James Gunn Confirms DC Elseworlds Projects, Teases DCU Announcements

More news about the upcoming DC Universe continues to release each day, with James Gunn taking to social media to confirm the development of an Elseworlds project.

In a recent tweet from a fan, Gunn was asked whether or not he would be open to producing any Elseworlds projects — a term that refers to projects that wouldn’t be set in the canon DC Universe. In a surprise response, Gunn said that it was already “actively happening,” and in a different reply to another fan, announced that “a few” projects would be confirmed or announced next month.

While the news of more projects being announced isn’t too shocking, the revelation that an Elseworlds project is underway might be for some. For those unaware, Elseworlds was a DC Comics publication imprint that focused on stories that happened outside of the main DC Comics continuity. This allowed for more creative storytelling and led to some of DC’s biggest and most well-known stories ever, including 2008’s beloved story Kingdom Come.

Coincidentally, the world of live-action DC projects is no stranger to the concept of Elseworlds, as the fifth Arrowverse crossover that occurred in 2018 was titled after the publication imprint. That crossover saw characters from The CW’s The Flash, Arrow, and Supergirl all meeting one another, as well as introducing Batgirl, Gotham City, and Lois Lane into their continuity as well.

While much of the DCU’s future remains a mystery, Gunn recently announced that Cavill would be exiting the role of Superman and that Gunn would be writing a new Superman movie. Additionally, several notable cameos have been nixed from The Flash and Wonder Woman 3 is no longer in development. There are also reports that Jason Momoa will no longer be Aquaman and will instead be recast as another DC character.

The next DC Universe release will be Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which releases March 17, 2023. It will be followed by The Flash, starring the troubled Ezra Miller, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The future afterward is currently uncertain as Gunn and Safran decide upon their 10-year plan for the DCU.