As theDC Universeis about to start, the franchise’s creative chief, James Gunn, has commented on what could be up for the universe in the future when it comes to recasting. The subject of recasting has become a growing issue in superhero adaptations, as the MCU is dealing with it after the Infinity Saga ended, and DC has had to let go of actors fromthe DCEU’s movies, like Henry Cavill as Superman, as the new DCU starts. While the franchise will begin this week withCreature Commandos, Gunn already has ideas for thefuture of the DCU.
On Threads,James Gunnaddressed what the DCU’s plans for recasting actors could be like.
A fan asked the director whether the DCU would recast characters or retire them when actors no longer want to continue playing their roles. According to Gunn, the matter has no exact answer. He believes that either case could happen, as it all depends on the situation in question. While theupcoming DC movies and serieswill serve as only the start of the DCU, it is interesting to see that Gunn already plans for the franchise’s distant future.
How James Gunn’s DCU Recasting Comments Compare To The MCU
Marvel Studios Is Already Dealing With Recasting Questions
Back in 2016, Marvel Studios PresidentKevin Feige commented on how the MCU would deal with recastingits biggest heroes. The executive specifically said thathe could not imagine someone being better than Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man or Chris Evans as Captain America. However, he used Spider-Man to show that recasting major MCU heroes would be possible. At the time, Tom Holland was joining the MCU as Spider-Man inCaptain America: Civil War, with Feige noting how the fans embraced the casting. By using franchises like James Bond, Batman, and Sherlock Holmes, Feige said MCU recastings could happen.
Recasting 20 MCU Actors In Perfect Roles For James Gunn’s DC Universe
James Gunn has already cast MCU actors in the DCU, and he has teased that more will come, with many Marvel stars being perfect for DC characters.
However, after stars like RDJ, Evans, and Scarlett Johansson left the MCU with the release ofAvengers: Endgame, the franchise chose not to recast their characters. Instead,Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow all got definitive endings to their MCU journeys. That said, the MCU previously recast characters like the Hulk and War Machine, keeping them around up to this day. James Gunn’s DCU comments tease that both paths are an option for DC, with the DCU’s creative chief seemingly defining that there will not be a mandate on the matter, with decisions varying as the story dictates them.
Our Take On James Gunn’s DCU Recasting Comments
DC Has The Perfect Plan In Place
I agree with James Gunn’s thoughts about future DCU recastings. I don’t think it is a one-size-fits-all topic, so taking it case by case to find the best solution when actors feel it is time to move on from the franchise is best.I can’t imagine the DCU ever working without Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman, for instance. However, smaller characters or villains could be killed off/retired, leading to story solutions instead of recasting heroes as should be the case for DC’s Trinity. Thankfully, theDCUis just starting, so any recasts should be at least a decade away.
DC Universe
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
