James Gunn has asserted that the brand new DCU just isn’t just like the MCU, although followers typically evaluate the franchises to 1 one other. In spite of everything, the 2 universes each have well-established superhero bases, shared storytelling parts, and long-term launch methods, however the DC Studios co-head has doubled down on his opinion that they don’t seem to be as related as individuals assume. He defined how the DCU differs from the MCU, whereas additionally likening his and Peter Safran’s comfortable reboot of the DC Prolonged Universe (DCEU) to Recreation of Thrones and Star Wars.
In distinction to Marvel Studios, which makes use of the time period Phases, DC Studios is asking its related plans Chapters. Chapter One, subtitled “Gods and Monsters,” launched in December 2024 with the discharge of the animated collection Creature Commandos. This yr’s Superman was the primary characteristic movie on the slate and served as a cinematic reboot for the Man of Metal, with David Corenswet portraying the titular hero. Gunn advised Interview Journal that world-building is among the most enjoyable elements of the job, however it is extremely completely different to how the MCU was crafted:
“I feel it is the explanation I agreed to the job. You discuss George R.R. Martin, and he’s actually one of many guys who I really like and look as much as. I am an infinite fan of his and folks say, ‘Oh, the DCU is doing what MCU is.’ However I feel it truly is much more to me what the Recreation of Thrones world is like or what Star Wars is like, as a result of we’re constructing a universe after which selecting out little items of it and telling particular person tales from that universe.”
Gunn additional famous how the DCU differentiates from different current cinematic universes, stating that the tales happen on a novel map that homes completely different factions:
“There’s not a New York Metropolis in our DCU. There’s not a Los Angeles in our DCU. There’s Metropolis, Evergreen, and Coast Metropolis. It is a completely different map. It is a world wherein some type of superheroes, which we name Metahumans, have existed for at the least 300 years, they usually’ve been part of our life. However I feel that we’re reaching some extent within the DCU the place there’s three factions. There’s the Metahumans, the governments, after which the companies. And the companies are equally essential. There’s Luthor Corp, there’s Lord Tech and Stagg Industries and Wayne Enterprises, that are the 4 massive firms which can be vying for an additional sort of domination.”
Followers Weigh in on the DCU vs. MCU Debate
As a filmmaker who was initially ushered into the superhero style underneath Marvel Studios, Gunn is seemingly eager to separate the DCU from the MCU slightly than have comparisons drawn between the franchises. A technique the 2 differ is that DC Studios has a line-up of various tasks that intention to “inform a bunch of various tales” slightly than dedicating itself to a single cinematic timeline. A number of followers have embraced this strategy, noting that they do not must do “as a lot homework” for the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.
Extra to come back…

Superman
- Launch Date
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July 11, 2025
- Runtime
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130 minutes
- Director
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James Gunn
- Producers
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Peter Safran