As James Gunn‘s “Superman” reboot is expected to cross the $600 million mark in the coming days, he’s already teasing that the “follow-up” is potentially their “next film” after “Clayface” wraps up production in England.
Gunn recently appeared on Chris Hardwick’s podcast “I Think You’re Overthinking It,” to talk about a whole range of topics. Given his new position as co-CEO of DC Studios, there was plenty of superhero shop talk. Including Gunn giving hints that his “Superman” follow-up (loosely being referred to as a Kryptoian project or “Super-Family”) and an unannounced TV project could be coming sooner than expected.
“I can say that probably the next movie we’re gonna be making is the follow-up to ‘Superman,’ which I don’t want to get in too much detail on, but like that’s what’s probably the next film we’re making, I think.”
“Well, hopefully we’re making [‘The Batman Part 2’] before that, and then I think it’s [the ‘Superman’ follow-up]. And then we have another TV show, which nobody knows about, which is going next.”
Could that be “Waller,” a “Pacemaker” spinoff? We’re just going to need to wait to learn about this secretive series.
The director/studio head also seemed to hint that the Justice Gang could be returning in the new Superman project, too, and that a treatment is already complete, while on Deadline’s podcast “Crew Call with Anthony D’Alessandro.”
“It’s within the group of characters we’ve already met, and Superman’s an important element of it. So, that’s what I’ll say, but like that movie, that treatment is done.”
We’ve assumed the untitled project, not being called “Superman 2,” will be a crossover with Milly Alcock‘s “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” after briefly debuting in the DCU reboot release to pick up Krypto, before her solo pic debuts next year. The “Supergirl” movie will feature Jason Momoa‘s new live-action version of the alien bounty hunter Lobo, who has gone toe-to-toe with Clark and Earthbound heroes. Also, Gunn had recently talked up his desire to tackle supervillain Brainiac (who was expected to be the baddie of Tim Burton and Nicolas Cage‘s never-made 1990s film), who also has connections to Krypton and Alcock’s Kara in the comic books.
“Brianiac was considered,” Gunn admitted while on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, so we assume they’ll eventually use the iconic Superman baddie and could be a threat worth assembling the Justice Gang (Mister Terrific being a huge standout), again.
Other things mentioned still in the works by Gunn include “The Brave & The Bold” (DCU Batman flick, still alive it seems), their newly announced “Wonder Woman” reboot movie being written by Ana Nogueira (“Supergirl”), “Paradise Lost,” and the “Booster Gold” show.
However, it sounds like the mature DC superhero film “The Authority” is being pushed to the side or could be morphing into something else (maybe a series adaptation for HBO Max?).
“Some of the things have changed a little bit, ‘The Authority,’ but most of those things are all in process, you know? But I’m not going to make any of them until there’s a screenplay that I’m happy with.”
That full conversation between Gunn and Hardwick on the podcast episode can be heard below.
-Additional contributions by Rodrigo Perez
