While fans continue to wait for the arrival of superheroes like Batman and Wonder Woman in the DCU, James Gunn seems to have teased the potential appearance of a rather obscure character from DC Comics, named Animal Man. In a recent interview, Gunn shed some light on his vision for the upcoming projects in his cinematic universe, where he seemingly hinted at having plans for Animal Man.
James Gunn hints at including Animal Man in future DCU projects
During his recent appearance on a talk show, the Superman director provided an interesting reaction to the name of Animal Man, prompting fans to think that the DC Studios co-CEO may have thought of giving the lesser-known hero his debut in future DCU projects.
In a later segment of Late Night with Seth Meyers, the host jokingly expressed that he would like to have a role in James Gunn’s DCU, before throwing out superhero names which he could embody, including Blue Beetle and Elongated Man. Seth Myers also mentioned Animal Man, which led Gunn to say, “Animal Man? Oh, he’s a good character. I can’t give you that one. That has gotta go to someone really good.”
Although Gunn did not share any specific plans he might have for Animal Man in the DCU, his comments indicate that the obscure yet fan-favorite character may have a part to play in future DC projects.
Additionally, when asked if he is open to handing out debuts to “second-tier, third-tier heroes,” James Gunn replied, “Yeah, I mean, I think that’s one of the things about this [DCU] world. This world is a fantastical alternate reality with all of these different, what we call, metahumans, superheroes. And they’re all the supporting characters in this [Superman] movie…we’re developing a couple of TV shows with some of these characters.”
In the comics, Bernhard “Buddy” Baker dons the mantle of Animal Man after coming in contact with an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship. In the aftermath of his encounter, Baker can shadow the abilities of any animal while being in its presence.
Despite James Gunn’s aforementioned comments, an official word regarding Animal Man’s proposed involvement in the DCU has yet to come out.
Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on SuperHeroHype.
