Disney’s adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time has barely been out a week, but director Ava DuVernay has already lined up her next gig–and it’s even more cosmic than her last film. Warner Bros. has enlisted DuVernay to bring DC Comics’ New Gods to life in their very first live-action adaptation.
Deadline broke the story about DuVernay’s pending deal to direct New Gods, which will be another $100 million-plus epic in the DC Extended Universe. Warner Bros. is currently looking for a screenwriter who will collaborate with DuVernay on the film’s story. The director might have dropped a hint about this film late last year when she referred to the New Gods’ Big Barda as her favorite superheroine.
Gosh, that’s hard. Big Barda. Many reasons. #askava https://t.co/3qxGDq7mHe
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) December 27, 2017
Who are the New Gods? They are the creation of legendary writer and artist Jack Kirby, who unveiled his Fourth World epic across multiple titles when he joined DC Comics in the ’70s. The primary story revolves around the god-like inhabitants of twin planets: the paradise known as New Genesis and the dead world called Apokolips.
The New Gods were hinted at in Justice League, when Steppenwolf and his parademons paved the way for Darkseid, the evil ruler of Apokolips. Kirby’s concept for the New Gods was so broad that it left room for multiple protagonists, including the previously mentioned Big Barda and her companion, Scott Free a.k.a. Mister Miracle. Darkseid’s son, Orion, may also be one of the film’s main characters. In the comics, Scott and Orion were exchanged as children in the name of a short-lived peace between New Genesis and Apokolips. In the present, both Scott and Orion are aligned with New Genesis.
Several comic book creators have tried to update the New Gods, but only a few (including Tom King and Mitch Gerads’ recent Mister Miracle miniseries) have been able to humanize the characters. We can only assume that DuVernay won over Warner Bros. with her take on the characters, and we can’t wait to see what she has in store for us.
Are you excited about DuVernay’s upcoming superhero epic? Let us know in the comment section below!
Images: DC Comics
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