Building a cinematic universe is no easy task. While Kevin Feige gets all of the credit at Marvel, do you really think he’s working alone? Of course not. And neither is James Gunn in crafting the future of DC Studios. While he’s writing and taking the helm of Superman: Legacy, and has already written TV series Creature Commandos, Gunn has plenty of help in building out the rest of the DC Universe.
Speaking at the event where the DC Studios slate was announced, Gunn revealed some of the people helping guide the creative direction…
“Tom King has been my partner throughout all of this. He was giving me answers to shit before I took the job,” said Gunn. “So me, him, Christal Henry who worked on ‘Watchmen’ and is doing ‘Waller,’ Christina Hodson who wrote ‘The Flash.’ Drew Goddard, who you guys probably know. Jeremy Slater, who just did ‘Moon Knight.’ That group of people we’ve been meeting with and, you know, putting all of this together.”
That’s quite an impressive lineup. Tom King is one of the best comic book writers working today, and has been especially influential in shaping the Batman universe. It’s his Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic that is being adapted into a feature film, as well. King had been part of Ava DuVernay’s canceled New Gods movie, so it’s good to see he’s sticking around.
We already knew about Christal Henry, who is working on the Amanda Waller series with Viola Davis. Dodson has been a busy bee, having penned Birds of Prey, the canceled Batgirl film, and The Flash which we know is going to play a pivotal role. She’s one of the hottest writers in Hollywood and keeping her around is a must.
Goddard is a fan-favorite filmmaker who created the Marvel/Netflix Daredevil series, as well as directed The Cabin in the Woods and Bad Times at the El Royale.
As Gunn said, Slater is coming off Marvel’s Moon Knight series, where he was head writer and exec-producer. He’s also working on a Mortal Kombat sequel.
If DC is going to get it right this time, Gunn is going to need a lot of support. And based on the people he just mentioned, he’s going to be surrounded by talented folks with proven track records.
