James Gunn announced that development on the DC movie 'The Authority' is paused. The project, once a priority for DC Studios, faces challenges fitting into the broader DC Universe. Gunn shared updates on other projects like 'Booster Gold' and 'Paradise Lost' remaining active.
James Gunn revealed on Threads that work on 'The Authority' feature film has been shelved for now. 'I never had an intention of writing or directing The Authority,' Gunn wrote. 'The script wasn’t quite there but more importantly it didn’t work in terms of the larger DCU both in terms of the story and practical concerns. Maybe some day. Not soon.' The film about a team of antiheroes was announced as a key project when Gunn assumed leadership of DC Studios in January 2023 alongside Peter Safran. The Authority originated in comics launched in 1992, formed by former StormWatch members including Jenny Sparks, Swift, Jack Hawksmoor, The Engineer (Angela Spica), Jeroen Thornedike, Apollo and Midnighter after their planetary defense group was destroyed. Gunn has praised the team's rogue approach, ignoring government advice to handle threats directly. A year earlier, in February 2025, Gunn noted development hurdles during a DC press day. 'It is a very big movie, if you’re going to do it properly,' he said. 'Some of the story elements perhaps that are in Superman and some of the other films we fast-tracked, step a little on The Authority … The script had a harder time coming along.' Gunn provided positive updates on other titles. The 'Booster Gold' TV series, about a future imposter posing as a superhero amid 'imposter syndrome,' remains in development, as does 'Paradise Lost,' a political drama set on Themyscira before Wonder Woman's birth, described as 'Games of Thrones-ish' exploring the Amazon society's intrigue.
