The New DCU Could Avoid Marvel’s Biggest Phase 5 Problem

From the outside looking in, there doesn’t seem to be a cohesive plan binding the new DC Universe together. In truth, though, James Gunn and Peter Safran know exactly what they’re doing — it may just take a bit of time for us to see the big picture.

DC’s creative co-chairs recently teased a bit of their upcoming plans with The Hollywood Reporter. While the duo admitted that a bit of their upcoming slate has been constructed on the fly — usually in response to a great script — their franchise reboot is maturing exactly as planned. “We’ve unified the brand, we’ve greenlit five theatrical films, made three live-action series, and are producing five animated series,” Safran told THR.

While Superman and Lanterns have long been guiding lights for the new DCU, Gunn and Safran have adjusted other aspects of the new slate as needed. Previously announced projects like Waller, Booster Gold, and The Authority are currently in limbo, while others are now on the fast track. DC’s approach to worldbuilding stands in stark contrast to its competitors at Marvel, who (until recently) planned the franchise out in careful, year-spanning phases. Whether DC’s new strategy will pay off remains to be seen — but there’s at least one promising pattern emerging from Gunn and Safran’s strategy, and it could put Marvel to shame in one crucial way.

At a recent press event for the DCU, Gunn and Safran teased three “younger-skewing” animated series that have recently entered development. The buzziest of the three might be Starfire, a show that will serve as an origin story for Princess Koriand’r of Tamaran. The series will follow her adventures through the universe, in which she’ll team up with characters like “space biker Crush, plant-loving Fern, and the magical Princess Amethyst of Gemworld” and together, they will “uncover the deepest reaches of the DC universe, save Space Dolphins, surf technicolor nebulas, and boldly soar into the unknown.” (Hopefully, she’ll eventually make her way to Earth to join the Teen Titans.)

Starfire is one of a few previously announced projects set to focus on members of the Titans. An animated film about Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, Dynamic Duo, is in the works from Swaybox Studios. And then there’s the prospect of a live-action Titans movie. Gunn confirmed that Ana Nogueira, the screenwriter of DC’s upcoming Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, has been “really impassioned” by the idea of a feature-length Titans story. “She turned over an amazing script for us,” he told Variety. “She’s fiddling with that now, but it’s definitely not a finished script.”

Finished or not, a Titans movie is something that fans are hoping to see in the future. There’s an outspoken demand for “younger-skewing” stories set in the DCU; even if they aren’t catering to it outright, Gunn and Safran’s most recent updates seem designed to fill that void.

It’s also defying a trend that’s bedeviled the MCU in recent years. Since the dissolution of the Avengers, Marvel has struggled to introduce a new class of young heroes. And while there are a few success stories — namely Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel — others are barely characters at all. Instead, they’re supporting players in a much bigger adventure. Not only do they have to hold their own with established heroes, but they also have to fit into the narrative in a way that gives them purpose. Unfortunately, Marvel hasn’t quite figured out how to achieve either feat, resulting in a lot of forgettable new characters who each feel like plot devices of a kind.

DC seems poised to avoid those issues with one simple solution. Starfire, Dick Grayson, and the other Titans won’t have to play second fiddle to a larger story. They’re getting the space to breathe and come into their own, embarking on their own adventures before appearing in a busy ensemble piece. It’s honestly what Marvel used to do with its own heroes, the original Avengers in particular. DC is taking that strategy a step further by embracing other mediums, like television and animation. Its cinematic universe could be even more diverse than Marvel’s, and even more chaotic... but at least it’s taking a creative risk.