James Gunn Says Darkseid Is Off the Table — Snyder’s Version and Thanos Comparisons Are the Reason
James Gunn has explained why Darkseid won’t be the next big villain in the new DCU—for now. He gave clear reasons during a recent roundtable and interviews, and he also confirmed some details about the upcoming Mr. Miracle show and Superman film plans.
- What Gunn said
- Reasons Darkseid is on hold
- Mr. Miracle update
- Lex Luthor and Man of Tomorrow
- Brainiac hint
- What this means for Darkseid fans
What Gunn said
Gunn spoke during a roundtable with YouTubers, including New Rockstars and ScreenCrush, and later in other interviews. He said plainly that he’s not planning to use Darkseid as the next major villain. Specifically, he warned: “Using Darkseid as the big bad right now is not necessarily the thing.”
Reasons Darkseid is on hold
Gunn gave two main, concrete reasons. First, he noted the obvious similarities between Darkseid and Marvel’s Thanos, saying, “There are aspects of Darkseid and Thanos that are obviously very similar.” He pointed out that Thanos’ co-creator Jim Starlin has previously said Thanos’ look was inspired by Darkseid, which makes comparisons likely.
Second, Gunn referenced the recent cinematic depiction of Darkseid, saying, “Zach did it so cool in his way,” referring to Zack Snyder’s work in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Because Snyder’s version is still fresh in audience memory, Gunn said introducing Darkseid now would invite direct comparison to that take.
Mr. Miracle update
Gunn confirmed he has the script for the Mr. Miracle pilot but has not yet read it. Mr. Miracle is officially getting a DC Studios show; more details can be found on this DC announcement. For now, Gunn cautions fans not to assume Darkseid will appear there.
Lex Luthor and Man of Tomorrow
Gunn said Lex Luthor remains the most villainous figure in the DCU at the moment, and that the upcoming Superman movie Man of Tomorrow will focus more on Lex as a person. He described the film as “a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat.” He made these comments during an interview on the Howard Stern Show and in other outlets; Entertainment Weekly covered his remarks in detail.
{lex-luthor_20251022_173033.jpg}
Brainiac hint
Gunn shared an image of the Man of Tomorrow script cover that featured a human brain, and fans quickly took that as a hint toward Brainiac. Gunn acknowledged he knew the script-cover post would spark discussion. He told Entertainment Weekly, “I wasn’t unaware that when I posted the cover of the script that there was going to be discussion around that particular topic.”
While Gunn has not officially confirmed Brainiac as the villain, the character fits the film’s premise: a superintelligent threat that could plausibly force Superman and Lex to cooperate.
What this means for Darkseid fans
In short, Darkseid is not off the table forever. Gunn’s points are practical: visual and narrative comparisons to Thanos and Snyder’s recent portrayal make immediate use of Darkseid risky. Therefore, DC Studios will focus on other villains and stories first, while leaving Darkseid as a possible future threat.
For readers who want the full context of the roundtable and Gunn’s comments, the original YouTube roundtable is available here:
Additional reporting and interviews referenced above include a Ringer-verse segment, covered via this Ringer-verse link, an Entertainment Weekly write-up, and Gunn’s Instagram post of the script cover: script cover on Instagram. For context about Thanos and Darkseid’s visual similarities, see a piece on Jim Starlin’s comment at ScreenRant.
