James Gunn has named the DCU's three biggest star characters
Fancy finding out who made his cut?
There are some things you expect to be controversial in superhero-land, but which caped crusaders are “diamond characters” is not one of them. Still, James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, has managed to stir up a bit of a debate among fans after clarifying who’s at the core of the new DC Universe.
This all comes out of a now-vanished Threads post – yes, Gunn’s posts don’t always hang about – where he touched on that oft-touted “8 to 10 year roadmap” for DC, originally teased long before this current rebooted era got underway in 2024.
The “Diamond” Trio and the Masterplan
If you’ve ever wondered who really counts as top tier in DC’s world these days, Gunn says it’s the obvious three: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. These are, in his words, the “diamond characters” that everything else orbits around. But it’s not just about these flagship names. Apparently, the grand plan doesn’t just map out plots, but an entire approach to the brand, which includes grooming other characters to reach diamond status (think Krypto, John Stewart, or even Peacemaker, because why not?), letting directors go wild with different tones and age ratings, and borrowing some creative energy from places like Star Wars and George R.R. Martin’s fantasy sprawl.
In his deleted Threads post, Gunn explained: “ALSO, some things get conflated here. The often cited '8 to 10 year roadmap' originally pitched wasn’t only story points (although that was a part of it), but also the plan for DC as a whole, including focusing on diamond characters (Superman, Batman, WW) as well [as] smaller characters we could turn into diamonds (Krypto, John Stewart, Peacemaker0), how we would foster filmmaker freedom & allow for multiple tones & ratings, the influences of Star Wars & George RR Martin, and so much more.”
If you’re picking up a whiff of Marvel Studios’ old long-term blueprints here, you’re not alone, though Gunn’s taking a bit more of a “let’s do everything” approach, for better or worse. It’s a touch messier, potentially more exciting, and probably very much his style.
The DC Studios’ “roadmap” was first publicly teased before the revamped universe’s 2024 debut.
We’re still waiting to see exactly how this all shakes out across the next decade, but at least now you know which superheroes are being kept in the vault and polished most often.