Summary
- James Gunn wants experienced superhero directors for his new DCU, and Matthew Vaughn could be one of them.
- Vaughn has had conversations with Gunn about joining the DC franchise, although he is currently focused on creating his own projects.
- The only available movie for Vaughn in the upcoming DCU projects is The Authority, which would be a good fit given his experience with the X-Men and the anti-hero theme of the story.
James Gunn is building a new DCU, and he wants to surround himself with experienced directors in the world of superheroes. And Matthew Vaughn could be one of them. Vaughn began his directing career in 2004 with Layer Cake, a crime thriller starring Daniel Craig. In 2007, he released his first film adaptation with Stardust, based on the novel of the same name by Neil Gaiman. And in 2010 he made the leap to superhero movies with Kick-Ass. Although at the time the film did not have the expected impact, over the years it became almost a cult film, with fans praising the director’s work with the creation of Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.
His efforts with the project led him to be chosen to direct X-Men: First Class, the first installment of the saga led by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. And although he did not direct any of the following, he did write X-Men: Days of Future Past in addition to producing it while working on the adaptation of another comic, Kingsman, turning it into a successful film franchise.
Given his vast experience and the acclaim he has received, Vaughn is one of those directors that any great saga would surely want to have on board. So it wouldn’t be a surprise if James Gunn and the new DCU wanted to recruit him.
Speaking with Josh Horowitz on his Happy, Sad, Confused Podcast, Vaughn revealed that he has had conversations with Gunn about joining the franchise in the future:
“DC has reached out and Gunn and Peter, we’ve been talking. Never say never, at the moment I’m enjoying creating my own things. The franchise is in the best hands, so let’s see what happens.”
Which DCU Upcoming Projects Would Be a Good Fit for Matthew Vaughn?
Many of the upcoming projects in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DCU have already chosen their creative teams. The director of Guardians of the Galaxy himself took charge of the script and will sit in the director’s chair for Superman: Legacy, and also wrote the scripts for Creature Commandos, an animated series that will premiere on Max.
Although it doesn’t even have a release date, the next Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold, also already has a director assigned. Andy Muschietti, who brought The Flash to the screen, will continue working with Warner Bros. and DC on the new Caped Crusader film. Swamp Thing also already has its director assigned, which will be Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny‘s James Mangold.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow hasn’t chosen its director yet, but the studio will most likely assign a woman to direct Kara Zor-El’s next adventure. So the only movie that would be available for Vaughn is The Authority, which would undoubtedly be a good story for him.
Vaughn’s experience working with the X-Men positions him as a good candidate for The Authority. In the universe of mutants there are two factions, those led by Charles Xavier and those led by Magneto. The first group complies with the rules imposed by society, despite often being marginalized. While the other group seeks to place themselves above the rest of humanity in response to the mistreatment they have received.
The Authority follows a group of anti-heroes who do not allow themselves to be controlled by others, making it clear that their powers give them a status that no one else can have, acting without caring about the consequences of their actions.
