James Gunn Unveils Mister Miracle DCU Series With Josh Hutcherson and Mackenzie Davis

Mister Miracle, a new adult animated series in James Gunn’s DC Universe, has its leads. Josh Hutcherson voices Scott Free and Mackenzie Davis voices Big Barda, Gunn announced on social media along with a first look.

Tom King, who co-created Lanterns, is showrunner. He adapted his and Mitch Gerads’ comic run and wrote all eight episodes, with Gerads producing, per Tribune. The series is a collaboration between DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation.

DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran said the team has always thought of 2028 for the release, and episodes will run about 30 minutes, according to Screen Rant. Screen Rant lists HBO Max as the network, but other outlets say no platform is confirmed.

Nathan Fillion returns as Guy Gardner, and Darkseid is expected to appear. Gunn has said actors cast in major DCU animated projects will also play their live-action counterparts.

The Comic Behind the Series

The show adapts the 12-issue Mister Miracle comic that King wrote and Gerads drew, published between 2017 and 2018 and honored with an Eisner Award. The title itself goes back much further. Jack Kirby introduced Scott Free in 1971 as part of his Fourth World saga, which also gave comics the New Gods, Apokolips and Darkseid. King’s version follows Scott, the world’s greatest escape artist, and his wife Barda, a former warrior from Apokolips, as they try to build an ordinary life on Earth while a war between the worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips closes in. The story is known for its personal focus, treating themes such as mortality, depression and parenthood with more weight than most superhero comics.

The Voice Cast

Peter Safran revealed the casting in an interview with IGN on October 14. Hutcherson, best known for The Hunger Games films, takes the title role, and Davis, whose credits include Station Eleven and Terminator: Dark Fate, voices Barda. Observers have noted that the animated design of Scott Free bears a resemblance to Hutcherson, although he is contributing his voice only. Nathan Fillion’s return as Guy Gardner links the series to the rest of the DCU, where the character already appears.

Where It Fits in the DCU

James Gunn has confirmed that the series belongs to the main DCU continuity. That means it will introduce the New Gods to the franchise, with Darkseid making his first appearance in the shared universe. DC Studios previously announced the project at the Annecy Animation Festival in June 2025, where an early image suggested an art style close to that of Creature Commandos. It is the second adult-oriented animated project from DC Studios after that series. Gunn has also said that primary castings in the DCU are meant to carry between animation and live action, although it is not yet clear whether Hutcherson and Davis will play the roles in later live-action films.

A Bigger Role for Animation in the DCU

DC Studios has treated animation as a full part of its shared universe rather than a side project. Creature Commandos was the first animated series to connect directly to the live-action films, and Mister Miracle follows the same approach with a more intimate story. Animation also gives the studio room to introduce large cosmic concepts, such as Apokolips and the New Gods, without the cost of building those worlds for live action. Whether that approach leads to a later film or series featuring the same characters will depend on how this first appearance is received.

What to Expect

King returns to the DCU after his work on Lanterns, which he created with Damon Lindelof and Chris Mundy, but he takes sole control as showrunner here. Because he wrote every episode himself, the series is likely to stay close to the tone and structure of the comic. A 2028 target gives the production time to finish animation, and the platform question remains open, with reports pointing to HBO Max while official confirmation has not arrived. For fans of the comic, the combination of the original creator, a faithful adaptation and a canon connection to the larger DCU makes this one of the more closely watched projects on the studio’s slate.