An MCU and DCU crossover may be more likely than ever now, and James Gunn has already revealed which characters he’d want to bring together.
James Gunn proposed his dream idea for a crossover between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Universe three years ago. Ever since Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. began to develop their respective live-action superhero franchises, the prospect of a crossover has been floated, but has unfortunately never come to fruition.
Since the DCEU has now come to an end, there’s no chance that the MCU’s Avengers will cross paths with Henry Cavill’s Superman, Ben Affleck’s Batman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, but there may still be hope for a crossover between the MCU and James Gunn’s newly-rebooted DC Universe.
Filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran were hired as co-CEOs of the new DC Studios in November 2022, and the pair immediately set plans in motion to reboot the DCEU. While January 2023’s announcement of the new DCU’s Chapter 1, “Gods and Monsters”, may have damaged the performance of the DCEU’s 2023 releases, Gunn certainly raised excitement for the future by confirming ten new projects that will expand DC’s live-action universe more than ever before. James Gunn’s previous work on Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy franchise means an MCU and DCU crossover may be more likely than ever.
James Gunn Wanted A DC & Marvel Crossover In 2021
Prior to being rehired by Marvel Studios to lead production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, James Gunn worked with Warner Bros. to deliver 2021’s The Suicide Squad and its spinoff, Peacemaker.
The Suicide Squad marked the return of Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, who are joined by new superpowered convicts following their debuts in 2016’s Suicide Squad. Shortly before The Suicide Squad’s release, however, James Gunn spoke to Jake’s Takes and revealed a much bigger live-action DC story he hoped to tell in the story, crossing over with the MCU.
James Gunn noted that he had not only thought about the prospect of an MCU and DCU crossover, but had actually spoken to the heads of both Marvel Studios and DC Films to garner their responses to the idea. He revealed that “everybody’s open to everything,” but questioned whether anything would actually happen.
Now that James Gunn himself is the head of DC Studios, it’s possible that a crossover between these two franchises could be even more possible, as it would only take a conversation with Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige, whom Gunn already has a prior professional relationship with.
James Gunn Suggested Two Major Crossover Projects
During this interview, James Gunn interestingly shared two potential ideas for a crossover between the MCU and the DCU. Should he take on these plans, this would see him working once again alongside his former Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad families, as Gunn proposed a team-up movie featuring Groot and Harley Quinn, as well as a project including Rocket Raccoon, Groot, King Shark and Weasel. These ideas may seem outlandish, but the zaniness of each of these characters may gel perfectly on screen, similarly to how Gunn delivered the obscure Guardians of the Galaxy back in 2014.
I would do, I would really be happy to do a Harley Quinn and Groot movie, that would be exciting for me… I could also get really behind the Rocket, Groot, King Shark and Weasel movie, that would be fantastic as well, I think.
Will The MCU & DC Universe Actually Come Together In The Future?
Since James Gunn is now running the creative side of DC Studios, building his own live-action superhero franchise based on characters and stories from DC Comics, a crossover with the MCU seems more likely than ever.
Gunn worked with Marvel Studios for almost a decade, developing four projects in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, so he has a good working relationship with Kevin Feige and other executives at Marvel Studios. This suggests it could be fairly easy for Gunn and Feige to put plans in motion for an MCU and DCU crossover, though this likely won’t happen anytime soon.
The DC Universe hasn’t actually started yet, as its first projects, Creature Commandos and Superman, are premiering in 2024 and 2025, respectively. This new franchise needs time to find its feet before a crossover with the MCU can be considered, especially since many MCU characters have already been developed over the last 16 years. Gunn also notes that there would be a “Berlin Wall of lawyers” in planning something of this scale, so while it’s possible that the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Universe will come together at some point, it probably won’t be for a very long time.
