DC Studios’ co-head, James Gunn, has fanned the flames of speculation, suggesting that Wonder Woman’s twin sister, Nubia, may be heading to the new DCU, while also offering an update on the Themysciran prequel series, Paradise Lost. The comments came during the extensive press tour for this summer’s Superman film.
For many comic book fans, the inclusion of Nubia is long overdue. Created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Don Heck, the character first appeared in Wonder Woman #204 back in 1973. Historically significant, Nubia is DC Comics’ first Black female superhero, introduced as Diana’s long-lost fraternal twin, sculpted from the same clay but raised on a different island. Her backstory has evolved over the years, with modern comics, such as Nubia & the Amazons, establishing her as a formidable warrior and even Queen of the Amazons in her own right.
Speaking with Pay or Wait while promoting Superman, Gunn was asked directly about the chances of seeing Nubia in his developing screen universe.
Gunn offered a promising, if coy, response. He told the outlet,
I am very aware of Nubia. And yes, we are very much talking about that, and I want to have all sorts of people represented in the DCU, and yeah, you might be very happy in the distant future.”
This potential introduction aligns perfectly with another project simmering in development: Paradise Lost. The HBO series is set on the island of Themyscira before the birth of Diana and has been described in ambitious terms. At the initial DCU slate announcement in early 2023, co-CEO Peter Safran likened the show’s scope to Game of Thrones, noting it’s “really about the political intrigue behind a society of all women.”
Gunn expanded on this vision, posing rhetorical questions that hint at the series’ themes.
How did that come about? What’s the origin of an island of all women? What are the beautiful truths and the ugly truths behind all of that? And what’s the scheming like between the different power players in that society?”
The title itself will be familiar to readers of the Wonder Woman comics, echoing the Paradise Island Lost storyline by Phil Jimenez and George Pérez. While development is proceeding, Gunn cautioned that it’s a slow process. Speaking to EW, he said,
Paradise Lost’ is moving along. It’s slow-moving, but it’s moving. And, yeah, I really love that project a lot.”
While Paradise Lost will explore the foundations of the Amazons, Gunn clarified that a separate Wonder Woman feature film is also being scripted. When asked if the series and film would connect directly, he offered a typically candid answer.
Yes. Well, yes and no. Wonder Woman’s a separate thing. We’re working on Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman’s being written right now. So it’s different. I mean, not different. They’re connected. She’s from f***ing Themyscira, so…,”
These developments are part of Gunn and Safran’s broader strategy to build a cohesive DCU across film and television, a plan kicking off with Superman on July 11th. The film stars David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, alongside a large ensemble cast bringing various DC characters to life.
As Geek Native has covered before, the world of superheroes often inspires tabletop roleplaying games, and a deeper dive into the politics of Themyscira could provide fertile ground for future RPG sourcebooks. There is a new DC Heroes TTRPG on the way, Cryptozoic Entertainment are just waiting for approvals.
It’s Superhero Week, and you can heroically bound over buildings and to newly random discoveries via teleport links.
