Christopher McQuarrie recently suggested he may consider joining the DCU, but only on one condition concerning actor Pom Klementieff.The longtime Mission Impossible director reacted to a tweet asking whether he'd consider directing a film in James Gunn's newly announced DC Universe, writing "James and I don't have the capacity to collaborate until we're each finished harnessing the unimaginable power of Pom Klementieff." In turn, McQuarrie's tweet received a triple-heart comment from the Guardians of the Galaxy Mantis actor, who currently has an unknown part in the director's upcoming latest installment in the M:I franchise, Dead Reckoning Part One.
Prospects for Pom Klementieff in James Gunn's DCU
Though Gunn hasn't released a full DCU schedule yet, he recently suggested that Klementieff will have a role in his franchise. Having played Mantis in various media since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 , Klementieff recently gained acclaim for her spotlighted performance in Disney+'s The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The character's arc -- in which she and Drax attempts to cheer Peter Quill up on Christmas by kidnapping actor Kevin Bacon -- was also singled out by Gunn as "Mantis' true debut as her full-fledged self in the MCU, out of the background & out of the shadow of Ego." She and the other heroes will return next year in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which Klementieff described as "the end of a chapter" but also clarified that it's "it's not like, 'over, over,'" for the Guardians' overarching story.
Since he and Peter Safran were appointed DC Studio's co-CEOs, Gunn has sparked online controversy for removing established DCEU films and actors from his upcoming universe. This includes canceling Black Adam's sequel and confirming that the new Superman prequel won't star Henry Cavill despite his cameo as the Man of Steel in Black Adam's mid-credit scene, his first appearance since Zack Snyder's Justice League. Commenting on his Superman's departure via Instagram, Cavill acknowledged that "The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes."
While Gunn and Safran haven't officially confirmed the future story direction of the DCU, the former continues to tease imagery from the 1996 DC Elseworlds story Kingdom Come. Written by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, showcasing the latter's acclaimed art, the storyline depicts darker versions of iconic DC characters, notably Superman and the rest of the Justice League, whom, in the beginning, had abandoned their crimefighting endeavors.
Following an appearance in Gunn's directorial turn for 2023's Guardians threequel and her McQuarrie-directed Mission Impossible debut, Klementieff will appear in Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, which, also directed by McQuarrie, is set to release in 2024. In the meantime, to promote Part One, Paramount recently dropped a behind-the-scenes video showing how lead actor Tom Cruise trained for a stunt where he jumps a motorbike over a mountain chasm before parachuting to safety.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One hits theaters July 14, 2023. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 debuts May 5, 2023.
Source: Twitter