James Gunn clarifies the status of the Elseworlds brand under DC Studios now that theDC Universehas kicked off. 2025 is a big year forthe DCU’s Chapter 1: “Gods and Monsters” movies and TV showsslate, but DC Studios is also still looking at raising properties based on DC outside of the main timeline. While there has been little official movement regarding these new Elseworlds projects, that doesn’t mean DC Studios isn’t actively working on how they are going to market that brand.
Gunnwas asked over the weekend for some clarification on non-DCU projects likeThe PenguinTV show and the animatedHarley Quinnseries, which are now under the DC Studios umbrella. When specifically asked why there is no DC Studios fanfare connected to those shows, Gunn revealed the following:
Gunn explained that since DC Studios"had a small hand in developing" The Penguin, it had “a different DC studios anim at the end” - and asHarley Quinnwas something they inherited when DC Studios was launched, “we didn’t think it was fair to put the DC Studio fanfare on there.” James Gunn also revealed a separate Elseworlds opening is being worked on for future films and series. At the time of this story’s publication,what non-DCU property will first debut the Elseworlds opening hasn’t been clarified.
What James Gunn’s Elseworlds Update Means For DC Studios
Prior to the launch of DC Studios with Gunn and Peter Safran as the co-CEOs,the Elseworlds concept had technically been an unofficial element for Warner Bros. Discovery for several years. For the longest time, the Arrowverse franchise, animated shows likeYoung Justice, as well as DC films in animation, could be considered Elseworlds next tothe DCEU movie timeline. However, Warner Bros. Discovery never streamlined the Elseworlds banner, which is about to change now that DC Studios is operating.
From Gunn’s latest comments, there is a big priority on making sure that general audience members will know what is part ofthe DCU timelineand what is officially Elseworlds. Since it can definitely be confusing for some viewers to know what is and isn’t part of the main DCU franchise,having separate openings for both the main timeline and the Elseworlds banner will help marketing a lot more for years to come. It also shows that DC Studios wants to capitalize more on the Elseworlds name, as it has been a popular part of DC Comics for several decades.
Our Take On James Gunn’s Elseworlds Update
As Gunn and DC Studios are actively working on the Elseworlds opening,it will be exciting to see how it looks in comparison to the DCU fanfare that has been seen so far. It also remains to be seen what other Elseworlds properties are being worked on at DC Studios outside of Matt Reeves’The Batmanuniverse. Hopefully, more Elseworlds movies and TV shows will be announced sooner rather than later while theDCUcontinues to get fleshed out.
DC Universe
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
