James Gunn is reportedly working on a secret DCEU movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with speculation rife over what it could be. James Gunn is one of the most respected and acclaimed superhero movie directors, having made the Guardians of the Galaxy films for Marvel and then jumping over to DC to direct The Suicide Squad and HBO Max's Peacemaker series. Because of his track record, many are excited to see what James Gunn's unannounced DC movie will turn out to be, as there are a lot of projects that would perfectly suit the director.
James Gunn is reportedly set to finish Peacemaker season 2 before working on the new movie, and considering that he has also hinted at several other DC series, this unannounced film could be pretty far down the road. It is also unknown if the movie will involve characters from The Suicide Squad, with James Gunn having previously flourished in that corner of the DCEU. If not, the movie could focus on anyone, from DC's biggest titans all the way to the company's least-known heroes. While a lot is still unknown, there is an infinite amount of stories that James Gunn could tackle in his new DC film - and here are some of the most likely possibilities.
The Suicide Squad 3
The most obvious choice as to what James Gunn's unannounced DC movie would be is The Suicide Squad 3. James Gunn made his DCEU debut with his acclaimed film The Suicide Squad, which itself is a sequel to the far less-admired Suicide Squad. The Suicide Squad was a fairly self-contained story, with several major characters dying by the end of the film. However, the concept of a black ops team of supervillains lends itself to endless possibilities, meaning that if James Gunn were to make a sequel, it could potentially be completely different from the previous film. The Suicide Squad carried over a few characters from Suicide Squad, but it pretty much told a completely original story. If James Gunn were to treat The Suicide Squad 3 like another entry in an anthology series, he could introduce all kinds of new characters to Task Force X, with the sequel carrying over the previous film's tone and humor rather than its story and characters.
A Peacemaker Movie
A surprising possibility would be a movie based on James Gunn's Peacemaker series, which is a spin-off of The Suicide Squad focusing on the titular antihero. Peacemaker season 1 has already been released, following Peacemaker's journey to take down a species of alien parasites, and Peacemaker season 2 is set to start filming in 2023. Peacemaker is currently the highest-rated DCEU project on Rotten Tomatoes, with the series having been met with massive acclaim and success. Because of this, Warner Bros. Discovery very well could be using season 2 to set up something even bigger for Peacemaker: his own movie. John Cena's popular hero already met the Justice League at the end of season 1, and if season 2 decides to go even bigger, it could set up a Peacemaker movie. It only makes sense for James Gunn's return to the big screen to feature one of his most popular DC characters.
A Suicide Squad Spin-Off
Currently, Peacemaker is the only spin-off of The Suicide Squad that has been released - but there is potential for a lot more. Being an ensemble film, The Suicide Squad introduced tons of characters that could easily carry their own movies, and James Gunn's secret DC movie could focus on any one of them. Idris Elba's Bloodsport and Daniela Melchior's Ratcatcher 2 are the most obvious choices, as they both survived the events of the film and have become fan-favorites. However, James Gunn could just as easily make a prequel based on any of the villains that died in The Suicide Squad - and there were a lot. The film introduced all kinds of villains that have unexplored histories in the DCEU, making them clear possibilities for James Gunn's secret DC movie.
Birds of Prey 2
A more interesting option for James Gunn's upcoming film would be a Birds of Prey sequel. The first Birds of Prey was released in 2020, following Harley Quinn, Huntress, and Black Canary as they attempted to take down notorious mobster Black Mask. While the film has garnered a cult following, its mixed critical reception and poor box-office performance have seemingly left the franchise dead, as no plans for Birds of Prey 2 have been announced. However, DC could see James Gunn as a worthy candidate to helm the sequel, as he has already revitalized DC's other failed series, Suicide Squad, with much success. He has also proven that he can handle Harley Quinn and ensemble casts, both of which are integral to the Birds of Prey formula. While it's a bit more out there than the previously mentioned possibilities, James Gunn directing Birds of Prey 2 may seem like a good idea in the eyes of Warner Bros. Discovery.
An Amanda Waller Movie
It has been reported that James Gunn is working on an Amanda Waller TV show for a while now, but a Waller update given by James Gunn has seemingly dashed hopes of that project ever happening. Gunn responded to being asked about the series by saying, "We haven’t even announced any TV series yet. There’s a lot of stories out there about what’s happening, and some of them are accurate, some of them are not." Noticeably, Gunn didn't deny that an Amanda Waller show was happening - he only mentioned that a TV show hadn't been announced. There may have been some truth to the Amanda Waller rumors, as it could be that the project was changed from an HBO Max series to a movie. Amanda Waller is the leader of Task Force X in both Suicide Squad movies, with her also appearing in Peacemaker and even Black Adam. Her frequent appearances have made her one of the DCEU's more recognizable characters - possibly even big enough to lead her own movie.
Man of Steel 2
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While it may seem impossible, Man of Steel 2 starring Henry Cavill could very well be directed by James Gunn. The same THR report that revealed James Gunn's secret DC project also reported that the studio was eager to continue the story of Henry Cavill's Superman with Man of Steel 2. Zack Snyder directed the first Man of Steel in 2013, and with no indication that Warner Bros. Discovery plans to revitalize their partnership with Snyder, they may be looking for someone to fill his shoes - and James Gunn could be the ideal candidate. Gunn has already proven himself to the studio, with both of his DCEU projects being big hits, meaning that they may be willing to trust him with their biggest superhero. While Man of Steel 2 may not look like the type of project James Gunn would handle, as its tone would be incredibly different from much of Gunn's resumé, it could be the perfect opportunity for Gunn to stretch his creative limits. Most of Gunn's other films have been focused on comedic ensemble casts, so taking on a more serious project solely focused on Henry Cavill's Superman would allow James Gunn to try something different. James Gunn's Man of Steel 2 may not seem like something that would ever happen, but out of all the options for Gunn's secret DCEU movie, it seems like one of the more likely ones.
