It seems that the DCU movie The Authority is facing some challenges, as confirmed by DC Studios co-chief James Gunn. Announced as part of Gunn and Peter Safran's ambitious Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters DC Universe reboot two years ago, The Authority was touted as a "big movie" featuring the notoriously brutal superhero team from the WildStorm Universe. However, recent developments suggest that the project has encountered significant hurdles.
During a DC Studios presentation attended by IGN, Gunn acknowledged that The Authority has been the "hardest" project to tackle among those announced for Chapter 1. He cited the influence of Amazon's hit series The Boys and the broader impact of The Authority on subsequent works as contributing factors to these challenges. Gunn also mentioned the need to balance the introduction of new characters with the continuation of stories for characters already filmed and loved by audiences.
“Honestly, Authority's been the one that's been the hardest, both because of the shifting overall story and because of getting it right in a world with The Boys and a world with all the things that The Authority influenced that came out after it,” Gunn stated. He further admitted that the project is "a little bit more on the back burner right now."
DC Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV Show
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Notably, one character from The Authority, the electronics prodigy The Engineer / Angela Spica, is set to appear in the DCU kickstarter film Superman. The Engineer is known for her formidable abilities, including self-duplication, technopathy, genius-level intellect, and radio-induced telepathy. For more on the team, check out IGN's article, Who Are the Authority: The WildStorm DCU Characters Explained.
The Authority is not the only project facing difficulties within Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. Gunn revealed that Waller, a spinoff from his HBO Max series Peacemaker, has also experienced "a couple of setbacks." However, other projects are progressing well. The HBO Max series Booster Gold "is going pretty strong," and Paradise Lost remains a key focus with active development. "It seems to be going pretty well," Gunn remarked, with Safran confirming that the pilot for Paradise Lost is currently being written.
Regarding Swamp Thing, Safran expressed DC Studios' willingness to wait for acclaimed director James Mangold, who is currently working on another project titled A Complete Unknown. "Our writer-director went off to make another little movie, A Complete Unknown, and we hope that he'll come back to Swamp Thing when he's ready, because again, that was one of those ones that we love him as a filmmaker, so we're happy to wait for him," Safran stated. Gunn added that Swamp Thing "is not integral to the larger story that we're telling," indicating its standalone nature within the DCU.
These updates reflect the dynamic and evolving nature of DC Studios' ambitious plans for the DC Universe, with some projects facing delays while others continue to move forward.
