7 DC Characters James Gunn Could Actually Bring Into His DCU — From Brainiac to a Rage-Fueled Cat
James Gunn and DC Studios producer Peter Safran are building a new DC Universe across films and TV, and several characters from DC Comics have already appeared or been confirmed in upcoming projects. For example, Gunn announced a new Superman film titled Man of Tomorrow for July 2027, Peacemaker season 2 is airing, and Xolo Maridueña is confirmed to return as Blue Beetle in an animated series.
Brainiac
Brainiac is a long-running Superman antagonist in DC Comics, often depicted as an advanced artificial intelligence or alien collector. James Gunn announced that Man of Tomorrow — a Superman film — will be released in July 2027 and that Lex Luthor will team up with Superman to face a larger threat. In several Superman adaptations, Brainiac has been portrayed as a Kryptonian-created program; further information on those portrayals can be found on this DCAU wiki page.
Mister Mxyzptlk
Mister Mxyzptlk is a character from the Fifth Dimension who appears in DC Comics as a powerful trickster who often antagonizes Superman. Gunn’s projects have included interdimensional imps in background scenes of the Superman project, and Peacemaker season 2 features an imp that Auggie shoots in episode 4.
For more background on the character’s appearances and powers, see this Screen Rant article.
Mongul
Mongul is an alien warlord from DC Comics who has fought Kryptonian heroes in the comics. The upcoming film Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is set to include Jason Momoa as Lobo, and the comic source material for the film features interstellar settings and antagonists; Mongul is a recurring cosmic-level threat in the comics and has a history of opposing Kryptonians.
Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd is a telepathic gorilla villain in DC Comics known for psychic powers and antagonism toward heroes like the Flash. James Gunn has publicly referenced DC’s history of gorilla characters and included an ape-related threat in Peacemaker season 1.
Grodd is often associated with team-ups of major villains in the comics and has appeared in animated and live-action adaptations as a recurring antagonist.
Etrigan the Demon
Etrigan (and his human host Jason Blood) was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in DC Comics as a rhyming demon tied to Arthurian lore. Etrigan has been used in comics to connect mystical and occult storylines and has appeared alongside characters such as John Constantine and other magic-focused heroes.
Jarro
Jarro is a telepathic starfish in DC Comics derived from Starro material. In the comics, Batman used tissue from Starro to grow Jarro, and the character has at times acted as an empathic or telepathic ally to heroes. Starro itself appeared in the film The Suicide Squad, which established the character in recent live-action continuity.
Dex-Starr
Dex‑Starr is a Red Lantern Corps member in DC Comics who is a cat transformed into a Red Lantern after his owner’s death. The Red Lanterns and characters like Atrocitus are established elements of the broader Green Lantern mythos, and Parallax and Sinestro appeared in the 2011 Green Lantern film.
