James Gunn has a long history with superhero movies, but only one film announced for the DC Universe really shows his impact on the franchise.

The Authority is the only DC Universe movie that shows James Gunn’s impact on the franchise’s reboot. After months of secrecy surrounding his and Peter Safran’s plans for the DC Universe, Chapter 1 was announced in early 2023. The first part of the slate reveal included relaunching solo franchises for Batman and Superman, with James Gunn writing and directing the latter with Superman: Legacy. Other movies announced included solo films starring Supergirl and Swamp Thing, two characters who have previously headlined movies and TV shows. The Chapter 1 titles left The Authority as the lone obscure selection from DC’s comic history.

The DC team known as The Authority is a group of superheroes who are willing to obtain justice by any means necessary. It firmly puts the team’s members in the anti-hero category. The Authority will put a big spotlight on comic characters like Jenny Spark, Apollo, Midnighter, Swift, The Doctor, The Engineer, Jack Hawksmoor, and so on. While those who are familiar with the Wildstorm Universe characters know who they are, The Authority is a very unknown group to pull into the mainstream with an ensemble movie. However, that decision makes it the only DC Universe movie announced so far that shows James Gunn’s impact.

The Authority Continues Gunn’s Interest In More Obscure Comics

James Gunn’s legacy and impact on the superhero movie genre has included elevating incredibly obscure comic characters to major figures in pop culture. The Guardians of the Galaxy are the most obvious example of this. Star-Lord, Gamora, Groot, Drax, and Rocket were far from known commodities prior to the first Guardians of the Galaxy releasing. There was plenty of doubt about if a cosmic team that included a talking raccoon and walking tree would work, raising concerns that it could be Marvel Studios’ first flop. Instead, James Gunn’s writing and direction helped make Guardians of the Galaxy an instant hit, elevating these characters to new heights.

The Authority is another chance for James Gunn to help raise the profile of characters who most audiences, and even several comic readers, do not know. He has already done this with DC thanks to the characters featured in The Suicide Squad. Bloodsport, Ratcatcher 2, Polka-Dot Man, Peacemaker, and others became much more recognizable through the film, with Peacemaker becoming the lead of a spinoff show. Even as he now shifts his focus to bigger characters and the wider DC Universe, The Authority is an example of how James Gunn’s interest in showing love to little-known and sometimes ridiculous characters.

Why DC Universe Chapter 1’s Movies Mostly Star Known Heroes

Some might have hoped for or expected James Gunn to include more obscure characters beyond The Authority, but his impact could not go that wide that quickly. The DC Universe needs major heroes like Batman and Superman if it is really going to relaunch properly. A shared universe filled with DC characters that does not include the comics’ two biggest heroes would be a huge mistake. Instead of ignoring them completely or focusing on Justice League-level heroes entirely, The Authority is a sign of the types of lesser-known characters and teams that could populate the DC Universe should it take off and James Gunn’s impact grows.