In less than a year since its launch, James Gunn’s DCU has achieved a significant milestone that took Marvel Studios 12 years to reach. This rapid progress coincides with the 2025 release of Superman, which has become the highest-grossing comic book film of the year so far. Meanwhile, Marvel Studios has experienced setbacks this year, with films like Thunderbolts, a Disney+ spin-off, underperforming at the box office.
First Major Villain from DCU Movies Appears in Live-Action TV Series
In the sixth episode of Peacemaker Season 2, DC Studios achieved a notable integration, featuring Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, now a prisoner at Belle Reve. He appeared alongside Frank Grillo’s character, Rick Flag Sr., marking a crucial point in the interconnected DC Universe. This marked the first time a principal villain from DCU films has crossed over to one of the live-action DCU shows, a benchmark Marvel Studios only hit after 12 years with Baron Zemo’s appearance in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, following his role in Captain America: Civil War.
From the first three projects—Creature Commandos, Superman, and Peacemaker Season 2—the new DCU continuity shows tight narrative connections among characters. One of the most prominent is Rick Flag Sr., who appears as a central figure across multiple stories. However, Lex Luthor’s debut on television could also signal future developments that might challenge the DCU’s trajectory.
Marvel Studios’ Struggles with Disney+ Integration Strategy
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige publicly acknowledged that audience fatigue towards Disney+ shows harmed box office performance, citing the failure of Thunderbolts and the disappointing reception of 2023’s The Marvels. Both Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel and Teyonah Parris’s Monica Rambeau, who were introduced via Disney+ series, struggled to connect with movie audiences when they co-starred in major films.
Though only Wyatt Russell’s John Walker was introduced solely on Disney+ before Thunderbolts, other characters like Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes and Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova also had Disney+ storylines that set up their roles in the film. This forced audiences to watch multiple Disney+ series, such as The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Hawkeye, to fully understand character motivations and events. The same pattern affected Captain America: Brave New World, with Sam Wilson’s transition to Captain America being detailed on Disney+ beforehand.
Because of these issues, Marvel is restructuring its film and television divisions to operate more independently, moving away from the tightly woven Disney+ and cinema tie-ins that characterized its recent strategy. Despite these changes and plans to reset the MCU with upcoming titles like Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, James Gunn and DC Studios appear to be adopting a similar approach.
Evaluating DC’s Adoption of Marvel’s Cross-Platform Storytelling
Peacemaker Season 2 plays a pivotal role in shaping the new DCU, especially with its mature audience focus. Early appearances of Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) created links to Superman and established a shared timeline. The introduction of Lex Luthor in episode six elevated this connectivity, signaling the crucial role television projects will play in setting up future DCU movies.
Lex’s involvement in Peacemaker—working with Rick Flag Sr.—lays groundwork for Man of Tomorrow, Gerrun’s follow-up Superman film starring David Corenswet and co-led by Hoult’s Lex Luthor. DC Studios confirmed that Lex will align with Superman to confront a greater threat, and the TV show acts as preparation for this storyline. For instance, Lex’s evolving relationship with Flag Sr. and the likely transfer to a different prison facility parallel plot points expected in Man of Tomorrow.
This television-to-film character progression mirrors Marvel’s earlier approach, but DC Studios could be advancing this interconnected strategy faster. The upcoming HBO series Lanterns will feature Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, with Guy Gardner confirmed to appear. If John Stewart (Pierre) crosses over into Man of Tomorrow, it will demonstrate a fully integrated streaming-to-film narrative.
Establishing such continuity earlier may help DCU audiences navigate character crossovers without feeling compelled to consume every story to follow the plot, addressing a common criticism of Marvel’s strategy. Gunn has emphasized that viewers should be able to engage with parts of the DCU at their own pace without missing essential information.
Next Challenges for James Gunn’s DCU on the Big Screen
Despite the solid global box office results of $615.6 million for Superman, the film’s performance was strong but not extraordinary. DC Studios’ next major test will be 2026’s Supergirl, which will gauge audience interest in expanding this new universe. The outcome of this release may influence the trajectory of Gunn’s vision for the DCU moving forward.
