The success of Resident Evil makes James Gunn‘s decision to ignore Zach Cregger‘s DC movie even more baffling.

It’s only been one weekend, but Resident Evil is already a hit. Cregger’s adaptation of the popular video game series opened to $60 million domestically, marking the biggest opening weekend of Cregger’s career and the highest opening for a Resident Evil movie. With an estimated budget of $75 million and a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, Resident Evil is well on its way to becoming a major hit for Sony.

Cregger is now one of the most in-demand directors in Hollywood. Cregger’s next movie, The Flood, is a sci-fi original movie scheduled for release on August 11, 2028. After that, it’s unknown what Cregger will do.

As Cregger lines up more projects, Gunn’s decision to ignore Cregger’s Henchmen for DC is inexcusable.

Zach Cregger’s Henchman represents a brutal miss for James Gunn’s DC

During a 2025 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cregger mentioned he finished a script for a story set in the DC Universe. Cregger described it as “totally original” and “not a superhero movie.” The movie is set in Gotham City, but it’s not a Joker and Harley Quinn story. Henchmen is about a normal guy who gets caught up in the city’s superhero antics.

Earlier this month, Cregger said there has been “no action” on Henchmen despite his love for the script.

What is DC doing right now? How has Gunn not been knocking on Cregger’s door every day, begging him to make this movie? Cregger has now reached the point of his career where his name is the selling point for a movie. It’s rare air that prestigious filmmakers like Christopher Nolan, Ryan Coogler, and Greta Gerwig have achieved. Who cares if Cregger only pens the script and doesn’t direct? Attaching “written by Zach Cregger” to a DC movie instantly creates intrigue.

DC is in a strange place following the Supergirl failure. Lanterns is doing well, and the Gorilla Grodd show looks fun. However, those are television shows. The only movies on DC’s calendar are Clayface, a risky proposition about a Batman villain; Man of Tomorrow, the follow-up to Superman; and The Batman Part II, Matt Reeves’ sequel to The Batman.

DC is clearly a brand being built around Superman and Batman. Cregger has a Batman-adjacent story. How has that movie not been put into production yet? Gunn has everything he could want with Henchmen—a finished script from a recognizable filmmaker who wants to make a movie. What is the hold-up?

The time for excuses is over. Gunn and DC should not stop until they secure Cregger’s Henchmen.