Weapons Director Zach Cregger Already Has Wild Connection With The DC Universe
Hollywood loves a good comeback story, and few are more intriguing than Zach Cregger’s journey from comedy sketch shows to becoming one of horror’s most promising directors. With his latest film, Weapons, dominating the box office and earning critical acclaim, Cregger has officially arrived as a filmmaker to watch. But here’s the twist that nobody saw coming: the horror mastermind behind Barbarian and Weapons already has a surprising history with DC Comics—and he’s apparently ready to dive back in.
Zach Cregger: From Green Lantern Fan Film to Horror Sensation
Long before Cregger was terrifying audiences with his psychological horror films, he was suiting up as one of DC’s most iconic heroes. Back in the early 2010s, the future Weapons director appeared in Max Landis’s ambitious fan film The Death and Return of Superman, playing a distraught version of Hal Jordan.
The project was Landis’s passionate response to what he saw as a misunderstood Superman storyline from the ’90s comics. What started as a simple video essay evolved into an elaborate production featuring an impressive cast of familiar faces, including Mandy Moore, Elijah Wood, Ron Howard, Simon Pegg, and Daredevil’s Elden Henson.
Cregger’s role was small but memorable: he portrayed a devastated Green Lantern who arrives on Earth to find his home destroyed, ultimately wiping out the remaining Green Lanterns before embracing his villainous destiny—mirroring Hal Jordan’s transformation in the comics. It was a brief appearance for a filmmaker with few credits to his name at the time, but it planted the seeds for what could become a much bigger DC story.
The Script That Could Change Everything
Fast-forward to 2025, and Cregger is riding high on the success of Weapons, a film that’s proving horror can still dominate the box office when done right. But during the film’s press tour, the director let slip something that has DC fans buzzing with excitement: he’s been working on a script that could bring him back to the world of superheroes.
The leaked details reveal a unique take on the Batman universe that sounds quintessentially Cregger. His proposed film would follow a low-level henchman in Gotham City who somehow manages to incapacitate the Dark Knight himself. This seemingly impossible feat makes the unnamed goon the talk of Gotham’s criminal underworld, setting up what could be a darkly comedic exploration of fame, power, and survival in Batman’s city.
Even more intriguing, Cregger has hinted that Harley Quinn and the Joker would appear in the film, potentially as obstacles for the henchman as he attempts to climb the criminal ladder. It’s a concept that plays to Cregger’s strengths—taking ordinary people and placing them in extraordinary, often terrifying situations.
The Perfect Timing for DC Studios
What makes this potential collaboration even more fascinating is the timing. DC Studios, under James Gunn and Peter Safran’s leadership, has been actively seeking fresh voices and unique perspectives for its revamped universe. They’ve already shown their willingness to take risks with projects like Mike Flanagan’s Clayface—a villain origin story from another horror director making the leap to superhero filmmaking.
Cregger’s track record speaks for itself. Barbarian was a surprise hit that demonstrated his ability to craft intelligent, unpredictable horror that respects its audience. Weapons has continued that streak, proving he’s not a one-hit wonder. His upcoming Resident Evil adaptation will test his ability to work within an established franchise with a passionate fanbase—exactly the kind of challenge that superhero filmmaking presents.
The henchman concept also fits perfectly with DC’s current strategy of exploring different corners of its universe. While Marvel focuses on cosmic threats and multiversal conflicts, DC has found success in more grounded, character-driven stories. A film about Gotham’s criminal underworld, told from the perspective of someone who briefly bested Batman, offers endless possibilities for both dark comedy and genuine tension.
What This Could Mean for the DCU
Cregger has been honest about the uncertain future of his DC script, acknowledging that James Gunn hasn’t officially signed off on the project. But given DC Studios’ current trajectory and Cregger’s rising star, it’s hard to imagine them passing on such a unique pitch from a proven filmmaker.
The success of villain-focused films like Joker and the upcoming Clayface suggests there’s an appetite for DC stories that don’t center on traditional heroes. Cregger’s henchman movie could offer something even more novel—a story about someone who exists in Batman’s world but operates by entirely different rules.
From a practical standpoint, a Cregger-directed DC film makes sense for both parties. The studio gets a hot director with a proven ability to deliver both critical acclaim and box office success on modest budgets. Cregger gets the resources and platform to tell a story on a scale that matches his ambitions, while still maintaining the creative control that has made his recent films so effective.
The Horror-Superhero Connection
Cregger wouldn’t be the first horror director to find success in the superhero genre. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy helped define modern superhero cinema, while Scott Derrickson brought genuine scares to the MCU with Doctor Strange. The skills that make someone effective at horror filmmaking—understanding tension, pacing, and audience psychology—translate remarkably well to superhero storytelling.
What Cregger brings to the table is a unique perspective on power dynamics and the psychology of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. His Gotham henchman concept sounds like it could explore themes that are central to Batman’s mythology while offering a completely fresh angle on the material.
Looking Ahead
Whether or not James Gunn and DC Studios ultimately greenlight Cregger’s henchman script, the director’s connection to DC Comics has come full circle in the most unexpected way. From playing Green Lantern in a fan film to potentially directing an official DC movie, it’s a journey that perfectly encapsulates the unpredictable nature of Hollywood careers.
For now, fans can enjoy Weapons and wonder what might have been—or what might still be. Cregger has proven he can deliver horror that respects its audience’s intelligence while still delivering genuine scares. Applied to the DC Universe, that combination could result in something truly special.
The ball is in James Gunn’s court, but if DC Studios is smart, they’ll find a way to bring Zach Cregger into the fold. After all, it’s not every day that a director with his track record comes knocking with a fully formed vision for your universe. Sometimes the most unexpected connections lead to the most memorable stories.
