Warning! This article contains spoilers for Superman.
TheDC Universehas already teased its firstAvengers-level event thanks to two separate projects, and I have a theory about what it is. IfSuperman’s endingmade anything clear, it is that the DC Universe is finally here. Several characters, both heroes and villains, were introduced to the franchise, withSuperman’s many Easter eggshinting at countless others.
This all makes the future of theDCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monstersmore exciting than it already was. AlthoughSuperman’s post-credit scenesdo not outright tease what is to come, the film makes plenty of references to the future of the franchise, with an appearance from Milly Alcock’s Supergirl being a prime example.
However, these aspects teased individual DCU projects, with the overarching story that combines each yet to reveal itself. That has not stopped DC Studios chief James Gunn from teasing the DCU’s firstAvengers-level event, though, while hinting at its connection to two separate projects. After these comments from Gunn, I have a theory about where the DCU is headed.
James Gunn Has Teased The Overarching Plans For The DC Universe
There Are Some Plans In Place
In an exclusive interview withScreen Rant’s own Ash Crossan about theDC Universe’s wider plan, Gunn was asked about Krypto. The question surrounded whether Krypto’s DCU role will be akin to Rocket Raccoon, in the sense that the latter was revealed as the true main character of theGuardians of the Galaxyfranchise.
Gunn replied that it isn’t Krypto’s story, but proceeded to give interesting teasesanyway.
Gunn stated,“I do know whose story it is. And it probably isn’t anyone anyone would ever expect.“When quizzed on whether it is a character we have seen so far, Gunn said yes, and confirmed that he does have a throughline to a big event-style story planned. On this topic, Gunn said:
“It’s not what anyone would guess. But I think that if people watch the next season of Peacemaker, they’ll see where a lot of these things are going, and have a little bit more of a sense of maybe what can happen.”
What exactly this means remains to be seen, but the DCU’s future clearly has a road map.
The DC Universe’s Avengers-Level Story Tease Is Interesting For Several Reasons
Gunn’s Comments Are Not Necessarily Expected
On the whole, Gunn’s comments about the DCU’s big event story are interesting, to say the least. Perhaps the biggest reason for this is how unexpected they are. The idea that the central character of the DCU’s broader arc will be one that people do not expect, but that has been part of the franchise so far, is somewhat of a subversion.
After all, many would assume that a character as important as Superman would be the central figure of the DCU going forward. However, it is someone else, be that Peacemaker, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, or any other character that has shown up in the franchise thus far. Speaking of Peacemaker, Gunn’s comments on this are interesting too.
Peacemakerseason 2 releases in August 2025, a month afterSuperman, and is seemingly very important to the wider DCU story. This is surprising given Peacemaker’s relative obscurity in the world of DC Comics. Despite this,it seems as thoughPeacemakerand its titular character will start to make the broad plan of the DC Universe clearer.
Beyond the characters involved in Gunn’s plans forupcoming DCU movies, his comment that the event itself is unexpected is intriguing. This indicates it will not be something overly well-known from the comics or other DC adaptations. With that in mind, herein lies my theory for the DCU’s future.
DCU Theory: Peacemaker Season 2’s Trailer Hints At DC’s Earth-3 Storyline
Earth-3 Would Be Somewhat Unexpected
My theory is that the DCU is building towards an overarching Earth-3 storyline. In DC Comics,Earth-3 is an alternate Earth that includes a supervillain team made up of opposite versions of the likes of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and their various allies. Thanks to Gunn’s comments aboutPeacemakerseason 2 and the show’s trailer, this seems a likely DCU storyline.
At the end ofPeacemakerseason 2’s trailer, the titular character enters his father’s pocket dimension from season 1, which includes hundreds of doors to unknown places. Peacemaker enters one of these doors, leading to a variant of himself. This other Peacemaker holds up a gun to Chris Smith’s head and states,“Who the f*** are you?”
With this in mind, Peacemaker could have entered Earth-3. The other Peacemaker in the trailer could be his more evil counterpart, further setting up Earth-3 as the DCU’s firstAvengers-level event.
Superman’s Ending Hints At Another Earth-3 Character In The DCU
Whose Fate Is Unknown
To further provide evidence towards this theory,Supermanhints at another Earth-3 character. In the comics, the evil version of Kal-El on Earth-3 is known as Ultraman, who was one of thevillains inSuperman.In the final fight between Superman and his clone, dubbed Ultraman by Lex Luthor, the former pushes the latter through a black hole.
This could be how the DC Universe establishes Ultraman’s status as Earth-3’s evil Superman…
However, this black hole existed in an interdimensional rift. It would not be unrealistic to say that Ultraman survived this and ended up on another Earth. If so, this could be how the DC Universe establishes Ultraman’s status as Earth-3’s evil Superman. This, combined with the evil Peacemaker teased inPeacemakerseason 2’s trailer, could render my Earth-3 theory more probable.
Why The DCU’s First Big Event Being Earth-3 Makes Sense
Earth-3 Fits With Gunn’s DCU Comments
If this theory comes true, there are several reasons as to why Earth-3 being the DCU’s first big event makes sense. For one, it is not a massively well-known DC Comics event like Crisis on Infinite Earths or Flashpoint, for example. Earth-3 has played a role in various eras of DC Comics, but it is not as big as some other major events.
This fits with James Gunn’s comments about the DCU’s first event being something unexpected. Moreover, Earth-3 is not a typical Justice League movie in that it features DC’s heroes coming together to fight one big villain. Instead, it is unexpected in the sense that it is about evil variants of the franchise’s heroes, again aligning with Gunn’s comments.
Other superhero movie franchises like the MCU have not tackled the idea of alternate, evil versions of its heroes, making Earth-3 more unique and fresh within the genre.
Also, if the theorized Earth-3 event takes place, it could focus on unexpected characters. Peacemaker is one, as his obscurity in the comics has already been explored. Another could be Lex Luthor, whose Earth-3 variant is actually a benevolent character. If Nicholas Hoult returned as a good guy, this would be an unexpected character to focus on, as Gunn promised.
All of this proves why Earth-3 could be a good fit for the DCU’s firstAvengers-level event. Not only would it subvert expectations in the way Gunn has promised, but it would provide a fresh take on a crossover event that has not been seen in live-action. Whether it happens or not remains to be seen, but theDC Universehas big plans ahead either way.
