Darren Aronofsky in Talks to Direct ‘Plastic Man’ for DCU

DCULeaks, who are fairly reliable, previously shared intel that Darren Aronofsky was in talks to direct a “Plastic Man” film for James Gunn’s DCU.

A source corroborated this intel telling me that Aronofsky had indeed spoken to Gunn about hopping onboard the superhero project. Now, a listing on Production Weekly has Aronofsky named as director of “Plastic Man,” which is still in development. This is of course not a confirmation, but does further indicate Aronofsky’s potential involvement.

We don’t have any additional information at this time, but it’s something to look out for. Aronofsky’s inclusion into the DCU wouldn’t be that surprising given that he’s known for his eclectic movie choices and was even once attached to direct an R-rated ‘Batman’ movie co-written by Frank Miller.

“Plastic Man” is a character who has yet to have his own movie. Many years ago, Gunn pitched a “Plastic Man” movie to Warner Bros with Matthew Lillard in the titular role. The studio rejected the pitch, but it sounds like Gunn may now be revisiting this old project, and that it wouldn’t even need a greenlight since he’s the current boss of the DCU.

Meanwhile, Aronofsky is set to shoot his gritty NYC crime thriller “Caught Stealing,” starring Austin Butler and Zoe Kravitz, in September. That film is being produced by Sony and will be released in 2025.

Aronofsky’s last film, “The Whale,” was released in 2022 to decent reviews, but it did win Brendan Fraser the Oscar for Best Actor and audiences really liked the film. The A24 produced indie managed to gross $54 million worldwide on a skimp $3 million budget.

Aronofsky has only directed eight films in his 25-year career, his most notable ones include “Pi,” “Requiem For A Dream,” “Black Swan,” and “The Wrestler.”