James Gunn’s DC Studios Just Abandoned Its First TV Show

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James Gunn, co-CEO of DC Studios, has confirmed that the first project planned for the new DC Universe (DCU) has been cancelled and won’t be made. When Gunn and Peter Safran took charge of DC Studios, they revealed a list of movies and TV shows intended to create a connected universe. While some projects, like a series about Clayface, were added later, others have been put on hold.

James Gunn recently discussed the fate of the Arkham TV series in an interview with BobaTalks (available on YouTube). When asked if the show might still be released or if it had been cancelled, Gunn said the future of Arkham could only be described as “hope,” explaining that it’s currently not in development. He ultimately confirmed that the show “just didn’t work out.”

It’s good to be hopeful, but no one is actively working on this anymore. It simply didn’t pan out, so we’ve moved on.

As a huge cinema fan, I remember hearing about Arkham way back in 2022. Initially, it was going to be connected to Matt Reeves’ The Batman – a spin-off, basically. But things changed, and it ended up becoming part of the new DC Universe instead.

Several sources showed the project had stopped moving forward, and Matt Reeves confirmed its cancellation in July 2024. Despite this, fans continued to hope someone would revive it as part of the DCU, but no further information about the series was ever released.

According to James Gunn, he hasn’t forgotten about Arkham, but DC Studios is currently focusing on other projects, meaning it’s not a top priority. Arkham isn’t the only announced DCU project that appears to be on hold, and several other titles might also be cancelled as the new universe develops.

Every DCU Project That Could Be Cancelled

The Authority

I’m really excited about The Authority! It was originally planned as part of the first phase of the new DC Universe, and it sounded amazing. From what I understand, it’s going to be a bit darker and more intense than most superhero movies – think along the lines of The Boys or Invincible. Instead of focusing on classic heroes, it’s going to follow a team of anti-heroes, which I think is a really cool idea.

Okay, so it’s not officially cancelled, but it sounds like The Authority is having a really hard time getting made. I heard the script just isn’t coming together. It seems like DC is prioritizing other projects right now, like the Clayface movie, Supergirl, and especially The Brave and the Bold. They’re really focusing on those instead, which doesn’t bode well for The Authority, honestly.

While there’s still a chance The Authority might come out eventually, it’s unlikely. It doesn’t appear to be crucial to the larger DC Universe story, so if the project is canceled, it probably won’t have a major impact.

Sgt. Rock

Despite rumors of cancellation, the Sgt. Rock movie is still planned at DC Studios, though it’s progressing more slowly than other projects. James Gunn confirmed in June 2025 that development was still underway.

Many fans might struggle to believe the Sgt. Rock movie is really happening until they see some actual footage. Hopefully, DC Studios won’t follow the example of Star Wars and announce a lot of projects that never get made, but that’s a real possibility with Sgt. Rock.

Swamp Thing

James Mangold, the director of Logan, is still working on the DC film Swamp Thing. However, his involvement is also causing delays and slowing down production compared to what it would be with a different director.

Peter Safran and James Gunn explained that the delay with Swamp Thing isn’t a major concern because the project isn’t central to their overall DC Universe plan. They were initially drawn to the ideas James Mangold presented for the story and feel he’s the best person to lead it, so they’re willing to wait for him to be available.

Trevor Mangold is currently focused on his Dawn of the Jedi Star Wars movie. Once that’s finished, he’s expected to start working on Swamp Thing. However, if the project takes too long, DC Studios might have to abandon it.

Waller

The series Waller was one of the first projects planned by DC Studios. It was originally meant to come out before the second season of Peacemaker, acting as a connection between the two shows. Unfortunately, the writers couldn’t finish the script to the level James Gunn wanted.

James Gunn has repeatedly emphasized that no DC Universe project will begin filming until the script is fully finalized. The current issue with the Waller series appears to be related to the script, so if those issues are resolved, the show should be able to move forward with production.

Bringing Waller into the DCU might not be a good idea right now, considering how well Peacemaker succeeded as a standalone series.

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2025-12-27 11:06