Chapter 1 of the DC Universe already has a big advantage over Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 1 thanks to James Gunn's plan. The first part of James Gunn and Peter Safran's vision for the DC Universe was officially announced in early 2023. They confirmed plans for 10 projects that include everything from reboot movie franchises for Batman and Superman to HBO Max shows starring Green Lantern and Booster Gold. These movies and shows are only a piece of a decade-long plan James Gunn has developed for the DC Universe, with Chapter 1 officially known as Gods and Monsters.The DC Universe reboot has already started to generate comparisons to other superhero shared universes. This includes looking at how James Gunn's plan is different from what the DC Extended Universe attempted. Now that the franchise is resetting again with Chapter 1, comparisons to the MCU's Phase 1 have also begun. Marvel and DC's movie plans have always been compared and contrasted, but the DC Universe relaunching with Phase 1 in many ways puts the franchise in the same place that the MCU was when Phase 1 happened. Even without knowing the full extent of what is coming, James Gunn has already helped give DC's Chapter 1 a big advantage.
The DC Universe Already Has A Plan For Chapter 1
James Gunn and Peter Safran have already outlined a full plan for the DC Universe that Chapter 1 begins, which is not the position Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios were in. They began the MCU with a general idea of where the franchise would go and that The Avengers was the end goal of Phase 1. However, they did not know the specifics about how each movie was going to work to set up that event. This included having different ideas for which Avengers would be included, who the villain would be, and more. The setup for the larger MCU plan throughout Phase 1 is somewhat rocky as a result.
Even as much of James Gunn's DC Universe plans remain a secret, the teases that have come already show that a more defined plan for the franchise is in place. He has talked about having an overall story in mind and knows how individual projects are going to set it up. For example, Lanterns was described as being a key project in DC's Chapter 1 in terms of setting up the big picture. It gives the DC Universe a better starting point than the MCU had with Phase 1, as James Gunn's planning could help avoid the need for retcons or dropped plotlines as the franchise grows.
The DC Universe's Chapter 1 Plan Makes More Crossovers Possible
The advantage that DC Universe's Chapter 1 has from James Gunn's plan also means that viewers could be treated to more superhero crossovers early on. The MCU included a few notable cameos during Phase 1 projects, but they were all geared specifically around building the Avengers instead of organically having the superheroes interact. James Gunn has already teased that the DC Universe could include crossovers like Superman in The Authority. While such character interactions could be part of the DC Universe building toward its first big event movie, they can feel much more natural than some of the MCU Phase 1 teases if done correctly.
