The DC Universe slate has been revealed, and it is already fixing a common superhero genre complaint regarding the source material. After James Gunn promised that part of the new DCU’s Chapter 1 plan would be revealed in January, DC Studios’ new DC Universe has been officially announced with a slate that involves not only established characters like Superman and Batman but also lesser-known DC properties like the Creature Commandos. The new DCU only really starts in 2025, but its impact is already being felt.From the previously announced Superman reboot to a Batman movie featuring a new Batman actor as well as the first live-action version of Damian Wayne, the DCU’s Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters is already vastly different from the previous DCEU. With The Flash set to reset things as confirmed by Gunn, the new DC Universe is a significant reboot. Such major changes are even impacting DC Comics.
The DCU Slate Announcement Is Boosting DC Comic Sales
A week few days after James Gunn announced DC Studios’ initial slate for the DCU’s Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, some of the comic books mentioned by Gunn as an inspiration for upcoming DC Universe films remain in the list of best-selling graphic novels of the week in online bookstores. That includes Grant Morrison’s Batman run, Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman. Those comics were listed as inspirations for the new DC Universe movies, be it with more direct links like the Supergirl film Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow or with stories that will inform this new DCU’s tone and aesthetic.
While those who are familiar with DC Comics and its characters will notice when a comic book is influencing a film, it was interesting to see James Gunn directly mention the comic book arcs that are inspiring the new DC Universe. More than borrowing a title like Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow for the Supergirl film, the new DC Universe seems to be diving into how iconic DC Comics titles portrayed key characters like Batman and Superman and aiming at translating that feel to the screen. James Gunn made sure to point out that these productions will not necessarily be adaptations of the comics, yet that the comics are major influences.
Why The MCU Hasn't Inspired A Sales Spike Like The DCU
While the MCU has obviously done a lot for the superhero movie genre and for superheroes as a whole, the franchise has sort of grown beyond the Marvel Comics legacy. That is not to say the MCU is more important than the comics or that it’s meant to replace the comics, only that highly successful films like Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame have managed to capture the interest of both comic book readers and general audiences in a way that transcends the source material. In fact, MCU movies and shows are rarely based on a specific comic book run or event.
This can help explain why the MCU’s success does not always leads to a comic book sales spike like the recent DC Universe announcements did, as the MCU’s canon by itself is enough for audiences to follow the franchise. If Avengers: Endgame briefly surpassed Avatar to become the highest-grossing movie of all time, then a significant portion of the audience will always have the MCU’s movies and shows as their definitive versions of the Marvel Universe and not the comics. What that means for Marvel in the long term is difficult to say, but Marvel Comics’ importance to the superhero movie genre must never be forgotten.
