Warner Bros. Discovery recently announced director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran to together and head the DC Studios. While at a point fans believed that their favorite director, Zack Snyder, would be the one to sit at the head of the table, we all know that’s not what happened. The duo will serve as co-chairs and co-CEOs simultaneously, and will hopefully bring back the DCU to its original form.
One half of the team, James Gunn wished his Twitter followers a happy Halloween adding a photo of the fan-favorite DC horror character, Deadman. This then obviously made fans speculate about the possible entry of Deadman into the DCU. Fans believe James Gunn is what the DCU needs to fulfill the studios’ original plan, and the Deadman tease might be him going in that exact direction.
Will James Gunn Make Deadman a Reality?
Deadman AKA Boston Brand was a trapeze artist who was murdered during his performance. He returns in spirit form, being able to possess any living being in order to find his killer.
While nothing is confirmed yet and James Gunn’s tweet might not have any hidden meaning behind it, fans cannot help but speculate. Deadman has already been seen in action in DC animated Projects, including Justice League Dark and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Therefore it is not entirely a stretch to think a live-action Deadman might be a possibility in the future.
A James Gunn Deadman movie would be INSANE 😩😩 https://t.co/ySfhdMg8JD
— CanWeGetSomeToast (@CanWeGetToast) October 31, 2022
The excitement of fans’ after the tweet is not irrational as the character’s storyline is definitely one that would be a treat to watch in live-action. Who better to take the story forward than Gunn himself?
Fans believe that Gunn is a man of vision, which is exactly what the DCU wants at this moment. With one project being canceled after the other and the recent DC movies not holding up to their predecessors, the DCU is in dire need of a miracle. Gunn just might be it.
Even though James Gunn is mostly known around the superhero universe for his work in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, he has a number of other tricks up his sleeve, apart from the superhero genre. From directing live-action Scooby-Doo movies to the horror movie, Slither, Gunn is not afraid of experimenting, making him the perfect choice to lead Deadman, should it come into existence.
Deadman and a Possibility of Justice League Dark
Justice League Dark is an extension of the main Justice League and is more focused on fighting mystic and supernatural threats. Deadman is one of the founding members of the team, along with Zatanna, Constantine, and a few others.
While there hasn’t been a live-action project on this team, now seems like a good time to make it happen. Not only will this be something different from what the DCU has done so far, but it will also reignite the now-extinguishing craze of the superhero genre.
Back in 2013, director Guillermo del Toro had almost presented a movie focusing on the JLD squad, however, it never came to fruition. He was all set with a storyline and was looking forward to pitching it to Warner Bros.
“We do have a writer, but until that is firmed up, I have to keep it a secret. I hope it happens. It’s going really, really well. It’s like meeting old friends. I grew up with Demon Etrigan, with Swamp Thing, with Deadman, so these are characters that are near and dear to my heart.”
His movie was supposedly going to dive into the origins of each of the characters, including Deadman. He also hoped for possible solo films for every single character. In the animated movies featuring Justice League Dark, Deadman was easily one of the most interesting characters and in no time became a fan favorite. It won’t be a surprise if Gunn does decide to bring the character to the DCU.
For now, whether Deadman is happening or not, cannot be answered with any certainty. While it’s fun to speculate and come up with theories, it might be better if the fans do not get their hopes up too much.
Source: Twitter
