"The Authority Film Delayed: Gunn Struggles to Differentiate from The Boys"

It seems like the DCU movie The Authority is facing some challenges, as DC Studios co-chief James Gunn has admitted that the project has been placed on the "back burner." Announced as part of Gunn and Peter Safran's ambitious Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters DC Universe reboot two years ago, The Authority was touted as a major film centered around the notoriously ruthless superhero team from the WildStorm Universe.

During a recent DC Studios presentation, Gunn described The Authority as the most challenging project in their lineup. He cited the success of Amazon's The Boys and the influence The Authority has had on subsequent works as significant factors complicating its development. Gunn noted, "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 mentioned the need to balance the introduction of new characters with continuing the stories of those already filmed, which has contributed to the project's delay. He confessed, "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 ImagesOne character from The Authority, The Engineer / Angela Spica, is set to appear in the DCU's kickstarter film, Superman. As a technopath with the ability to self-duplicate, a genius-level intellect, and radio-induced telepathy, The Engineer is arguably the most powerful member of the group. For more details on the characters, check out IGN's article, "Who Are the Authority: The WildStorm DCU Characters Explained."

The Authority isn't the only project in Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters facing difficulties. Gunn mentioned that Waller, a spinoff from his HBO Max series Peacemaker, has experienced "a couple of setbacks." However, 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," and Safran confirming, "The pilot's being written right now."

As for Swamp Thing, Safran indicated that DC Studios is willing to wait for director James Mangold, who is currently working on another project, A Complete Unknown. Safran expressed enthusiasm for Mangold's involvement, saying, "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 "was always outside of [the larger story] that we're telling," emphasizing its standalone nature within the DCU.