DC Comics is famous for its fantastical characters and stories. Superman and Batman are two of the most iconic superheroes in comics and pop-fiction in general, and fans have wanted nothing more than to see them faithfully represented in media like video games and movies. Unfortunately, DC movies have had a mixed reception from fans and critics, to say the least in recent times, but there is reason to believe that could change going forward.
James Gunn, a director famous for movies such as The Suicide Squad and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, was recently appointed to be the director and co-head of DC Studios. This move gives him and The Suicide Squad producer Peter Safran creative control over the future of the DC Cinematic Universe (DCEU). Now, Gunn has confirmed that he would like future DC video games to be a part of that universe.
A fan on Twitter asked Gunn about whether there are plans for DC games to be connected to the movies. Gunn’s response was a simple one-word “yes.” This isn’t the first time that this question has been asked either. The head of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, also brought up games as an important part of the company’s future plans.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment currently controls the video game side of DC Comics projects, so it’s hard to say how much influence and control Gunn will have over this going forward. There is also the question of how this affects any upcoming DC games that have not yet been released. The idea of future DC games being tied into the movies could potentially expand the storytelling potential of both mediums at the same time, but there is also the concern that it might restrict the kinds of games and stories that developers want to create.
WB Games Montreal just released Gotham Knights as its own take on a Bat-family centered action-RPG. Rocksteady, the developer behind the critically acclaimed Batman Arkham series, is currently working on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which is due to be released next year. Beyond this, NetherRealm Studios has its Injustice fighting game franchise, which has not seen a new mainline release since Injustice 2 in 2017.
It’s hard to say how this would impact future DC games or movies at the moment, but there is certainly a possibility for it to turn out well. Games in the Star Wars franchise have been canon to the story being told in the movies and TV shows, such as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and this has benefited all mediums involved. Hopefully, DC’s games and movies will benefit similarly.