James Gunn’s DCU is starting to take shape, and the future for the franchise looks bright. The filmmaker has gone for a complete shakeup of the DC catalog after the dismal performance of the previous DC Extended Universe compared to Marvel.
The exciting thing about this iteration is Gunn’s willingness to explore lesser-known characters. Warren Griffith missed out on a place in Creature Commandos, but Gunn has expressed an interest in adapting the character. With werewolves popular in the mainstream, Griffith could be an excellent option for a series or standalone film.
Griffith Wasn’t Included in Creature Commandos
Griffith may not be known to mainstream viewers, but DC Comics fans know the character well. In the comics, Griffith is an army private during World War II who gets turned into a werewolf by Myron Mazursky of Project M. Unlike traditional werewolves, though, he can transform into his beast form at will. After becoming the monstrous creature, he goes by the aliases of The Werewolf and Wolfpack.
Griffith’s absence from the recent Creature Commandos series was conspicuous, and fans had been expecting to see the character as part of the group of mismatched heroes. According to Gunn, he was omitted along with Man-Bat because he didn’t want too many rabid and fuzzy characters. He’s already chosen to include Weasel, so there was no space for the others.
However, the fact that he mentioned these characters suggests that they will have a place in future offerings. Griffith appeared in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold television series, so there’s a chance that he could feature in the planned DCU The Brave and the Bold movie.
A Dark Werewolf Offering Could Be a Hit
Gunn has already shown that there are no limits to the DCU, and there’s the potential to explore some dark and adult themes. If Griffith doesn’t appear in The Brave and the Bold, a more sinister werewolf offering centering on the character could be a great option.
This would be of great appeal to audiences, as werewolves are hugely popular in the mainstream. Along with the recent Wolf Man from Leigh Whannell, there’s the upcoming Werwulf from Robert Eggers. In iGaming, wolf themes are abundant too, with Were Wolf It Up! among the top rated casino online UK games currently. The slots market is often a great barometer of what’s popular, so it would make a lot of sense for the DCU to release its own werewolf offering.
Gunn clearly has grand plans for the DCU in the coming years, and is setting it apart from the DCEU by exploring a much wider range of characters. There are some gems in the DC Comics that have never been adapted for film, and Gunn plans to tackle some of his favorites. The first on the agenda is Clayface, with a new body horror film focusing on the character set for release in 2026.
It seems that Gunn is trying to cover a broader range of DC characters in his new universe, which leaves the door open for many minor heroes and villains. Griffith is one option that could be deserving of a film or television series, as it would allow for darker themes that would perhaps widen the audience of the DCU.