The comic book genre continues to be wildly popular, with a number of shared universes competing at the box office. DC co-CEO James Gunn has been crafting the DCU, with the first slate of projects titled Gods and Monsters. And after the filmmaker seemingly confirmed a sequel to Superman was coming, fans have thoughts.
Superman was the first big-screen installment of the DCU (which also has projects streaming with an HBO Max subscription). The blockbuster has performed quite well, leading fans to wonder about upcoming DC movies. Gunn was recently asked on Threads about what he's doing now that the movie is out, and he responded with:
Peacemaker press!! And sequel writing!!!
Talk about a thrilling update. While Superman makes money at the box office, it sounds like he's already noodling up ideas for where to continue the story. This should probably not be a huge surprise, given the wild pace of Gunn's work since starting his position at DC. Of course, there is still some confusion about exactly what he's teasing.
This Threads post has gotten a ton of engagement online, especially since the filmmaker has a reputation for directly communicating with the fans. When one person asked when he was going to tease the sequel, Gunn responded, "I JUST DID!". While there is no true confirmation, the fact that he's planning on getting into writing mode soon is thrilling. Even if he'll also be busy promoting Peacemaker Season 2.
Fans are sounding off about this mini tease online, including a thread on Reddit. Folks are offering their two cents on Gunn's social presence, as well as what they'd like to see in a follow-up to Superman.
- I love he casually just said announced he’s working on a sequel.
- Very glad to see an actual sequel being made after all the past cancellations from the other Superman’s
- is the funniest exchange I'll see all day. James Gunn is living his best life out there as a CEO.
- I think it's obvious it was getting a sequel and Superman is almost guaranteed to show up in other DCU movies
- Crossing my fingers for Brainiac to be the next villain, it's about time a Superman (live action) movie includes other villains besides Lex Luthor and General Zod.
Since the DCU is still in its early stages, this level of discourse might be a positive sign regarding how the public is feeling about the burgeoning franchise. The previous DC universe had a number of missteps, with Aquaman 2 being the final installment. But it looks like James Gunn and the Superman cast managed to largely win over the hearts of moviegoers.
Of course, the biggest question online is whether or not it'll be a direct sequel to Superman, or another way to expand the universe and use the same characters. Namely because Gunn also shared:
Yes, yes, sorry. This is the same movie. Superman has a major role. It's not 'Superman 2.'
As such, the online discourse is likely going to continue until we know more about what James Gunn is planning in the wake of Superman. But per this clarification, it seems like we're going to see more of an ensemble film with Superman being part of it. Could the Justice League be coming together? The group was still forming in the last DC flick.
There is a ton of world-building being done by DC right now, on both the small and silver screens. Superman featured other heroes as well as characters who will become major presences down the line, such as Maxwell Lord and Supergirl. James Gunn is the architect of this franchise and is also involved as a writer/director. Now the question is: what's going to happen in a Superman sequel?
Superman is in theaters now as part of the 2025 movie release list, and the DCU will expand again when Peacemaker Season 2 arrives on HBO Max August 21st.
