The DCU has the chance to bring many characters into the fold with James Gunn and Peter Safran as DC Studios’ co-heads, and the fans have spoken out about which ones they want to see the most.
On a Reddit thread, the question of which DC characters should be in DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters and who fit the theme was raised, and the answers were revealing. Several announced projects fit the theme literally, such as Creature Commandos, Paradise Lost, and Swamp Thing. On a metaphorical level, Superman fits the theme of god and it’s possible he could even face a god in Superman: Legacy and the same can be said for Supergirl in the upcoming Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. But DC has a vast library of characters that extends beyond these titles.
Here are some of the top picks DC fans want to see in the DC Universe’s Chapter One.
The New Gods
One of Jack Kirby’s best inventions was the New Gods, higher beings from the Fourth World who’ve been engaged in cosmic conflict for ages. The planet New Genesis is a place of goodness and virtue ruled by Highfather, while Apokolips is a hellish place of torture dominated by Darkseid. Both have been featured in many comic book stories over the years, but they’ve yet to fully shine in live-action. Darkseid appeared in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, as did his nefarious allies Granny Goodness, Desaad, and Steppenwolf, but audiences haven’t seen fan-favorites Orion, Mr. Miracle, and Big Barda. The new DC Universe could rectify this by putting the full New Gods story on display.
Etrigan
As far as other monsters getting more of the spotlight, Etrigan might be one of the best options. Jason blood is cursed to become the firebreathing, rhyming demon Etrigan and he’s been a fixture in DC Comics for years. Despite his appearances, Etrigan skews more on the good side and belongs to the Demon Knights. Demon Knights by Paul Cornell and Diogenes Neves takes place during the Dark Ages, and the wizard Merlin is the one responsible for bonding Jason Blood with the demon Etrigan. Blood and Madame Xanadu form a team with the likes of Vandal Savage, Shining Knight, and more. James Gunn has confirmed that the DC Universe projects will span across time, and a story set in the Dark Ages could be a viable option.
Wonder Woman
Although Paradise Lost is based on Greek mythology and will be about the Amazons, it’s set prior to the birth of Princess Diana. There will be plenty of swords and sorcery, but fans still want to see Wonder Woman herself. She was molded from Clay by her mother Hippolyta and brought to life by the Greek gods. After Gunn was asked on Twitter about the plans for Wonder Woman, he answered that there is a plan for her, but whether this will still be Gal Gadot or if they will introduce a new actress is still unclear. Regardless of which, fans still want Wonder Woman in the DC Universe to stand alongside Batman and Superman.
Some other notable characters included the necromancer John Constantine, the massive zombie Solomon Grundy, Klarion the Witch Boy, Felix Faust, the Spectre, and Phantom Stranger. The full list of projects in DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters hasn’t been revealed, so there’s still a chance any of these characters could appear.