Posted in: Disney+, Marvel, Max, Movies, streaming, TV | Tagged: dc studios, dcu, james gunn, X-Men '97

James Gunn Praises X-Men '97, But No "Justice League Unlimited '07"

In praising X-Men '97, DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn also explained why a "Justice League Unlimited '07" series isn't happening any time soon.

One of the best ways that DC Studios CEOs James Gunn & Peter Safran could show their commitment to animation was to have their New DCU kick off with their series take on writer J. M. DeMatteis & artist Pat Broderick's Creature Commandos. And it's a good thing that it's set to hit later this year because adult animation is on fire right now. We have Prime Video's Invincible having recently wrapped its second-season run, and Marvel Studios' X-Men '97 currently blowing up social media in all of the right ways – become what might just be the biggest buzzed-about MCU project since Disney+'s WandaVision. So it was animation that was on the mind of one fan – but it wasn't Creature Commandos or even Young Justice they had in mind. Running for three seasons – from 2004 to 2006 – Bruce Timm's Justice League Unlimited was beloved by viewers for not just its animation style and epic storytelling but also for how it blew open the doors when it came to bringing a lot of the DCU to animated life.

With that in mind, Gunn was asked on Threads if DC Studios would ever consider going the "Justice League Unlimited '07" route based on X-Men '97 being a "gargantuan hit" for Marvel Studios. In his praise of the animated series, Gunn also offered a very specific reason why that's a route he's not interested in going down, also. "'X-Men '97 is fun because it's unique and not desperately trying to follow the trends of everything around it. So I'd rather just keep doing that," the Superman & Peacemaker writer/director explained. Here's a look at a screencap:

Creature Commandos: J. M. DeMatteis on James Gunn's DCU Approach

"James [Gunn] and I had a very nice conversation about 'Creature Commandos' and other things…but that's all it was: a pleasant conversation. I'm not involved in any upcoming projects," DeMatteis shared in a tweet/x back in October 2023. But in a follow-up tweet/x, DeMatteis made sure to let everyone know that the DCU is in "great hands" with Gunn, adding, "Let me add that I think the DC TV/movie universe is in great hands with James Gunn. He's a fan. He understands and respects the source material and the creators." Here's a look at DeMatteis' tweets from back in October 2023:

The role call for the adult animated series (and any potential live-action takes) includes Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., with Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Indira Varma as The Bride, Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein, Sean Gunn as G.I. Robot & Weasel, Steve Agee returning as John Economos, and Anya Chalotra taking on the role of Circe.

First introduced in Weird War Tales #93 (November 1980), the comic book series focused on Frankenstein's monster teaming with a werewolf, a vampire, and a gorgon to fight Nazis in World War II. The series has the distinction of being the first DCU project that Gunn & Safran gave the green light to (with Gunn having penned the series) and the first from DC Studios that will hit screens. In addition, the series is being cast with voice actors who could also play their characters in a live-action project down the road.

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