James Gunn is currently working on The Authority movie for DC Studios’ new James Gunn’s Superman Reboot Is Already Similar To The Batman In 1 Way
The Authority Story Explained
The Authority, a group of antiheroes who are committed to saving the world at any cost, debuted in 1999’s The Authority, written by Warren Ellis, artwork from Bryan Hitch, and published by the Jim Lee-founded WildStorm. The Authority was published shortly after DC Comics bought WildStorm, meaning that the group was technically born as a DC property. That said, WildStorm remained separate as part of the DC Multiverse, and it was only in the Flashpoint-caused reboot New 52, which came to be two years after the WildStorm imprint ended, that the WildStorm characters truly became part of the main DC Universe.
In a way, The Authority can be compared to the DCAU’s Justice League’s Lords of Justice or even Marvel’s Illuminati. The Authority was born off of the Stormwatch, one of WildStorm’s flagship properties, with some of its remaining coming together to form a new group after the original one was disbanded. This new team had far fewer restrictions than the Stormwatch, especially because its founder Jenny Sparks was already part of a more radical side of the Stormwatch. Whereas the Stormwatch answered to the United Nations in an MCU Sokovia Accords style, The Authority only really answered to themselves.
Though a lot of The Authority’s stories happened outside of the main DC Universe, a Stormwatch comic book series was launched shortly after the New 52 reboot. This time, original WildStorm characters were now interacting with famous DC Comics heroes like Martian Manhunter on a daily basis rather than just some crossovers from time to time. For those looking to read more New 52 WildStorm-inspired stories ahead of the DCU The Authority movie, 2011’s Stormwatch is a solid start. In 2017, now in a post-DC Rebirth timeline, some of the most important WildStorm characters were given a fresh start with The Wild Storm, which could inform the film.
The Authority Team & Powers
Similar to Terminator 2’s T-1000-like cyborg who can turn into liquid metal, and Jack Hawksmoor, whose powers can be a bit more tricky to understand. Hawksmoor can create a symbiotic relationship with whatever city he is in, which grants him heightened senses.
The Authority also has its own superhero base, the Carrier. While the name may suggest an Avengers-like SHIELD helicarrier, The Authority’s Carrier is actually an interdimensional vehicle that can travel through the space-time continuum. As if that is not impressive enough, The Authority’s base can talk. In other words, the Carrier is a base, a transporter, and a team member all at the same time. Considering how James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies managed to adapt a talking tree and a character who was actually a planet to the big screen, something like the Carrier in the DCU’s The Authority has a lot of potential.
The Authority team and its powers alone already make the DCU film exciting, as they are quite different from the more popular DC characters. After struggling with its first 2016 Suicide Squad film was released to harsh reviews, DC will have to nail its next team-up stories. Adapting something like The Authority, which displays a unique set of characters and powers and brings no pre-established expectations as Batman or Superman do, can be the key for this new DCU to set itself apart from the previous franchise and make lesser-known teams into mainstream superheroes.
Everything We Know About The Authority Movie
The Authority movie is one of the projects being outlined by James Gunn for the DC Studios’ new DCU. Not only will this be the first proper The Authority adaptation aside from a few references here and there, but it will also bring WildStorm characters into a larger DC Universe in a way that was only really done during the New 52 reboot. The Authority is considered a big film and is expected to tie into other DC movies. It is not clear exactly which Authority team will be part of the film, as well as who The Authority will face in the DCU movie.
It is important to note that the Elite, an anti-hero team led by Manchester Black that often faces Superman, was inspired by The Authority. In fact, Manchester Black was sort of an Earth-Prime version of Jenny Spark. Given that one of James Gunn’s first DCU projects is a Superman reboot, The Authority’s story could very well be linked to Superman. The Man of Steel actually faced The Authority in the comics in 2021’s Superman and The Authority, a story that could also serve as an inspiration for Gunn’s DCU. The Authority can also work as an anti-Justice League in this new DCU, similar to what the DCAU did.
