There are a lot of DC Comics movies in development right now, and it’s looking more and more like New Gods will be among the ones that will actually become a reality. We’re still a ways off from learning any specific New Gods story details, but director and co-writer Ava DuVernay has confirmed that Darkseid, the main antagonist of Jack Kirby’s Fourth World, will appear in the movie with the following tweet:
In case you’re unfamiliar, “Darkseid Is” is a phrase that first appeared during Grant Morrison’s JLA run and was heavily featured in the recent Mister Miracle miniseries written by Tom King, who is working on the New Gods script with Ava DuVernay, and illustrated by Mitch Gerads. Basically, it means that Darkseid is absolute; things die and will be destroyed, but Darkseid will always be.
While a lot of DC Comics fans assumed that Darkseid would be in New Gods, it’s nonetheless good to have confirmation straight from Ava DuVernay. Frankly, it would have been weird for Darkseid not to appear in New Gods given his importance to the Fourth World mythology, not to mention the wider DC universe. Besides, it’s about time the character finally appear on the big screen.
Darkseid was alluded to in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in Bruce Wayne’s Knightmare and was originally supposed to appear in Justice League, both in the flashback battle sequence and briefly towards the end of the movie. However, he was ultimately removed from the theatrical cut and Steppenwolf only mentioned him once.
Speaking of which, if you look at the replies to Ava DuVernay’s Darkseid tweet, many supporters of the Justice League “Snyder Cut” are asking the director if Darkseid will be played in New Gods by Ray Porter, who Zack Snyder cast to play the villain in Justice League. My money’s on DuVernay picking someone new so as not to be creatively restricted, and also because with an antagonist as menacing as Darkseid, it’s the perfect role for a big-name actor to fill.
Darkseid wasn’t the only character Ava DuVernay confirmed for New Gods. She also revealed that the Female Furies, the warrior women who fight for Apokolips, will also appear.
It was rumored at the beginning of the year that the Female Furies and their superior, Granny Goodness, would be among New Gods’ new villains, with them going up against Mister Miracle and Big Barda. Ava DuVernay didn’t mention Miracle or Granny, though they're both logical inclusions, particularly the latter since she’s responsible for training the Furies. DuVernay’s tweet also seemingly indicates that Barda will be part of the Furies too, though if she’s anything like her comic book counterpart, she’ll eventually defect from the group.
Of course, Darkseid and the Female Furies are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg with who could show up in New Gods. From Highfather and Orion to DeSaad and Kalibak, this movie will almost certainly have a stacked cast, so once Ava DuVernay and Tom King flesh out the story, hopefully she’ll share who some of the other major players will be on social media.
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates concerning New Gods, and don’t forget to look through our DC movies guide to learn what else is coming down the pipeline.
