The Authority Film Shelved Amid Challenges in Superhero Satire Landscape

It appears that the DCU movie The Authority is facing some challenges, as DC Studios co-chief James Gunn has admitted that the project has been put on the "back burner." Announced as part of Gunn and Peter Safran's Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters DC Universe reboot two years ago, The Authority was described by Gunn as a "big movie." However, it seems the project has encountered significant hurdles.

During a DC Studios presentation attended by IGN, Gunn revealed that The Authority is the "hardest" of the announced projects within Chapter 1. He cited the success of Amazon's The Boys as a contributing factor, noting the complexities of fitting The Authority into a universe influenced by its own concepts and the presence of other beloved characters already filmed.

"Honestly, Authority's been the one that's been the hardest, both because of the shifting overall story and because of getting it right in a world with The Boys and a world with all the things that The Authority influenced that came out after it," Gunn explained. He also mentioned the desire to continue the stories of characters they've fallen in love with and see them interact, which adds to the project's complexity.

DC Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV Show

38 ImagesOne character from The Authority, electronics prodigy The Engineer / Angela Spica, is set to appear in the DCU kickstarter Superman. The Engineer is considered one of the most powerful members of the group, with abilities including self-duplication, technopathy, genius-level intellect, and radio-induced telepathy. For more information, check out IGN's article, Who Are the Authority: The WildStorm DCU Characters Explained.

The Authority isn't the only project in Chapter 1 facing difficulties. Gunn mentioned that Waller, a spinoff of his HBO Max series Peacemaker, has experienced "a couple of setbacks." However, the HBO Max series Booster Gold is "going pretty strong," and Paradise Lost remains a priority, with Gunn stating, "It seems to be going pretty well." Safran confirmed that the pilot for Paradise Lost is currently being written.

Regarding Swamp Thing, Safran indicated that DC Studios is willing to wait for director James Mangold, who is currently working on another project titled A Complete Unknown. "Our writer-director went off to make another little movie, A Complete Unknown, and we hope that he'll come back to Swamp Thing when he's ready, because again, that was one of those ones that we love him as a filmmaker, so we're happy to wait for him," Safran said. Gunn added that Swamp Thing is "not integral to the larger story that we're telling," confirming its standalone nature within the DCU.