DC Universe chief James Gunn is having fun on social media with a cryptic tweet referencing Martian Manhunter.
The tweet, below, includes a picture of a pack of Chocos, DC’s take on Oreos. Fans of DC comics know that Martian Manhunter, one of the seven original members of the Justice League of America and one of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe, is addicted to Chocos, which makes this tweet a clear reference to the much-loved superhero.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 23, 2024
But what does it mean? Fans are already speculating that the tweet indicates that Martian Manhunter has a part to play in Gunn’s DCU. So far, the character isn’t down to appear in next year’s Superman movie, directed by Gunn, or set to star in a DCU TV show or spin-off.
Fingers crossed this means Martian Manhunter has a future in the DCU because he's always been one of my favourite DC heroes and such an underrated interesting character who deserves his own film or show???
— Milkias Samuel (@milkias_samuel) August 23, 2024
Btw there is a huge golden opportunity here for a major sponsorship?? pic.twitter.com/4c2nfYwMZx
It’s a timely tweet, too, given this week we finally got a look at what George Miller’s Martian Manhunter would have looked like in the canceled Justice League Mortal, via a leak from a make-up artist. Hugh Keays-Byrne (Immortan Joe in Mad Max: Fury Road), would have played Martian Manhunter in that film.
Full photos: pic.twitter.com/GMXdS0IzS7
— DC Film News (@DCFilmNews) August 20, 2024
In July, Gunn confirmed which DCU projects are currently in development. Replying to a fan on Threads who asked if the Wonder Woman-adjacent series Paradise Lost is still in production, Gunn confirmed it isn't but did give a list of projects that are. "Nothing is 'in production' unless it's been greenlit," he clarified.
Superman and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow are the only two films from the DCU currently in production, the former of which is the only DCU project with a release date at all: July 11, 2025.
Also in production is Peacemaker Season 2 (which will pick up right where Season 1 left off), Lanterns, and "a handful of animated projects" including Creature Commandos, which will kick off the DCU when it premieres in December 2024.
Finally, Penguin is the last project in development, but this isn't part of the DCU and instead the BatVerse, led by Robert Pattinson's 2022 film The Batman.
Gunn clarified this doesn't mean the other projects are shelved or forgotten about. "Paradise Lost, like many other titles known and unknown, is still in very active development," he said. "It will be in production once we have a script or scripts we think are great and ready to shoot, never before. As an aside, we aren’t officially cast on anything that isn’t greenlit."
Many of the projects within DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters are therefore still being worked on behind the scenes, including films The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, and Swamp Thing. On the TV show front, DC Studios has Waller, Booster Gold, and the aforementioned Paradise Lost awaiting the green light.
The films and shows in production will most likely come first, but Waller is perhaps the most likely candidate to get the green light next. Gunn replied to another fan to say it's doing "wonderful" and in "very active development."
Despite Creature Commandos coming first, the DCU's headlining project is naturally Superman. It stars David Corenswet as the Man of Steel and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane alongside a ton of other superheroes: Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, María Gabriela as The Engineer, and more. Gunn has confirmed these actors will play the roles in other DCU projects too.
Image credit: James Gunn on Twitter.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
