In 2013, the DC Extended Universe was born, kicking off with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. The franchise’s run was filled with peaks and valleys and eventually concluded in 2023 with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Now, James Gunn is co-CEO of DC Studios and is establishing a new continuity known as the DCU. With the massive changes, some may be wondering how Snyder – who set the tone for and helped shepherd the DCEU for so many years – is feeling about the overhaul. Well, not only has the filmmaker himself addressed it, but Gunn has also spoken to that subject on multiple occasions.
James Gunn has been flooded with questions since he and colleague Peter Safran took over as the co-heads of the studio. (And that’s saying a lot given that Gunn already faced endless queries over his work on Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy series.) In early 2023, on X, he addressed a fan who replied to one of his posts with “#sellthesnyderversetonetflix.” Gunn expressed his bewilderment with the hashtag, considering the streamer hadn’t expressed interest in the property and Zack Snyder, who he’d talked to, didn’t seem eager to return. When a fan asked Gunn what he and Snyder had chatted about, he said the following:
He contacted me to express his support about my choices. He’s a great guy. Again, he seems really happy with the massive world building he’s doing now.
This certainly tracks, as the two directors have been friendly for quite some time now. Some may even remember that they worked on a movie together way back when. The Tromeo and Juliet scribe actually wrote the screenplay for Zack Snyder’s 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. The Marvel alum’s sentiments are certainly believable but, if you need more proof of Snyder’s comfortability with the changes at DC, look to the recent comments he shared with CBR. The outlet asked for his thoughts on his friend’s upcoming Superman movie, and he seems high on it:
You know, I'm a pretty open book. I really feel like, you know, if the characters are treated with reverence, and mythologically correct, then I'm down. I'm in. Let's see what happens. I'm pretty excited[...] I mean, we're going to get Superman pretty soon, so we'll see what that's like.
Seriously, that’s really sweet of the Sucker Punch director to say. And, after those comments went viral, a fan reached out to James Gunn on Threads to see whether he was aware of the sentiments. Gunn responded, saying:
I didn’t but I knew it already because he’s texted me. He’s been incredibly supportive throughout this process.
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At present, James Gunn has been a very busy man. In addition to filming his new Supes movie, which he also wrote, he oversaw the start of filming on Peacemaker Season 2. Let’s also not forget that he’s helping to oversee development on the entirety of DCU Chapter 1, “Gods and Monsters.” As for Zack Snyder, he’s entrenched in his Rebel Moon saga, with the second installment – The Scargiver – having just been released as part of the 2024 movie schedule.
It’s great to hear that the two have apparently managed to maintain a good relationship as their creative endeavors have evolved. One could definitely argue that, with their affiliations with DC and everything that’s gone down with the property, the situation could be awkward. However, there seems to be no signs of tension between these two, which speaks to the firm bonds that filmmakers can forge.
Superman is set to open in theaters on July 11, 2025. At present, you can stream Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver as well as its predecessor with the use of a Netflix subscription.
