Earlier this week, James Gunn and Peter Safran revealed the opening projects for DC Studios’ slate, revealing a total of ten development projects that will include Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. Then, a few days later, Gunn followed suit with a tweet confirming some of the comics that inspired these projects. Now, a recent Instagram story from Gunn has fans thinking there could be another major comic that could influence the future of the DCU: Darwyn Cooke’s DC: The new frontier.

On his Instagram story, Gunn shared a story shared by Paul Scheer in which Scheer wrote, “Following the @jamesgunn big @dcofficial announcement, something tells me it might be a good time to revisit this…”

While nothing in Gunn’s story expressly points to this The new frontier is one of the comics that influences the slate, it’s not hard to see some connections between the story and what we already know about Gods and Monsters. First published in 2004, DC: The new frontier was a six-issue limited comic book series written and drawn by Darwyn Cooke set between 1945 and 1960 with a story spanning 1945 to 1960 and placing well-known Golden Age heroes – such as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman – in the Cold War as they continue to fight for truth and justice, even as the world heads towards an uncertain future and a new breed of hero. The story serves to bridge the gap between the Golden Age and the Silver Age in DC.

Aside from the setting, however, there are elements of the story that seem to fit well with what we’ve been told about Gods and Monsters. In the series, an entity called “The Center” is discovered captivating the psyche of humanity and defeating this entity ultimately takes several heroes to work together to save the day. Key players in this story are Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, but Hal Jordan is also a key player in the story, and the story also sees involvement from Themyscira. How this first part of the DC Studios slate would come to be something like DC: The New Frontier is still up for debate – after all, we’re still in the early days of knowing a lot about what DC Studios has planned, but more than that, inspiration isn’t necessarily direct adaptation – but this certainly seems like a good time to revisit this story.

And if you are looking to explore DC: The new frontier, now is probably a good time. Shortly after Gunn revealed the comics that inspired Gods and Monsters, they sold out at Amazon and other retailers. Gunn later assured fans that he had talked to Jim Lee and DC Comics and more printings are coming soon.

What’s on the DC Universe Slate?

The first DC Studios slate for “Gods and Monsters” will feature movies for Superman: Legacy, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Swamp Thing, And The authority. It includes the HBO Max television shows Waller, Booster Gold, Lanterns, Paradise Lostand an animated one Commands from creatures series.

“We’re honored to be the stewards of these DC characters that we’ve loved since we were kids,” Gunn and Safran said in a statement when their roles were first announced. “We look forward to working with the most talented writers, directors and actors in the world to create an integrated, multi-layered universe that still allows for the individual expression of the artists involved. Our commitment to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Harley Quinn and the rest of DC’s stable of characters is matched only by our dedication to the wonder of human possibility that these characters represent. We are excited to revive the theater experience around the world while we have some of the greatest, greatest, and grandest stories ever told.”