Chapter 1 of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU will officially be titled Gods & Monsters, but that moniker is much more than just a foreboding name. Following much feverish anticipation, Warner Bros. Discovery has unveiled its tentative first steps for rebooting DC in film and TV. Beginning in 2025 with Superman: Legacy, the first phase of the new DCU will comprise approximately two movies and two HBO Max TV shows per year, weaving together an overarching and cohesive shared universe between platforms.
Prior to Gunn and Safran being appointed co-heads of the new DC Studios, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav declared his desire for an MCU-style approach to DC content. It is, therefore, no surprise to see the Gunn and Safran DC Universe franchise beginning with a big announcement that lays out plans for its very first phase. Unlike the MCU, however, each chapter in the DCU will have its own name, and the opening gambit carries a heading of Gods & Monsters. This phrase not only holds a powerful meaning within DC mythology, but resonates strongly with the projects Gunn and Safran have planned.
Gods & Monsters Is A Major Theme Of DC Stories
The duality between gods and monsters is a concept that underpins the DC universe both in comics and elsewhere. DC lore contains actual gods like Zeus and Ares, Superman types who become known as godlike figures, and a raft of classic DC villains who misguidedly attempt to claim godhood for themselves. This inevitably creates crossover with the "monsters" half of the Gods & Monsters concept. A DC monster can be a giant, grotesque, grunting creature covered in slime, or a bald man in a suit. Where superpowers are involved, both gods and monsters are never far behind, and the title makes for a fitting allusion toward one of DC's most prevalent themes.
Indeed, "Gods & Monsters" has been used before with 2015's animated Justice League: Gods & Monsters. While the DCU almost certainly has no connection to the cartoon, this parallel proves just how ingrained the eternal battle between gods and monsters is within DC DNA. At the heart of said battle is a question that will seemingly play a major role in the DCU's first chapter: what is the difference between gods and monsters? Superman: Legacy and other releases in the DCU era of movies and TV will evidently toy with this fine balance between what it means to be a god, and what it means to be a monster.
Which Characters Are Gods & Which Are Monsters In DC Universe Chapter 1
The DCU chapter 1's "Gods & Monsters" title naturally encourages questions over which characters are which. On the divine side of the equation, Paradise Lost covers the Amazonians of Themyscira, while both Superman and Supergirl appear on Earth, seeming akin to gods in comparison to the natives. As for monsters, Swamp Thing and Creature Commandos are the two obvious representatives, but Amanda Waller and Damian Wayne could both be considered monstrous for their dark actions and skewed moralities. The beauty of the DCU's "Gods & Monsters" title, however, is that every definition is ambiguous.
The Authority and Booster Gold in the DCU will likely see themselves as heroes, whereas many would argue they are closer to monsters. The likes of Swamp Thing could defy the "monster" tag, whereas actual gods may ultimately prove more monster-ish in nature. The "Gods & Monsters" title poses the question of whether one move from Superman pushes him from one category to the other, or whether a boy trained as a monster, like Damian Wayne, can become something better. There are gods and monsters aplenty in the first DCU chapter, but defining characters under those banners may not be as straightforward as it appears.
