James Gunn is hoping to keep the stakes high in the DC Universe. The co-CEO of DC Studios just addressed the topic of death and resurrection in a conversation with fans on social media, declaring, “In the DCU if you die, you’re dead.” That’s a bold statement for a new franchise of comic book adaptations, where sci-fi and mysticism have often provided loopholes around deaths. However, as the conversation went on, Gunn assured fans that he wouldn’t ignore their favorite stories or mechanics that brought characters back from the dead. Instead, he intended to do those elements justice rather than using them for contrivances or cheap surprises.
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Gunn’s remarks on this topic came during a discussion about Creature Commandos, so consider this a spoiler warning for Season 1. One fan on Threads wondered if it was possible for Princess Ilana Rostovic to return from the dead in the future, and another joked, “I mean it is DC so no one stays down forever.” Gunn responded, “In the DCU if you die, you’re dead,” which piqued fans’ interest.
Many appreciated the commitment to high stakes, but wondered if it would impede a faithful adaptation of DC Comics lore. For example, one fan asked Gunn if this rule would “limit” him and his team “from using established elements of DC Comics lore like the Lazarus Pit?”
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“Well I wouldn’t mind using the Lazarus Pit (and/or resurrection) in a story,” Gunn replied. “But it would have to be a part of the story itself. I won’t be killing major characters just to pop them in the old LP to be alive again.” When another fan questioned if Gunn’s resurrection rule would “backfire,” he answered, “What backfires more is people believing there are no stakes and death doesn’t mean anything. Dead is dead.”
Looking at the whole conversation, it sounds like Gunn is really saying that he wouldn’t allow a DCU character to be killed off lightly, and he wouldn’t allow them to be resurrected lightly either. Even in a franchise with many established methods of resurrection, it’s a smart approach — especially for a brand new adaptation. By focusing on the most satisfying stories and character arcs, Gunn can put off meta-narrative questions that typically come up in fandom circles, like those who question why Batman didn’t put Superman’s body in the Lazarus Pit in “The Death of Superman” comic book arc.
These are often fun discussions for fan forums, and useful for testing the consistency of worldbuilding, but they’re not as relevant to writers and artists trying to construct a satisfying story. Consistency is only a part of what makes an arc memorable, on the page or the screen.
Creature Commandos Season 1 is streaming now on Max, and Season 2 is in the works. The DCU hits the big screen on Friday, July 11th with Superman.
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