James Gunn has confirmed future DC video games will be connected to the DC Universe of live-action films, shows, and animated series.
The revelation came when Gunn responded to a question asked by Twitter user @ALittle_Early, who inquired, “are you and your partner planning to give more DC character tv shows that’ll add to the story for the DCEU?”
“Yes, most definitely, the DCU will be connected across film and TV (and animation),” replied The Suicide Squad director and recently appointed co-CEO of DC Studios.
The response provided by Gunn prompted @TheRabidOpossum to ask whether there were also plans connect the DCU to upcoming DC video games, to which the Guardians of the Galaxy director replied with a succinct “Yes.”
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has stated that the company’s plan was to create a “bible” for the DC universe to remain consistent across live-action film, TV, animation, games, and more.
A “hugely undervalued asset. Disney did a wonderful job with Marvel. But if you looked at Marvel and DC ten years ago, you would have said DC is as good or better. But Marvel is a connected universe. It has a ‘bible,’” said Zaslav during a keynote conversation at the RBC Media conference.
“The key was having one person following everything. All of Marvel is one place. You don’t wake up and find that there has been a Batman TV show someplace,” the WBD CEO added.
Along with DC films producer Peter Safran, James Gunn was also introduced at that meeting as co-chairman and CEO of DC Films — now officially rebranded as DC Studios.
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Though remaining in their own continuity, the DC Universe had previously remained consistent across comics and animated cartoons. Video games and live-action shows would take inspiration from highly praised media and the events therein, such as Batman: Knightfall, The Killing Joke, Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited, and more.
For example, while Gotham Knights takes place after the apparent demise of Batman, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is set within the Batman: Arkham universe of games — which concluded with Caped Crusader’s supposed death.
This greater continuity does beg several questions. Will someone be compelled to watch a TV show to understand the events of a game? Will continuity still apply to a piece of media that fails to meet expectations? Why are the DC comics conspicuously missing from this desire to keep everything connected?