the DCU is rushing to use in the near future. That is why Gunn's tease is likely referring to Darkseid and Ultraman, without fully confirming it yet.

Since Gunn's DC reboot is confirmed to center on a continuity where a lot of superheroes and villains are already established, a lot of the heavy-hitting foes are more than likely already out there in his franchise. But only time will tell which familiar threats viewers will see in DC Studios' ongoing properties.

The DCU franchise returns this summer with Supergirl on June 26, followed by HBO's Lanterns TV show premiering on August 16, before Clayface hits theaters on October 23.

First Film Man of Steel

First TV Show Peacemaker

Cast Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Zachary Levi, Dwayne Johnson, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor, Idris Elba, John Cena, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Xolo Mariduena

Character(s) Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Shazam, Darkseid, Amanda Waller, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Black Canary, Black Adam

Created by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson

Movie(s) Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, Zack Snyder's Justice League, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Shazam! The Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, Superman, The Brave and the Bold

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