Marc Guggenheim, who co-created The CW's Arrowverse with Greg Berlanti among others, shared that he was disappointed in not being picked by DC Studios co-chairs and co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran to help craft the 10-year plan for the new DC Universe.
In the Feb. 3 edition of his Legal Dispatch newsletter, Guggenheim explained why he felt gutted to have been completely shut out of the DCU conversation. "Not a job, mind you. A meeting. A conversation. A small recognition of what I’d tried to contribute to the grand tapestry that is the DC Universe. I’d only spent nine years toiling in that vineyard, after all," he wrote. "Although working for DC had been creatively fulfilling, it involved a lot of adversity, challenges, and personal sacrifices — none of which seem to have accrued to any professional benefit. Simply put, the Arrowverse hasn’t led to any other gigs, so it feels — at least on a career level — that I really wasted my time."
While Guggenheim -- who else wrote the screenplay for the 2011 film Green Lantern -- ultimately wasn't selected to construct Gunn's DCU, five writers with extensive superhero backgrounds were chosen: comic book writer Tom King, Moon Knight showrunner Jeremy Slater, Birds of Prey and The Flash screenwriter Christina Hodson, Watchmen writer Christal Henry and Daredevil creator/writer Drew Goddard. The five, along with Gunn, will serve as the creative "architects" of the DCU, with Henry confirmed to be writing the upcoming HBO Max series Waller with Doom Patrol's Jeremy Carver.
The Arrowverse Comes to an End in 2023
The Arrowverse was launched on The CW in 2012 with Arrow, which starred Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow. The series was a massive hit with the network's viewers and DC fandom, leading to the creation of the show's first spinoff in 2014 -- The Flash starring Grant Gustin as the titular Scarlet Speedster. The two series were soon joined by DC's Legends of Tomorrow in 2017 and Batwoman in 2019, with Supergirl and Black Lightning officially joining the Arrowverse following the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover event. After over a decade on air, the Arrowverse is confirmed to end with the series finale of The Flash later this year.
The DCU Announces Gods & Monsters
With the Arrowverse ending, all attention has been turned to Gunn and Safran's forthcoming DCU. The first wave of DCU films and shows will be part of the 10-year plan's first chapter, which has been titled Gods & Monsters. In addition to five films -- Superman: Legacy, The Brave and the Bold, The Authority, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Swamp Thing -- Gunn announced five distinct HBO Max series. The first two unveiled -- the animated series Creature Commandos and the Peacemaker spinoff Waller -- are on track to arrive before the July 2025 release of Superman: Legacy. Release windows for the remaining series, Lanterns, Paradise Lost and Booster Gold, have not been disclosed at this time.
Source: Legal Dispatch via Deadline