DC’s Perfect Teen Titans Movie Director Already Said He’d Do It 6 Years Ago

One acclaimed director has already stated that he wants to join the DC Universe to lead DC Studios’ upcoming Teen Titans movie. Filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran have announced several live-action and animated projects based on stories and characters from DC Comics since being hired as co-CEOs of DC Studios in November 2022. Ten of these projects were announced in January 2023, including Superman, Paradise Lost, Booster Gold and Lanterns, forming a part of the DCU’s Chapter 1, titled “Gods and Monsters”, but more have been confirmed since then, including an adaptation of DC Comics’ Teen Titans team.

In March 2024, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that a Teen Titans movie is in development at DC Studios. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow writer Ana Nogueira is attached to pen the script for Teen Titans, though not much is yet known about the upcoming project. The Teen Titans debuted in DC Comics’ The Brave and the Bold #54 in 1964, and the introduction of the young superhero team in the newly-rebooted DC Universe will create connections to several adult heroes, including Batman, the Flash and Aquaman, though it remains to be seen when the Teen Titans will appear in the DCU.

Paul Thomas Anderson Said He’d Like To Do A Teen Titans Movie

While the question of who will direct the DCU’s Teen Titans movie is still unanswered, one acclaimed director has already voiced his interest in leading the project. Back in January 2018, Paul Thomas Anderson engaged in an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Twitter via the Phantom Thread account, following the premiere of the Daniel Day-Lewis-led movie that released a month prior. When asked what movie Anderson would want to direct for his children, the celebrated director simply stated, “Teen Titans.” Paul Thomas Anderson’s comments create the opportunity for DC Studios to add some serious star-power to its Teen Titans project.

Why Paul Thomas Anderson Is Perfect For The Teen Titans Movie

Paul Thomas Anderson’s remarkable filmmaking style and themes fit a Teen Titans adaptation perfectly. Most notably, Anderson regularly focuses on dysfunctional families and surrogate families, which DC Comics’ Teen Titans represent beautifully. The team is a found family of young superheroes living in the shadow of their more-established mentors, perhaps most prominently for Dick Grayson’s Robin, who trained beneath Bruce Wayne’s Batman before forming the Teen Titans, though there are also young counterparts to the Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Green Arrow. Bringing these heroes together in a personal, intimate and bold story is an area where Anderson would excel.

Many of Anderson’s projects, including Punch Drunk Love, Magnolia, Boogie Nights and The Master, focus on themes of responsibility and alienation, something that would surely weigh heavily on the Teen Titans. Anderson also has a huge amount of experience working with large ensemble casts, which makes a team-up movie in the DCU a perfect match for the director. Anderson’s unique visual style and stylistic techniques would make the DCU’s Teen Titans project a stand-out in the franchise, and has the potential to make the upcoming movie one of the most successful and acclaimed comic book movie adaptations of all time.