Skip to main content

‘Wrinkle in Time’ director to helm DC Comics superhero movie ‘New Gods’

The expansion of Warner Bros. Pictures’ cinematic universe based on DC Comics heroes and villains continues, despite some well-publicized difficulty matching the critical and commercial success of its Marvel Studios counterpart. That hasn’t stopped the studio from making bold moves, though, and the latest project just might be the most ambitious so far: A New Gods movie directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay.

The director of this month’s A Wrinkle in Time adaptation, DuVernay has agreed to helm an upcoming live-action film based on legendary comic creator Jack Kirby’s New Gods, a massive group of cosmic characters that debuted in 1971.

According to Variety, the New Gods movie is intended to establish an even larger universe of characters with big-screen potential beyond the Earth-based heroes of its Justice League movie. In the DC Comics universe, the New Gods are a group of immortal characters who reside on two warring planets, New Genesis and Apokolips, and possess tremendous power and technology far beyond the scope of anything on Earth.

The history of the New Gods in DC Comics continuity includes the two worlds brokering a tenuous peace when the leaders of each world agree to each send their first-born child to the other world. The treaty does little to sate the ambition of Apokolips’ powerful leader, Darkseid, whose immeasurable strength, willpower, and single-minded desire to subjugate the universe eventually made him one of DC’s most dangerous villains.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The studio has been laying the groundwork for the introduction of the New Gods across several films in its DC Extended Universe, with Justice League featuring the general of Darkseid’s army, Steppenwolf, as its primary villain. Prior to that, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice included a dream sequence in which Batman sees a vision of Earth ruled by Darkseid and his armies.

DuVernay’s attachment to the project is particularly significant, as she becomes just the second female director to helm a major superhero blockbuster, following Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins. She previously made Hollywood history by becoming the first African-American woman to direct a live-action movie with a budget of more than $100 million when she helmed A Wrinkle in Time. That film has earned more than $48.3 million worldwide in the first week of its theatrical run.

In late 2017, DuVernay might have dropped a hint about her involvement with a New Gods movie when she responded to a question on Twitter asking her to name her favorite superhero.

Gosh, that's hard. Big Barda. Many reasons. #askava https://t.co/3qxGDq7mHe

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) December 27, 2017

The director responded with “Big Barda” — a female character from the New Gods universe who was originally one of Darkseid’s most lethal warriors, but rejected his philosophy and fled Apokolips after falling in love with the son of the New Genesis leader.

Prior to directing A Wrinkle in Time, DuVernay received an Academy Award nomination for directing the 2016 documentary 13th, and a Golden Globe Award nomination for directing 2014’s Selma. The latter film was also a Best Picture nominee at the 2015 Academy Awards.

Editors' Recommendations

Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
3 rom-coms on Netflix you need to watch in December
A man and woman sit next to each other at a table.

Can you believe there's only one month left in 2023? Yet, this isn't just any month. It's December, meaning the holiday season is upon us. Christmas and New Year's are only a few weeks away. Don't wait to get into the spirit. Now is the time to fire up the best Christmas movies on Netflix and start feeling the holiday cheer.

Romantic comedies tend to play well at Christmas because of their uplifting messages and soul-stirring themes. For December, we selected three of the best romantic comedies on Netflix to watch. Since it's December, our picks revolve around Christmas and the holidays.
Holidate (2020)

Read more
Dish has ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV for basketball fans under one roof [Sponsored]
NBA basketball hoop on Dish Network

Lately, it's become apparent that the best place to catch basketball games is Dish. They've got so much under one service and sports fans can't quit rejoicing over it. For example, you can see every NFL game on Dish. Not some on Dish, some on YouTube, and a few others on that questionably legal streaming site; just all on Dish. Basketball fans deserve similar treatment and with Dish they get it. Right now, you can get ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV together, for as low as $105 per month when you sign up for Dish. Plus, if you switch to Dish now, you get $100 back to spend how you like. That can pay for Dish's NBA League Pass or go towards a month of service, effectively giving you one month of Dish for just $5. Tap the button below to see the plans yourself, or keep reading to see why we like Dish and these channels for basketball.

Why you should sign up for Dish to watch basketball
One of the first things to recognize about the Dish service is just how inclusive it is. Which it does require installation — it is a satellite-receiver based service — that installation can go anywhere. That includes places where high speed internet companies and typical cable providers don't have the infrastructure for. You know the type of place. Plus, it has great features, like Dish multi-view, to watch 2-4 games at once and possibly even record up to 16.

Read more
Like the hit Netflix movie May December? Then check out these 4 movies that are just like it
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore in May December.

The reviews are in for Netflix's May December, and the critical acclaim it's receiving may make it a contender during Oscar season. In this film, Julianne Moore (The Kids Are All Alright) plays Gracie Atherton-Yoo, a former teacher who seduced her student (and future husband), Joe Yoo (Riverdale's Charles Melton), when he was only 13. Now, in the present, Elizabeth Berry (Black Swan's Natalie Portman) is an actress who is spending time with the Yoo family because she is playing Gracie in the big screen adaptation of their lives. And Elizabeth is getting a little too involved in her drive to understand Gracie and Joe's relationship.

May-December romances between an older woman and a younger man, or vice versa, are not uncommon in Hollywood. And while there aren't many films with the exact plot of May December, we have chosen three of the most prominent examples of May-December romances that should appeal to anyone who saw Netflix's new drama.
The Graduate (1967)

Read more