Darkseid has long been regarded as the ultimate antagonist within the DC Universe, yet fans have yet to see him fully realized in live-action. Despite early plans by Zack Snyder to develop Darkseid into a major villain in the DCEU, the character has only appeared briefly in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn recently revealed why Darkseid will not be the primary villain in the new DC Universe, specifically in Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, while confirming ongoing work on his Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow.
Background on Darkseid’s Development and Gunn’s Direction
Zack Snyder envisioned Darkseid as a key figure in his planned sequels, and there were discussions about Ava DuVernay directing a New Gods film, which could have expanded the villain’s role. However, those plans shifted, with Darkseid’s presence being limited to a few scenes. Gunn explained in an interview with New Rockstars that his current Salvation storyline does not center around Darkseid. Instead, Salvation might be connected to original concepts like Rick Flag Sr.’s Metahuman prison, which some fans believe is a fresh interpretation of Dinosaur Island and the Centre from DC Comics lore.
Why Darkseid Isn’t the Lead Villain in the New DCU
Gunn shared his reasoning behind not making Darkseid the main adversary in the initial DCU chapter. He stated,
“It’s the New Gods in general that are, to me, interesting, … We’re dealing [with that] in Mister Miracle. There’s that aspect of it, and then there are aspects of Darkseid in Thanos, in that they’re obviously very similar. They look very similar.”
He elaborated further,
“Because of that, to give you probably more than an answer than you probably expected, using Darkseid as the big bad right now is not necessarily the thing for a lot of reasons. Zack did it so cool in his way, and then there’s Thanos and Marvel.”
The resemblance between Darkseid and Marvel’s Thanos is notable, and Gunn prefers to avoid debuting the DCU’s primary threat with a villain who might feel too familiar in design and concept. However, he suggested that Darkseid may still appear in future DCU projects, particularly hinting at the character having a presence in the animated series Mister Miracle, even though he has not yet read the script for Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters.
Speculations About Ultraman and Future Story Possibilities
When asked if Salvation might represent the dimension Ultraman ended up in after traveling through a black hole, Gunn responded cautiously,
“He could be, but that would be quite a huge coincidence.”
This suggests that while fans speculate about Ultraman returning as Bizarro, Gunn might be treating Ultraman’s appearance as a one-time threat. Meanwhile, there is groundwork in the DCU narrative for Lex Luthor to eventually create both Bizarro and Superboy, pointing toward complex character developments ahead.
Upcoming Release and Impact on DCU’s Direction
Man of Tomorrow is scheduled for release in theaters on July 9, 2027, marking a significant step in James Gunn’s vision for the DCU. By deliberately avoiding Darkseid as the initial major villain, Gunn sets the stage for introducing the New Gods in a broader, possibly more nuanced manner. This approach could allow the DCU to distinguish itself from Marvel while keeping key iconic characters like Darkseid in reserve for future stories, potentially enriching the universe over time.
