DC Studios co-CEO and "Superman" director James Gunn recently responded to the controversy surrounding the tone of the "Lanterns" premiere within the DCU.
Following the debut of HBO's new "Lanterns" series, the use of expletives by Hal Jordan and John Stewart, coupled with an overall style reminiscent of a "True Detective"-esque buddy cop drama, struck some viewers as darker and grittier than other DCU projects like "Superman" or "Supergirl". This led to questions about the narrative consistency of the DCU.
A fan on Threads commented that if the first episode of "Lanterns" were considered an "elseworlds" story, it would be a better concept than "True Detective meets DCU." However, the fan added that even with upcoming titles like "Supergirl," "Creature Commandos," and "Clayface," they still couldn't understand how this slate of projects would build a cohesive shared narrative universe.
Gunn personally replied, stating, "That's how DC Comics are. The DC works of Alan Moore, Darwyn Cooke, Grant Morrison, Jack Kirby, Paul Dini, and Tom King are clearly not meant to be seen as 'one tone'."
"For me and many others who grew up with DC Comics, a huge part of the fun was enjoying all sorts of different genres and styles of stories, and seeing those tones interact and interweave in creative ways. For some creators, especially Moore, Morrison, and Tom King in works like 'Strange Adventures,' this interweaving of tones even became part of the story itself."
Gunn had previously indicated that every DCU project should possess its own unique identity, suggesting that future titles like "Clayface" could continue to explore vastly different genres.
via： IGN