James Gunn loves an excellent film tease. And whereas Peacemaker Season 2 (airing on the 2025 TV schedule streaming with an HBO Max subscription) is giving followers a lot to speak about already, it was just a little back-and-forth with a fan relating to DCU’s timeline that will have simply opened the door to one thing a lot, a lot greater for the long run. And my mind is sparking with theories on what it may imply.
Throughout an informal watch get together for Episode 5 with spouse and Peacemaker star Jennifer Holland, Gunn took to Threads, inviting followers to hitch him. He wrote:
About to begin Episode 5 Watch Celebration with @jenniferlholland. Press play in a single minute!! Who else is right here?
One fan took their shot. They requested:
Hey @jamesgunn !!! Liked Ep 5! A query I wished to ask final week… will there be DCU tasks set in completely completely different time eras..? Would like to see one thing positioned within the early 1800s 🧜♂️
Gunn, by no means one to overexplain, gave a direct (and immediately brain-igniting) response. He replied:
Sure there are and shall be.
And similar to that, my thoughts is off to the races. As a result of if James Gunn is critical—and let’s face it, he normally is—we could be getting a DCU interval piece. Let’s break down what this might imply for the way forward for new DC motion pictures.
The Early 1800s May Be Extra Than a Throwaway
This would possibly sound like a throwaway remark. But when you understand your DC lore, the Nineteenth century isn’t simply old-timey wallpaper—it’s filled with wealthy, bizarre, and surprisingly cinematic characters. If Gunn needs to dip into this sandbox for an upcoming DC TV sequence or one other movie challenge, past the present DCU Chapter One slate, listed below are only a few wild picks ripe for adaptation:
- Jonah Hex (1838 – onward) – A scarred Accomplice-turned-bounty-hunter, Hex is principally Clint Eastwood in a cursed comedian. Westerns are due for a comeback, and Hex deserves a greater shot than that 2010 film gave him.
- Max Mercury (1838) – A speedster earlier than The Flash, Max received his powers from a Blackfoot shaman and spent a long time hopping time. Delusion-meets-mysticism. It is superhero folklore.
- The Phantom Stranger & Jack the Ripper (1888) – A demonic Ripper meets DC’s creepiest cosmic guardian. Think about a Victorian horror miniseries that ends in a rat-filled London sewer. Sure, please.
- The Atom Meets Edgar Allan Poe (1849) – Ray Palmer time-travels and groups up with Poe to resolve a gold heist. Gothic, quirky, completely prepared for a status sequence.
- Woman Jane (1851) – Burned alive and reborn as a plant elemental. She later joins the Parliament of Timber. Assume: a Gothic Swamp Factor prequel with a contact of Crimson Peak.
- Bat Lash (1847–1860s) – A captivating rogue gambler with a coronary heart of gold (and a gun). His tales are romantic, chaotic, and weirdly poetic. Image a Tarantino Western with superhero vibes.
- Swamp Factor within the Previous West (1872) – Yup, even he exhibits up. In a bizarre frontier-era story involving Native heroes, cults, and magical amber. It’s as eerie as it’s epic.
That’s simply the tip of the iceberg with regards to the wealthy historic settings DC Comics has to supply. With no scarcity of compelling tales to attract from, a DC interval piece feels not solely potential—however completely timed.
Why A Interval Piece Works Proper Now
Marvel’s Cinematic Multiverse is large, however with regards to interval storytelling, particularly within the American frontier, they largely steer clear. That’s the place DC can stand aside. Gunn has repeatedly stated the DCU received’t simply be about interlocking puzzle items, however about telling the very best tales. And what higher manner to try this than by ditching the present-day capes for dusty landscapes or a gaslamp London?
A Nineteenth-century DCU story can be recent and daring amongst the present slate of upcoming superhero motion pictures, and I might be so sport. Let’s hope Gunn is already cracking open these dusty comedian e book longboxes, as a result of the previous would possibly simply be the way forward for the DCU.