James Gunn Says DCU Won’t Use One DC Villain Because Zack Snyder Did It “So Cool”

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The finale of Peacemaker Season 2 led many viewers to believe James Gunn was hinting at the arrival of Darkseid in the new DC Universe. This is because the planet Salvation, featured in the show, is known in the comics as a training ground for Darkseid’s army. However, James Gunn suggests this might not be the case. Darkseid is a major villain in DC Comics, often positioned as the ultimate enemy in stories like Justice League Unlimited and the recent DC K.O. comic. He was also the central villain Zack Snyder was developing for his previous DC films. Gunn seems hesitant to immediately bring Darkseid back, likely because of the expectations built up from Snyder’s plans and other appearances.

During an interview with New Rockstars and Screen Crush, Ryan Arey questioned James Gunn about his thoughts on the character Darkseid. Gunn brought up the New Gods, which will be featured in the upcoming animated series Mister Miracle. When Erik Voss of New Rockstars pointed out the connection to Salvation, Gunn hinted that it wouldn’t be quite what fans expect. Gunn explained that he’s hesitant to use Darkseid as the main villain primarily because of the similarities to Thanos from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and also because Zack Snyder prominently featured the character in his plans for the DC Extended Universe, especially in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Gunn then continued by saying:

Darkseid and Thanos share a lot of similarities in appearance, and that’s actually a key reason why using Darkseid as the main villain isn’t the best approach. Zack Snyder already did a fantastic job with the character, and with Thanos being so successful in the Marvel universe, it feels like we’ve seen this type of villain before.

Darkseid’s Previous DC History


Warner Bros.

Darkseid, created by Jack Kirby, first appeared in a Superman comic in December 1970. Thanos, created by Jim Starlin and Mike Friedrich, followed three years later in February 1973. Although Thanos was originally designed to look like Darkseid, he became much more widely known thanks to his appearances in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. This has led to many people now thinking of Darkseid as a copy of Thanos, even though Darkseid actually debuted in comics first.

Zack Snyder had big plans for the villain Darkseid in his vision for the DC Universe, including his appearance in the original cut of Justice League (played by Ray Porter). Darkseid was intended to be the central antagonist throughout a planned Justice League trilogy, with storylines involving Superman’s corruption and a future ruled by Darkseid. Because Darkseid was so integral to Snyder’s plans, many expected James Gunn to avoid using the character right away to avoid direct comparisons to Snyder’s work.

James Gunn is building the DC Universe with a different approach to villains. Rather than focusing on one massive threat like Thanos or Darkseid, the DCU is introducing villains who will show up in several movies and shows. We’ve already seen this with Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and potentially with Ulrich Tomsen as Sinestro in the Lanterns series, plus Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. While Darkseid may appear, it would be in the animated Mister Miracle series, inspired by the popular comic book run. It’s currently unknown if Mister Miracle will be officially part of the main DCU storyline or a separate project. However, focusing on a more personal conflict for a hero, rather than a world-ending threat, could help Mister Miracle stand out from previous versions and characters like Thanos.

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2025-10-22 00:58