‘Star Wars’ Approach to Multimedia Storytelling to Influence James Gunn’s DCU
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has revealed that he would be looking to Star Wars for inspiration for his new DC Universe following his takeover in late 2022.
Star Wars is known for its incredible world-building and the creation of a universe that is so stylistically unique. Ever since the release of the original trilogy, new instalments have filled in the gaps in our knowledge, and not necessarily in chronological order. Essentially, Star Wars has established a saga that can not only be expanded upon, but moved away from, as the universe speaks for itself.
James Gunn explained he hopes to create a universe in a similar vein during an extensive DC “Chapter 1” announcement Q&A event. Here are his exact words:
“But we’re also creating a universe that is like Star Wars where there are different times, different places, different things…”
This suggests that the new DCU will feature greater narrative flexibility than that of the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far, for instance, with the freedom to hop to different places in the timeline and to explore various aspects of all the different eras.
The way Star Wars continues to add to the universe — like pieces of a puzzle falling into place — is such a beautiful way to unfold the stories within it and give context to events that happened in the past and future. It really gives the franchise that gravitas, the feel of an epic that can withstand the passage of time. In saying that, we can hope to see something similar in the DCU, with plenty of new instalments coming our way.
You can read the full interview with James Gunn and Peter Safran via Gizmodo here.
Rosalie Lambert is a law student from Australia with a deep love for Star Wars, fantasy, and epic stylistic storytelling. Growing up in the country, Rosalie has always loved nature and outdoor activities, and has a passion for human rights and social justice that she wants to work towards in her field of study.
