The movie was slated to be the big-screen debut of the Wildstorm Universe created team and have them join the main franchise. An official roster of characters was not confirmed at that time, only that it would revolve around “antiheroes who have good intentions while having to go to extremes due to how broken the world is.”
Several team members were even rumored to be in Superman early on, with The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) proving to be the only one at the end of the day. Despite DC Studios continuing to try to crack the film, which Gunn once described as the hardest DCU project to get right, the intentions to make it have not come to fruition.
On April 27, Gunn responded to a fan on social media and confirmed that The Authority has been canceled, at least for now. He cited concerns with the script, the movie’s placement in the DCU, and its practical fit within their plans as reasons for the shelving. Even though the movie never came that close to being green-lit, its cancellation still has a profound impact on the franchise.
The Authority Team & Characters Have An Uncertain Future
María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer in Superman
The Authority was going to be the place where the team assembled for the first time. While some, like The Engineer, would have appeared before it, others may have had to wait for the team film to make their DCU debuts. Now, the team as a whole and each individual character have less certain spots in the universe.
Gunn confirmed that The Authority no longer fit within the larger DCU story, signaling how plans have evolved over the last three years. The co-CEO has an event in mind that the franchise is building to, and rather than this antihero team playing a pivotal role in that destination, it appears they are now on the outs.
Rather than introducing an obscure team like this and asking them to headline a major feature film, The Engineer and the rest of The Authority characters could be lumped into other teams, such as the Justice Gang, Justice Society, Legion of Doom, or a Lex Luthor-funded team.
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
The Engineer is the only team member with a confirmed DCU future, as María Gabriela de Faría is slated to return in Man of Tomorrow. The 2027 follow-up to Superman has cast all its major roles, and unless there is a secret member, she will be the only Authority character in it. None are slated for Supergirl, and none would make sense in Clayface.
The best option for these characters to still have a role to play in the DCU in the near future is to find supporting parts in other projects. Should they pop with audiences in those appearances, it could become easier for DC Studios to reconsider and move forward with The Authority as a new potential franchise.
The Authority’s Cancellation Signals The DCU’s Shift To Only Focusing On Bigger Characters
Characters in Superman
After all, DC Studios appears to have become uncertain if audiences would respond to The Authority enough at the box office to warrant giving it a green light. That was the sentiment given by Gunn last year when he discussed The Authority‘s status, as he cast doubt on lesser-known characters headlining movies:
I’m probably not going to do certain movies with characters who [audiences] don’t know; it’s harder to get people in the theater for that kind of thing.
Gunn’s announcement that The Authority is no longer happening suggests that was also a driving force behind the decision, noting “practical concerns” they had with making the movie. That appears to be a nicer way of saying the DCU isn’t in a position to take a swing at a riskier project about obscure characters that would still require a bigger budget due to the early stages of this franchise (not to mention Warner Bros.’s proposed sale to Paramount).
In that way, The Authority‘s cancellation impacts far more than just this single project. A movie like Clayface may still make it through development thanks to its much smaller budget, but movies centered around smaller characters that would require substantial box office returns to be profitable are not going to be part of the DCU’s approach right now.
That’s why DC Studios has rapidly made progress on Man of Tomorrow and reportedly started fast-tracking a new Wonder Woman last year. The DCU is looking to utilize its biggest and most well-known characters to establish the strength of the franchise. If there is too much risk involved, like with The Authority, then the concept will have to wait or be able to be made with smaller costs.
