7 DC Comics Characters Who Could Appear in James Gunn’s DCU

James Gunn and producer Peter Safran are actively reshaping the DC Universe, pairing a warmer, family-minded take on Superman with the darker, absurdist flavor of Peacemaker season 2. Those two projects have already elevated unexpected comic figures — from the breakout Mr. Terrific in Superman to Captain Triumph, who anchors Peacemaker’s second season emotionally. With an expanding slate of DCU films and series, it’s natural to speculate which supporting players and obscure villains Gunn will bring forward next.

Gunn and Safran have confirmed several returns and new directions: Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle is set to continue in an animated series, Wonder Woman will be recast, and a Booster Gold series is in development. Below are seven characters, ranked from the most probable to the delightfully oddball, who seem like good fits for Gunn’s vision of the DCU.

7 Brainiac

Likelihood: Extremely high

Gunn has already signaled future Superman entries — including the July 2027 sequel Man of Tomorrow — that set up Lex Luthor and Superman teaming up against a larger menace. Few antagonists fit that template better than Brainiac: a cold, machine-minded intelligence whose technological threat would plausibly force Superman and Luthor into an uneasy alliance. The character’s ties to Kryptonian science also dovetail with Gunn’s current take on Krypton, where Jor-El’s worldview hints at a more imperialistic strain of Kryptonian legacy.

In many adaptations Brainiac is depicted as a Kryptonian-created program or probe, which gives the character a thematic resonance with recent storytelling choices and makes him an especially cinematic opponent for the Man of Steel.

6 Mister Mxyzptlk

Likelihood: Very high

Gunn has already peppered the DCU with glimpses of interdimensional tricksters — small, reality-warping imps that show up in background moments of Superman and in Peacemaker season 2. Given Peacemaker’s growing importance to the shared world, those brief appearances could foreshadow a larger role for Fifth Dimension mischief-makers.

Mister Mxyzptlk is a protean antagonist: delightfully anarchic, wildly powerful, and often defeated only by cleverness rather than force. That makes him a perfect foil for Superman and an irresistible opportunity for filmmakers to blend humor with high-concept stakes — especially in a universe where Luthor’s scheming can serve as a grounding counterpoint.

5 Mongul

Likelihood: High

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is already shaping up as a cosmic odyssey (with Jason Momoa attached as Lobo), and a spacefaring adventure demands a suitably imposing adversary. Mongul — a warlord with the strength to challenge Kryptonians and the resources to field armies and gladiatorial spectacles — fits that bill perfectly.

Unlike Darkseid, who carries heavy Snyder-era associations, Mongul offers an intimidating but fresher cosmic threat with clear ties to Lobo-style mercenary exploits and baroque interstellar set pieces.

4 Gorilla Grodd

Likelihood: High

Gunn has made no secret of his affection for DC’s ape-centric oddities — he even staged a near-fatal gorilla encounter in Peacemaker’s first season. Among those primate villains, Gorilla Grodd stands out: a hyper-intelligent psychic with ambitions of domination and regular membership in villainous coalitions like the Legion of Doom. If Gunn assembles a Luthor-led opposition to his Justice Gang, Grodd is a natural and cinematic villain to include.

3 Etrigan the Demon

Likelihood: Somewhat

Jack Kirby’s Etrigan — the rhyming demon bound to the mortal Jason Blood — is a flexible asset for supernatural stories. He can fight, explain occult lore, and serve as a bridge between mystical corners of the DCU and more skeptical heroes. Etrigan could easily appear in Creature Commandos or another magic-tinged series, functioning as both muscle and exposition for occult plots.

2 Jarro

Likelihood: Maybe an Easter egg rather than a full character

Gunn already brought Starro into The Suicide Squad, so a smaller, sweeter follow-up like Jarro — a telepathic starfish reared from Starro tissue — would be an easy and whimsical easter egg. In the comics Jarro bonds to Batman as an odd, affectionate ally; in the DCU, a scientist or hero could discover a remnant of Starro and cultivate Jarro as a bizarre but loyal companion.

1 Dex-Starr

Likelihood: Unlikely, but fun to imagine

If Gunn introduces Guy Gardner as a prominent Green Lantern-style figure within the Justice Gang, it opens the door to cosmic cornerstones like the Red Lantern Corps. Rather than leaning on Sinestro or Parallax — heavily weighted by past adaptations — Gunn might spotlight Dex-Starr, a grief-driven red-ringed cat whose ferocity and tragic backstory would make for an oddly emotional, memorable antagonist.

Source: Polygon