James Gunn’s new DCU is still gearing up for its first salvo with the release of Superman, and the man behind the movie recently took to social media to signal to fans that another alien might be joining the roster in the near future.
The DCU is planned to emerge from the ashes of the DCEU, the shared universe that Zack Snyder led against the MCU, with significantly diminishing returns over time. Spearheaded by new DC Studios chiefs Gunn and Peter Safran, the rebooted franchise has been planned intricately, kicking off its run with a slate of projects collectively titled Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. The most prominent of these planned projects is Superman, which is set to establish the mood and stakes of the franchise, as well as introduce many important players in future events, not least of all the titular hero. The film has already concluded filming and even features a very significant Superman cameo that fans will appreciate.
It’s been clear from the initial casting stage that Gunn’s Superman is setting up a different Justice League from the lineup that existed in the DCEU, and the filmmaker’s most recent DC easter egg might confirm one powerful addition to that roster. Taking to his official account on X, Gunn would post an image featuring a large pack of chocolate sandwich cookies with the branding Chocos, looking very similar to the popular Oreos cookies of the same sort. This image has gotten fans absolutely rabid with anticipation, as far from being a real thing, Chocos are the in-universe Oreo equivalent for DC and the undisputed favorite Earth snack of one J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter.
In DC Comics, the Chocos brand has been a long-running facet of the Martian Manhunter’s lore, initially getting into the habit of eating them after receiving some from Shazam and going on to foster a fondness for the snack. In one storyline, it was even revealed that his Martian physiology had an addictive reaction to the snacks, causing the Martian to go on a mindless, shapeshifting-fueled rampage when denied any more of it. This was resolved by forcefully excising the parts of his anatomy that caused the addition, leading to another interesting battle for the Justice League and the resolution of the issue. Since then, Martian Manhunter has still occasionally enjoyed a pack or two of Chocos and it seems Gunn is hinting at the character joining his franchise. Zack Snyder had big plans for the Martian Manhunter in his Justice League, but with the DCEU now defunct, Gunn is free to do with the character as he pleases with no need to reconstruct public perception.
Gunn has been pretty liberal with the social media easter eggs, and there’s little reason to believe that this instance is a coincidence. Whether as a prominent character in Justice League Unlimited or as a surprise DLC entrant in the first Injustice video game, J’onn J’onzz has been intermittently popular with casual comic book fans for decades, but has never seen a true push to the mainstream like many other DC heroes have. The last attempt at this was in Zack Snyder’s Justice League cut, a director’s cut that only really appealed to established fans and showed the character in a passing role. Getting J’onn in on th4e ground floor of the rebooted DCU could be a game changer for the character, as well as a nuclear storytelling option due to his impressive (and often understated) power.
While fans are still a ways off from getting the Martian Manhunter on-screen again, there’s a lot of hope that Gunn can recreate his Guardians of the Galaxy success for Creature Commandos in the meantime, as that animated series is technically the first project from his new DCU and could have a real effect on how the franchise is perceived going into Superman in 2025. How well the start of the DCU goes for Gunn and how that affects the current plans for the franchise remains to be seen, but there’s at least one green light on the horizon.
Superman is currently set for theatrical release on July 11, 2025.
Justice League
The Justice League is a DC comic group of heroes consisting of some other the most famous names and faces in all comic book media, with the original seven members being Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter.
The Justice League has appeared in numerous comics, films, and TV episodes.
Source: James Gunn/X
