Though the DC Universe is still in the early stages, fans have already met a bevy of characters, and there are several more on the way this year thanks to Supergirl, Lanterns, and Clayface. While it’s important to stay focused on the present and enjoy movies and TV shows as they come out, viewers can’t help but wonder who could be next. DC is home to some of the most powerful comic book characters of all time, many of whom would be fantastic additions to the shared universe. According to James Gunn, it won’t be much longer until some heavy hitters pop up.
On Threads, a fan asked Gunn whether or not certain characters will appear in the DCU at some point. The query specifically mentioned General Zod, Doomsday, Dr. Fate, Black Adam, Ultraman (with his crime syndicate), and Darkseid. In response, Gunn wrote, “Two of them in not too long…” but didn’t reveal which ones.
From the above list, it’s reasonable to assume that Darkseid will be one of the characters audiences see in due time — though perhaps not in the way some might have expected. After Peacemaker Season 2 introduced Salvation, many thought the DCU was building towards Darkseid being the main overarching villain of the franchise’s “Gods and Monsters” slate, but Gunn revealed that “using Darkseid as the big bad now is not necessarily a thing” because of the obvious comparisons to Marvel’s Thanos and Zack Snyder’s use of the character in the DC Extended Universe. Instead, Darkseid will appear in the animated Mister Miracle series, which is inspired by Tom King and Mitch Gerads’ acclaimed comic book run.
The second character is not as easy to figure out. Both Black Adam and Dr. Fate appeared recently on screen in the DCEU’s Black Adam, a critically panned box office bomb that released shortly before Gunn and Peter Safran became co-heads of DC Studios. That project doesn’t preclude either Black Adam or Dr. Fate from being in the DCU, obviously, but Gunn could want some more time to pass before introducing new versions. Last summer, Gunn shared that it would be at least two years before the DCU’s Flash and Aquaman were brought into the fold; Flash and Aquaman were key characters in the DCEU. Each situation is different, of course, but if Gunn is being patient with Flash and Aquaman, it’s plausible that approach also applies to Black Adam.
Ultraman is already part of the DCU; he’s a secondary antagonist in Superman. He was defeated in that film, being sucked into a black hole during the climax, but his ultimate fate is unknown. He could very well still be alive and return at some point, with his trusty crime syndicate in tow. In the comics, Ultraman is a member of the Crime Syndicate of America, which is comprised of evil versions of classic DC heroes from alternate realities. This would be highly entertaining to see on the big screen; the issue is that the timing may not be just right. We still haven’t met the DCU versions of some notable superheroes, so introducing a team of evil variants “in not too long” seems unlikely. It’s something that could happen further down the line, however.
Thing will probably become clearer when DC Studios officially announces and schedules more upcoming projects. Right now, there are only a few movies and shows that have confirmed release dates. Once we know what else is formally on the slate, it’ll be easier to predict which of the DC’s most powerful characters will be making an appearance. It’ll also be interesting to see what exactly “not too long” means. That’s vague enough where even a couple of years is a realistic ballpark, considering how long it can take projects to come together.
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