By now we’re sure you’re familiar with the 10 projects just announced to form the first first year of the brand new DCU. During their presentation to the press, DC Studios co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran also revealed a group of writers they have been working with to shape this first chapter of storytelling.
But who are this group of writers and how might they help shape the future of the DCU? Today we’re taking a look at five of the names which were confirmed by Gunn and Safran during their presentation.
Drew Goddard
Goddard is a name synonymous with popular culture. He started out his career writing on TV series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel. Goddard also worked closely with J.J. Abrams on two of his biggest hit series, Alias and Lost. On the big screen, Goddard was the writer behind the original Cloverfield as well as World War Z and The Martian.
He made his big screen directorial debut in 2011 with hit comedy-horror Cabin in the Woods.
In more recent years, Goddard made a name for himself in the comic book world as creator, executive producer and writer of Netflix’s Daredevil series which introduced fans to Charlie Cox’s fan-favourite version of the Man Without Fear.
It is not yet known if Goddard is simply working on the overarching story of the DCU or if he will take on one of the ten projects announced as part of the studios’ initial slate.
Christina Hodson
Hudson is a name that many DC fans will be aware of. Hodson famously worked with Margot Robbie on the story and script for Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn before starting a long-term tenure in the old DCEU.
As well as Birds of Prey, Hodson worked on the final script for 2023’s The Flash and wrote the now sadly cancelled Batgirl movie for HBO Max.
Hodson got her break working as a development executive for Focus Features before transitioning to screenwriting in 2012. Her first project, a psychological thriller called Shut In, made the 2012 Black List of best un-produced scripts.
Her other big screen credits include 2017’s Unforgiven and the well received Bumblebee spin-off in the Transformers franchise.
Jeremy Slater
Slater is a renowned screenwriter with a wealth of experience in sci-fi, comic book and horror stories.
He rose to prominence with 2015’s The Lazarus Effect, a horror movie directed by David Gelb, which was co-written with Luke Dawson. The film starred Mark Duplass, Olivia Wilde, Donald Glover, Evan Peters, and Sarah Bolger.
His next release also came in 2015 in the form of Josh Trank’s critically maligned Fantastic Four. Slater would later comment that little of his script was included in the final film, distancing himself from Simon Kinberg and Trank’s various on-set re-writes.
More recently, Slater has worked on scripts for the next film in The Monsterverse which will once again see Godzilla and King Kong sharing the big screen. Slater is also teaming with director Simon McQuoid on the sequel to 2021’s Mortal Kombat.
On the small screen, Slater has worked on multiple episodes of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy and acted as head writer, creator and executive producer on Marvel Studio’s Moon Knight.
Christal Henry
One of the lesser known names on the list is Christal Henry. Over the last decade, Henry has carved out a strong career in writing for TV working on series like The Chicago Code, Unforgettable and the award-winning Watchmen series for DC. Henry has written over 60 episodes of TV across her career.
Gunn and Safran confirmed that Henry is working on the Waller series which will pick up following the events of Peacemaker season one.
Tom King
The final name on the list of writers working at DC Studios will certainly be familiar to comic book readers. Tom King is an awarded and highly acclaimed comic book writer who has been working with DC for over a decade.
King primarily grew up in Southern California. His mother worked for the film industry which inspired his love of storytelling. He interned at both DC and Marvel Comics during the late 1990s. He studied both philosophy and history at Columbia University, graduating in 2000 before going on to work at the CIA.
On top of blockbuster runs on Batman, Grayson and Heroes in Crisis, he has written stories for many members of DC’s Justice League. His 2017 twelve-issue Mister Miracle series would contribute to towards his 2019 Eisner Award win for Best Writer.
Prior to the change in management at Warner Bros., King had been working with director Ava DuVernay on the now canceled New Gods film. Gunn and Safran have already confirmed they are adapting King’s 2022 series, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow so could the writer stay with the studio to pen the script?
It’s not known if any other writers have had input on chapter one of the DCU. But this certainly seems like an excellent group who have been chosen to help shape the “Gods and Monsters” phase of DC storytelling.
