Now he’s co-CEO of DC Studios, Gunn is letting fans know he’s building a more cohesive cinematic universe with interconnected live-action and animated TV shows as well as video games. Yes, you heard that right - video games.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) November 27, 2022 The Arkhamverse is a good example of a sprawling multimedia universe that’s based on DC Comics properties. Rocksteady Studios kickstarted the entire universe with Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009, which many consider one of the best comic book video games of all time alongside its sequel, Batman: Arkham City. Since then, the continuity has since expanded by getting comic book tie-ins, mobile games, and even an animated movie. Gunn didn’t elaborate on his comments about integrating video games into the DCU. It’s possible he’s talking about a shared multiverse rather than a single continuity. If this is the case, the Arkhamverse could very well exist within the larger DC Universe, except that it largely keeps to its own. Gunn could pull characters from the Arkhamverse and introduce them into the main DCU in the future, which is an exciting proposition. But, if he’s talking about literally including video games as part of DCU canon, it’s a far more ambitious take compared to what Disney and Marvel Studios have planned for the future. Perhaps Gunn saw this as an opportunity to separate himself from DC’s main rival after working closely with Marvel Studios for years. Unfortunately, just like its cinematic counterpart, the DC side of gaming is lacking. After the lackluster reception to Gotham Knights, the only other AAA project that are based on DC Comics coming soon is Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which is technically a sequel to Batman: Arkham Knight. On the other hand, there are several Marvel video games in the pipeline albeit they’re not interconnected with each other. The laundry list includes Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Marvel’s Wolverine, Skydance New Media’s Captain America and Black Panther game, as well as EA’s Iron Man game, among several others. For what it’s worth, Gunn deserves the benefit of the doubt. After turning Guardians of the Galaxy into A-listers in the MCU with back-to-back blockbuster hits and a third one coming next year, the visionary filmmaker gave DC Comics successive critical hits with The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. If anyone can chart untested waters and interweave games into an overarching narrative that also includes movies and TV shows, it’s him. In the meantime, fans can look forward to Gunn being more active on Twitter, especially as far as teasing the future of the DCU goes. The last we heard, Gunn has a 10-year plan for the DCU. Finally, Gunn is teasing a storyline for the DCU inspired by the DC Comics limited-run series, The Greatest Stories Ever Told.
