James Gunn has said Darkseid won't be the central villain of his new DC Universe — a deliberate departure from Zack Snyder's earlier take on the character in Zack Snyder's Justice League. Here's what that means for the DCU's villain plans going forward, based on Gunn's public comments.
Gunn has pointed out that Snyder already gave audiences a well-received version of Darkseid, and that the character's role as a cosmic, world-conquering threat draws inevitable comparisons to Marvel's Thanos. He's also spoken about his admiration for Jack Kirby's New Gods mythology and has confirmed work on Mister Miracle material — but that doesn't mean Darkseid is the DCU's next big-screen villain.
After Peacemaker Season 2 referenced the planet Salvation — a location tied to Darkseid's mythology for longtime readers — speculation shifted toward Brainiac stepping into the role of the DCU's next major antagonist, potentially setting up a team-up between Superman and Lex Luthor against a shared threat.
Peacemaker (John Cena) is expected to continue playing a role in the wider DCU even without a confirmed Season 3, as Gunn has talked about expanding beyond the "diamond" properties like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman to give supporting characters more prominence.
Upcoming DCU projects reportedly in the pipeline:
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2026: Supergirl and a Clayface film
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Lanterns (TV series)
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2027: Man of Tomorrow (expected to explore Brainiac)
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Matt Reeves' The Batman 2 (a separate, non-DCU saga)
For fans invested in the Darkseid-vs-Thanos debate, Gunn's comments suggest the DCU is charting its own path with fresh threats rather than repeating Snyder's cosmic-villain arc.
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