4 Years Ago, Zack Snyder’s Justice League Caused the Cancelation of a Sci-Fi Epic That Could Have Saved the DCEU

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The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) significantly expanded the scope of DC films, as Warner Bros. had previously centered its movies around Batman and Superman. Although the shared universe wasn’t flawless, it successfully introduced films featuring Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Shazam!, demonstrating that these and other heroes could carry their own franchises. In a lot of ways, the DCEU paved the way for the current DC Universe (DCU), with plans to give lesser-known characters like Booster Gold and Clayface their own dedicated movies.

Man, the DCEU had a pretty wild run over the last ten years. They made a bunch of movies, but so many cool projects just never happened. I was really hoping for a Nightwing film and a sequel to Man of Steel for ages! It felt like a lot of missed chances, and honestly, it probably contributed to why it all wrapped up with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in 2023. Even though things were rocky, movies like Shazam! and The Suicide Squad actually gave me hope for a bit. There was one other project they were working on that I think could have really turned things around and maybe even saved the whole franchise before Warner Bros. decided to reboot it.

Ava DuVernay Was Developing a New Gods Film

In March 2018, Ava DuVernay signed on to direct a film based on the New Gods comic series as part of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). DuVernay was fresh off the success of the critically praised film Selma, which brought a level of credibility to the DCEU that it needed after some earlier films hadn’t resonated with audiences. She was also a longtime fan of the work of Jack Kirby, the creator of the New Gods, and later collaborated with comic book writer Tom King, known for his popular Mister Miracle series, to write the screenplay.

A New Gods movie, with director Ava DuVernay and writer Tom King—who knows DC Comics well—had the potential to be a great addition to the DC Universe. Like Aquaman and its exploration of Atlantis, it would have significantly expanded the universe, introducing the powerful villain Darkseid, his Female Furies, and characters like Mister Miracle and Orion. While other DCEU films included science fiction elements, New Gods would have fully embraced the genre and could have had a major impact on future storylines.

Jack Kirby created the Fourth World in the 1970s, and it’s now a foundational part of DC Comics history, centered on the war between the planets Apokolips and New Genesis. By this time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had shown how popular cosmic storylines could be with Guardians of the Galaxy, giving the DC Extended Universe an opportunity to explore a unique and different side of that genre with the New Gods.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League Killed The New Gods Film

In 2021, Warner Bros. canceled the highly anticipated New Gods movie, which was a major letdown for fans of the DC Extended Universe. Following Marvel’s success with the villain Thanos, DC had planned to introduce Darkseid as a major threat. The Justice League movie included Steppenwolf, one of Darkseid’s followers, as the villain, hinting at Darkseid’s eventual arrival.

The version of the film released by Zack Snyder on HBO Max actually showed Darkseid on screen for the first time, both in flashback scenes explaining the past and in visions of a dark future, as well as briefly after Steppenwolf was defeated.

After the release of the much-discussed Snyder Cut and Warner Bros.’ desire to shift away from the previous direction of the DC films, the studio cancelled plans for a New Gods movie. This decision is puzzling, especially since Darkseid, a key character for New Gods, had limited screen time in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which received positive feedback. Also, Snyder’s Justice League wasn’t considered official canon for the DC Extended Universe, meaning director Ava DuVernay wouldn’t have been bound by how Snyder portrayed Darkseid in his version.

Man, I was really excited about New Gods, but sadly the project got cancelled. Apparently, the studio decided they didn’t want to explore a certain angle of that comic book universe because of what was happening with another movie they were making in that same world. It was frustrating because I hadn’t even finished writing the script with Tom King yet! Thankfully, I already had two other projects in the works, so it wasn’t a total loss.

Bringing in the Fourth World characters would have been an unusual move, but it wouldn’t have been the main goal. This corner of the DC universe is unique and could have existed separately from the main DC Extended Universe. Plus, it would have introduced exciting new characters like Big Barda and Mister Miracle, who had the potential to become popular with fans.

The New Gods Will Have a Presence in DC’s Future

I was really excited about the New Gods movie that was supposed to happen in the DCEU, but it never quite materialized. Now that James Gunn is building the new DCU, though, I’m still holding out hope we might see that project again someday. Ava DuVernay probably won’t be directing it now, but thankfully Tom King is still involved! He’s writing for Lanterns and is a key creative force helping shape the whole new universe, which is awesome.

The new DC Universe (DCU) is heading in a different direction than the previous DC Extended Universe (DCEU). James Gunn has confirmed that Darkseid won’t be the main villain. Although the Peacemaker show hinted at a storyline involving Salvation Run – a place often associated with Darkseid’s forces in the comics – that connection won’t be part of the DCU. This is likely because Darkseid is similar to Marvel’s Thanos, and the DCU wants to avoid having a villain that feels too familiar.

James Gunn has expressed some hesitation about immediately using Darkseid as the primary villain. He feels Zack Snyder handled the character well, but with Thanos already established as a major threat in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it presents some challenges.

Despite recent changes, DC Studios is still developing stories around the New Gods. An animated series is in the works, and the original comic books heavily featured these characters, including the villain Darkseid. It’s currently unknown whether the Mister Miracle animated series will be part of the main DC Universe or a separate ‘Elseworlds’ story, but the New Gods will definitely appear in DC’s upcoming TV and film projects. This could eventually lead to live-action adaptations as well.

Although the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) didn’t reach the same heights as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it still offered some great moments and finally brought DC’s characters to the big screen in a way fans had hoped for. A major issue, alongside some weaker films, was a lack of a clear, long-term plan, resulting in many projects being canceled. Had the DCEU been as carefully planned as the MCU, films like New Gods might have been made. Instead, different filmmakers pursued their own visions, which sometimes conflicted with each other.

A New Gods movie could have been a really exciting and promising addition to the old DC Universe, but looking back, it’s probably for the best that it didn’t happen. Now that DC Studios is developing a Mister Miracle project, it’s obvious they recognize the potential of the New Gods corner of the DC universe. Plus, the new DC Universe (DCU) is much more carefully planned than the previous one (DCEU) ever was.

With the DC Universe proving anything can happen, a movie based on the New Gods seems like a natural next step. While the future looks promising for both the New Gods and the DC franchise, it’s hard not to wonder how impactful Ava DuVernay’s planned film could have been. Its cancellation will always be a part of the DC Universe’s complex history.

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2025-11-28 22:16