DCU's The Authority Film Delayed, James Gunn Cites Challenges with The Boys' Influence

It seems that DCU's The Authority is facing some challenges, as DC Studios co-chief James Gunn recently admitted that the project has been placed on the "back burner." Announced as part of Gunn and Peter Safran's expansive Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters DC Universe reboot two years ago, The Authority promised to bring the brutal superhero team from the WildStorm Universe to the big screen. Initially described as a "big movie" by Gunn, it has evidently encountered significant hurdles.

During a DC Studios presentation covered by IGN, Gunn revealed that The Authority has been the most challenging project to develop within the Chapter 1 lineup. He cited the influence of Amazon's successful series, The Boys, as a contributing factor to these difficulties. Gunn explained, “Honestly, Authority's been the one that's been the hardest, both because of the shifting overall story and because of getting it right in a world with The Boys and a world with all the things that The Authority influenced that came out after it.”

Gunn also noted that the focus on other characters and storylines already filmed and planned has shifted priorities, further delaying The Authority. He stated, "And also having a lot of characters that we've fallen in love with that we've already filmed and have that we want to continue their stories and see them meet each other. So I will admittedly say it's a little bit more on the back burner right now."

DC Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV Show

38 ImagesDespite the setbacks, one character from The Authority, The Engineer / Angela Spica, is set to appear in the DCU's kickstarter film, Superman. Known for her formidable abilities such as self-duplication, technopathy, genius-level intellect, and radio-induced telepathy, The Engineer is a significant addition to the DCU. For more details on The Authority, check out IGN's article, "Who Are the Authority: The WildStorm DCU Characters Explained."

The Authority isn't the only project facing difficulties within Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. Gunn mentioned that Waller, a spinoff from his HBO Max series Peacemaker, has also experienced "a couple of setbacks." On a more positive note, the HBO Max series Booster Gold is "going pretty strong," and Paradise Lost remains a priority, with Gunn stating, "It seems to be going pretty well." Peter Safran confirmed that the pilot for Paradise Lost is currently being written.

Regarding Swamp Thing, Safran indicated that DC Studios is prepared to wait for director James Mangold, who is currently working on another project, A Complete Unknown. Safran expressed enthusiasm for Mangold's involvement, saying, "Our writer-director went off to make another little movie, A Complete Unknown, and we hope that he'll come back to Swamp Thing when he's ready, because again, that was one of those ones that we love him as a filmmaker, so we're happy to wait for him." Gunn added that Swamp Thing is not central to the larger narrative they are crafting, stating, "Right. Yeah, it was always outside of that. I mean, it was because James came to us with it, frankly."