DC ComicsJames Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe has the benefit of hindsight. Several cinematic universes have already come and gone, allowing the creative co-chairs to study the mistakes of DC and Marvel.There’s a lot to learn. The MCU is an undeniable success, but after 15 years and nearly 50 chapters in the saga, tuning into every installment has become homework. It’s almost impossible to keep track of every event, but most films and shows — even those that claim to be self-contained — rely on past projects. It’s turned the whole exercise into a chore, a grievance DC is determined to avoid.Superman is poised to deliver our first look at the new DCU, and after that comes Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Both films focus on the two last children of Krypton, but Gunn insists you won’t need to watch one to prepare for the other. “I am really trying to be careful that anybody can dip in and see the story that is up next and not feel like they’re missing information,” the filmmaker told Entertainment Weekly. The DCU will begin with a handful of “specific stories,” but it’ll all lead to a team-up eventually. | DC StudiosGunn is focused on telling “specific stories,” at least at the outset. Eventually, however, there’s a “much bigger story” this is all leading to: the Justice League. While the DCU’s first few chapters will tell self-contained stories, Gunn and Safran are also looking at the big picture. The “next couple of things” the team is working on — like Supergirl, Lanterns, and maybe Clayface — should lead to a team-up down the line, and Gunn also revealed that the Justice League is already on his mind. “There is no Justice League in this world,” he stressed, “not yet.” But with a Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold, on the horizon, and talk of a solo Wonder Woman movie, we will eventually see the Justice League’s heroes on the big screen. It will take time, as neither of these characters have been cast yet, nor has DC locked down directors or release dates. When asked whether the Justice League will factor into Gunn’s “bigger” plans for his first DC phase, Gods and Monsters, Gunn answered with a coy “sure.”It’s not a direct answer, but it’s not a no, either. It will take years for Gods and Monsters to reach its conclusion, but at least we know, more or less, what’s waiting at the finish line. The disparate heroes of the DCU will eventually cross paths, culminating in the kind of team-up that should, ideally, feel earned.