With multiple projects in the pipeline for the newly constructed DCU, James Gunn is assuring fans that, among them, is a long-gestating series focused on Task Force X leader Amanda Waller, originated onscreen by Oscar winner Viola Davis in 2016’s Suicide Squad.
Speaking to People in a recent interview, the Superman helmer confirmed he and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran are still “working on” the show.
He said, “We’re working on it, so we’ll see what happens. Some things have moved faster than others. Waller’s not been the fastest. But I can’t wait to see Viola put on their Waller pants again.”
Gunn is echoing sentiments both he and Safran expressed back in February, telling Deadline then that Waller — about the amoral U.S. government espionage director who dispatches the criminal misfit Suicide Squad team on missions — remains in the works, despite the project remaining difficult to break.
“We’ve taken a couple of cracks at Waller, and we haven’t been able to land it,” Safran said at the time.
“We’re still working on it,” Gunn added, also noting the duo had to prioritize another spinoff, Peacemaker. “Waller has been tough, the strike was tough on Waller, there was a certain amount time that we needed to do Peacemaker first.”
“We were going to go with Waller before Peacemaker [Season 2], but I wrote Peacemaker quickly and we were ready to go,” Gunn concluded.
Davis played Waller in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad and its sequel, 2021’s The Suicide Squad, from Gunn. News of the Waller spinoff was first announced back in 2022, revealed at the time to feature Watchmen writer Christal Henry as scribe and executive producer alongside Davis. While Peacemaker is a comedy, Waller would fall into the drama category; Davis reprised the character in Peacemaker Season 1.
A year later, it was announced Doom Patrol creator Jeremy Carver would join Henry to co-write Waller.
Aside from Waller, Max will release the forthcoming spinoff, Lanterns, aiming to debut in early 2026.