Under the helm of James Gunn, DC Studios has forayed further into R-rated material, including 2021’s The Suicide Squad, HBOMax television series, Peacemaker, and upcoming horror feature, Clayface. However, Gunn has confirmed that the previously announced R-rated team-up movie, The Authority, is no longer moving forward.

The Authority had previously been announced in 2023 as part of the “Gods & Monsters” film slate. Similar to The Suicide Squad, The Authority is a team of antiheroes, whose members have included The Engineer, The Doctor, Midnighter, and Apollo. Maria Gabriela de Faria previously played The Engineer in last year’s Superman, so it was assumed that served as a precursor to the team-up film, but per Gunn, that is not the case.

The script wasn’t quite there but more importantly it didn’t work in terms of the larger DCU both in terms of the story and practical concerns. Maybe some day. Not soon.

Gunn also addressed a fan theory by confirming that there were never any plans for him to write or direct the film. Though The Authority isn’t moving forward, the DC universe is not slowing down. The sequel to 2025’s Superman, Superman: Man of Tomorrow, is currently in production, Supergirl will release on June 26th, and the aforementioned Clayface is set to release on October 23rd.

Gunn also provided updates on the status of previously announced DCU television series, Booster Gold and Paradise Lost. He shared on a post via Threads that “BG is in development. PL is in extreme development.” As the DCU continues to grow and more projects are developed, there’s more of a chance for members of The Authority to appear. Similarly, Gunn has previously confirmed that although there are no plans for a Peacemaker season 3, the character’s story will continue in other projects.

Though their standalone movie is not moving forward, it’s unlikely that this is the last we hear of the members of The Authority.