Amid Gods and Monsters comes The Authority, a surprising pick for James Gunn‘s new version of the DCU. The Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker confirmed that the anti-hero team would get its own film. The Authority is basically The Justice League or more accurately, The Seven from The Boys. A group of cynical “heroes” who aren’t afraid to push boundaries just to save the universe.
An anti-Justice League is a great idea! Given the fact that James Gunn managed to masterfully make three Guardians of the Galaxy films then the new DC head could pull off the upcoming Authority feature. However, this can also end up being another Joss Whedon Justice League. The problem with The Authority is that they are unknowns who have barely made a dent in the animated market.
There’s a fear that this upcoming DCU film would feel rushed and be filled with mountains of exposition that slows down the momentum of the full story. The Authority should be a mini-series, and the world and characters of the classic comics are too rich to tell within two hours.
Bringing The Characters Together Would Feel Organic
As previously stated, James Gunn has a knack for stringing together great team-up films and that’s due to Guardians of the Galaxy. However, these bands of characters have a richer history than the Marvel ragtag group. There are several versions of the story, but the original first came in 1999’s The Authority, which was written by Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch.
The story started with the team as a black-ops group funded by the United Nations. It’s pretty much the prequel to The Authority. This prequel is important because we understand the mentality of these characters and their morals. More than likely, the film will briefly gloss over this aspect, unless James Gunn is going for a four-hour feature.
This also allows Gunn to play with the Superman/Authority angle. Since Superman: Legacy will be the first film out of the DCU canon, they can easily incorporate his character into the story. Honestly, this storyline would work better with Henry Cavill‘s version of Superman because he was slowly transforming into a darker version in Zack Snyder‘s version.
Since this is a soft reboot, then there would be no harm in bringing back Cavill here. Given his experience with the Justice League, the story can bounce off him and his frustration with the crime that runs rampant in the DC universe. Then, after we get to know The Authority characters in the beginning, they could officially be introduced here.
Justice Society Vs. The Authority?
The chance of getting the full Justice League back together is slim to none. However, Amanda Waller has contact with the Justice Society. That small group would be perfect for the darker and more cynical version of the heroic characters. It’s also possible that Gunn simply replaces the Justice League members with new actors.
However, for The Authority to rule, then it would be best if they get rid of the Justice Society. A mini-series can easily build to that moment when the two teams finally clash. Plus, it can give the Justice Society some much-needed development that was lacking in Black Adam. Personally, I would ignore the death of Doctor Fate in the Dwayne Johnson film and bring back Pierce Brosnan here. He was such a joy in Black Adam and given his powers, and it can be explained in a way that makes sense.
If the series builds up both teams pretty well, then this should be a great story for the DCU overall. It allows James Gunn and his band of filmmakers to take their universe in a bold new direction and explore topics that are rarely brought up in the DC universe.
It Can Help Also Batman And Damian Wayne
One of the more interesting aspects of the DCU is Batman and his murderous son, Damian Wayne. Batman doesn’t have to be a prominent feature here. However, it would be silly not to play with the dynamic between Batman and Robin, with the latter being tempted by the idea of joining a group that shares his morals and ideas.
The Authority has too much potential to be condensed down to a simple two-hour film. One of the biggest concerns is that these characters may feel like a knock-off of The Seven. This isn’t to say that The Authority as a film is already doomed. But it would better serve the story and characters if we were given a chance to dive into their stories and see how it truly impacts the overall DC universe.
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