MOVIE NEWS – Jeremy Slater, the screenwriter behind Mortal Kombat II, has not only handled video game mythology with real confidence, but he is also clearly on DC Studios’ radar. In a new MovieWeb interview, Slater praised James Gunn and Peter Safran, hinted that he knows some of what is coming next in the DCU, and made it clear that if they call, he is ready to help in almost any form.
One of the strongest elements of the newly released Mortal Kombat II is Jeremy Slater’s script. The film tries to remain accessible for viewers who have not memorized every corner of Mortal Kombat lore, while still filling its story with references, cameos, objects, and locations that longtime fans of the games will recognize immediately. This is not just decorative fan service. Slater uses those lore elements as part of the story’s machinery rather than simply dropping them in as background texture. That same loyalty to the source material is exactly what could make him interesting for DC Studios, where James Gunn and Peter Safran are building a new cinematic universe.
In an exclusive interview with MovieWeb, Slater also discussed his working relationship with Gunn. Both creators are credited as story writers on the long-delayed Coyote vs. Acme, and Slater’s work as lead writer on Disney+’s Moon Knight has already shown that he is no stranger to comic book material. When asked whether he would work on a DC project, he made it clear that the idea is not foreign to him, although strict NDAs prevent him from speaking freely about the details.
“James is very aware of which projects they are. Look, I am on pretty strict NDAs on all of that stuff. What I can say is that I am a huge fan of James and Peter Safran, both as human beings and as creatives. I love them both quite a bit. I love what they are building over there. I know some of what’s coming next and it’s incredibly exciting. They know I am a phone call away on everything, whether it’s, ‘Look at this movie. Give us some notes. Read this script. We want you to write a script. We want you to write a scene’”, Slater said.
The writer also added that, when it comes to Gunn and Safran, his answer is basically always yes. “Whatever it is, the answer is always ‘yes’ for those guys. They know who I love over there and what I would be a part of. If the stars align, I hopefully will get to do some fun stuff. But I really can’t announce anything until it’s real”, he explained. That comment fits Gunn’s own stated approach to DC Studios, where scripts are supposed to come first and projects only become official once the writing is actually in place.
Slater’s name is interesting because the DCU currently has several open lanes. Supergirl and Clayface are expected in theaters in 2026, while the follow-up to Superman, titled Man of Tomorrow, is scheduled for summer 2027. Television projects such as the Amanda Waller series and Paradise Lost are also somewhere in the background, although they have not received many substantial updates recently. Slater’s comments do not make it possible to identify which character or story he has in mind, but they do make one thing clear: Gunn and Safran know which DC material he would be interested in tackling.
After Mortal Kombat II, Slater is in a good position if that call comes. Video game adaptations and comic book movies have a similar trap: move too far away from the source and fans will feel it instantly, but simply stacking references like encyclopedia entries does not make a film work either. Slater has at least shown that he understands the weight of fan mythology while still trying to move it as a story. That is the kind of writer the DCU may need if Gunn’s new system is going to build not only a connected universe, but character-driven stories with their own voices.
Source: MovieWeb, AlloCiné, Disney+, People
