Summary
- Games based on James Gunn’s and Peter Safran’s DCU are still a “couple years” away, the duo affirmed.
- Still, they are actively engaging in conversations on how to proceed with games.
- Specifically, they have met with both NetherRealm and Rocksteady and have also viewed concepts.
While James Gunn’s first entry in the newly formed DC Universe (DCU) is slated for release this summer, when Superman releases on July 11, it’ll be a while before any games based on his vision for DC see the light of day.
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Speaking to reporters at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif., Gunn reaffirmed it’ll be a “couple of years” before the games segment of the DCU catches up with the film and television sector. His co-CEO, Peter Safran, also said as much.
“Yeah, it’s a couple years, but we’ve had some pretty active involvement in some stuff coming up,” Safran added. “It’s really interesting.”
Still, that doesn’t mean that conversations surrounding video games set within the DC world aren’t ongoing. In fact, they’re actively engaging with studios, even viewing design and story concepts.
The Duo Have Met With NetherRealm And Rocksteady
While the projects may be far away, the discussions are seemingly fluid, according to the duo. Working alongside JB Perrette, who is the CEO and President of the Global Streaming and Games division, Gunn and Safran have spoken with at least NetherRealm and Rocksteady.
“James and I sit with literally the guys that run the studios underneath JB, whether it’s NetherRealm or whether it’s Rocksteady, sit with them and talk about characters and stories that we’re interested in and that they’re interested in,” Safran explained.
Not only are they discussing characters and stories, but design concepts are also being shared, with Gunn and Safran providing guidance on the directions to potentially go in based on the larger DCU framework.
“We see designs for the projects in their very earliest stages,” Gunn said. “We talk about those. We talk about when they’re talking about what the story might be, we say, ‘Well, maybe you want to go this way because we’re planning on maybe doing something with this character and so forth and so on,’ and help to deal with that.”
As it stands, it’s unclear the shape DC games will take before the DCU integration. Recently, TheGamer reported that Rocksteady was beginning the hiring process for a Game Director, with experience in third-person action and melee games preferred. For what it’s worth, WB CEO David Zaslav said late last year that the company would be doubling down on four proven franchises, including specifically Batman. At the very least, the conversations about how to better structure games are currently ongoing.
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