James Gunn and Peter Safran detail how Joker and The Batman movies will fit into the DC Universe as Elseworlds stories. The DCU is about to begin a new era for Warner Bros. Discovery under the new DC Studios regime. After years of struggle with the DCEU, DC Studios is replacing the DC Films initiative with James Gunn and Peter Safran leading the charge. The co-CEOs will be overseeing television, movies, animation, and video games related to the DCU. The big priority is to launch a DCU that will help unite the iconic DC heroes and villains as part of a cohesive universe.
Screen Rant and other press were recently present at a DC Studios event where they disclosed the first half of Chapter 1. While hosting a Q&A session, Gunn and Safran were asked about DC properties that were set outside the main DCU continuity. According to Safran, the DCU is a multiverse, but they will be focusing on one primary continuity. Anything that isn't DCU, "we're gonna make that clear," according to Safran. The Batman and Joker movies are being treated as Elseworlds properties, which will also be the case for other DC projects not part of the DCU. There will be clearer labeling for non-DCU projects going forward.
How Elseworlds Will Benefit DC Studios
Elseworlds, for those who aren't familiar, was a DC Comics publication imprint that launched over two decades ago. The brand was all about focusing on stories that were disconnected from DC's main continuity. The imprint has, in recent years, essentially been semi-replaced by DC Black Label, which kicked off in 2018. In December 2022, Gunn made it clear that Elseworlds movies are in development and part of their strategy.
Even though DC Studios are making the DCU their top priority, it's still a strong move to embrace Elseworlds stories. One of the biggest strengths with DC has been the multiverse angle. The CW's Arrowverse has proven that for the last couple of years, especially when The Flash delved into the concept during season 2. The Greg Berlanti-produced universe showed how alternate realities can work in superhero media. All the storytelling they did eventually helped them build up to Crisis on Infinite Earths, which was a celebration of past, present, and future DC properties spread across the DC multiverse.
It is also to DC Studios' advantage that they are going with a more clear labeling system for their properties. For mainstream audiences, it will benefit them to know what film or TV show is part of the DCU and what isn't connected to the new franchise. For The Batman and Joker franchises, they have also aided Warner Bros. Discovery in that regard. Through the respective films, they have shown that DC standalone stories can work just as well as interconnected universes. It will definitely be intriguing to see how DC Studios continues to explore the Elseworlds element. One of the projects that many have been expecting from Gunn is Kingdom Come through his numerous teases. As the DCU gets ready for its 2025 rollout, time will tell what will come out of the Elseworlds branding. For now only The Batman and Joker are confirmed.
