7 DC Comics character who may present up in James Gunn’s DCU

James Gunn is busy remaking the DC Universe in his picture, with Superman providing a recent, family-friendly place to begin whereas Peacemaker season 2 continues the darkish absurdity. Each initiatives have additionally launched sudden characters from the comics, starting from newly minted fan-favorite Mr. Terrific in Superman to Captain Triumph serving because the emotional core of Peacemaker season 2. So with an extended checklist of DCU films and TV exhibits within the works, we will’t assist however marvel once we’ll see a few of our favourite characters once more — and what different D-listers Gunn will elevate to greatness.

Gunn and producer Peter Safran have already confirmed the return of Xolo Maridueña as Blue Beetle in an animated collection and the recasting of Surprise Girl, in addition to some deeper cuts like a collection starring the time-traveling wannabe hero Booster Gold. However who else is coming to the DCU? We’re digging into seven of the characters that we may see becoming into Gunn’s imaginative and prescient, ranked from more than likely to too foolish to significantly take into account for anybody however Gunn.

7

Brainiac

Chance: Extraordinarily excessive

Gunn made a shock announcement this month that Superman will return to theaters in July 2027 for Man of Tomorrow, revealing that Lex Luthor and Superman will staff as much as battle an excellent higher menace. If there’s one villain archetype Hollywood loves greater than tech bros, it’s evil AIs. Brainiac could be an ideal unhealthy man for the second and precisely the type of menace that would drive the Man of Metal to depend on Luthor’s genius.

Brainiac matches particularly properly with the course that Gunn has chosen to take Krypton, with Jor-El encouraging his son to take over Earth versus simply being a noble protector. A number of Superman tales like My Adventures with Superman and Superman: The Animated Sequence have depicted Brainiac as a program developed by Kryptonians. If Superman isn’t prepared to beat the planet within the identify of Krypton, Brainiac definitely could be.

6

Mister Mxyzptlk

Chance: Very excessive

Gunn has spent a whole lot of time organising interdimensional imps, from the one which the Justice Gang fights within the background of Superman, to the one which Peacemaker’s dad Auggie shoots in episode 4 of Peacemaker season 2. Provided that Gunn has emphasised the significance of Peacemaker to the way forward for the DCU, that could possibly be a touch that these imps are going to play a much bigger function.

Hailing from the Fifth Dimension, Mister Mxyzptlk is an immensely highly effective trickster with a penchant for harassing Superman and sometimes Supergirl. His antics are typically playful, however he can veer into the territory of pure evil. He’s additionally a villain that may solely actually be defeated with crafty, which could possibly be one more reason for Luthor to become involved.

5

Mongul

Chance: Excessive

Not a lot is understood in regards to the upcoming Supergirl: Girl of Tomorrow movie apart from the truth that Jason Momoa will play the bounty hunter Lobo. However Lobo’s extra of an antihero than a real villain. Provided that Supergirl tends to spend a bunch of time occurring benders in house, and that the comedian the movie takes its identify from is an interstellar journey, she’s going to want a extra nefarious alien to battle.

Mongul would match the invoice properly. He’s one of many few unhealthy guys powerful sufficient to go toe-to-toe with a Kryptonian and will make use of Lobo to choose up gladiators for him. He’s a personality that comes with loads of assets and underbosses, however he doesn’t have the advanced mythology and Snyderverse baggage of Darkseid, making him a simple addition to the DCU.

4

Gorilla Grodd

Chance: Excessive

James Gunn has shared his love for DC Comics’ gorilla obsession, paying tribute to the pattern by having an ape almost kill Peacemaker in Peacemaker season 1. DC Comics has quite a few ape villains, together with the Extremely-Humanite and Monsieur Mallah, however Gorilla Grodd is probably the most sinister of them due to his psychic powers and desires of world domination. He’s usually portrayed as a key member of the Legion of Doom, which I nonetheless suppose Luthor will assemble to conflict with the Justice Gang.

3

Etrigan the Demon

Chance: Considerably

Jack Kirby created the poetry-reciting demon Etrigan and his alter ego Jason Blood, who was an Arthurian knight. The bizarre character is surprisingly versatile due to his lengthy life, sturdy fight expertise, and information of the occult, popping up in quite a few tales to assist magic-wielding characters like John Constantine and clarify issues to extra skeptical varieties like Batman. He may simply seem in Creature Commandos or every other mission involving the supernatural.

2

Jarro

Chance: Perhaps an Easter egg somewhat than a full character

Gunn already launched Starro the Conqueror in The Suicide Squad so it will be straightforward to introduce his a lot nicer offspring, Jarro. Within the comics, Batman used tissue from Starro to develop Jarro in a jar, and the telepathic starfish got here to view the Darkish Knight as his father and battle on behalf of the Justice League. This positively isn’t the type of Batman story we’ll see from Matt Reeves, however another science-minded hero may presumably have gotten a pattern from Corto Maltese to lift their very own psychic sidekick.

1

Dex-Starr

Chance: Unlikely however we will hope

Making Man Gardner’s Inexperienced Lantern a key a part of the Justice Gang introduces an entire world of intergalactic heroes and villains. I doubt Gunn is in any rush to carry again Parallax or Sinestro after they appeared within the much-maligned 2011 Inexperienced Lantern movie, however a rage-fueled Pink Lantern could be an ideal foe for Gardner. Given how large an animal lover Gunn is, I’m guessing he’d look proper previous Pink Lantern Corps chief Atrocitus and choose Dex-Starr, a cat whose anger is fueled by the loss of life of his proprietor.