James Gunn has never been shy about his love for comic books or his ability to tell stories that balance humor, heart, and high stakes. He’s also never been shy about sharing his plans for the DCEU since he’s taken the creative reins as co-CEO of DC Studios. His upcoming Superman film seems to be a fresh attempt at rebooting the DCEU. Based on the trailers for Gunn's new movie, the look alone is a new direction for DC. The filmmaker revealed he is also taking a lot from what he’s learned from Marvel to pivot his approach, and I love the idea.
Gunn recently sat down with Entertainment Weekly to chat about his ambitions for the DCEU, as well as how watching the MCU grow has impacted how he is approaching his own cinematic universe. He explained the importance of the overarching story in connecting this initial phase of superhero movies, but also emphasized the equal importance of individual storylines and stand-alone films within the universe. He shared:
I am really trying to be careful that anybody can dip in and see the story that is up next and not feel like they're missing information. The other stories can provide added texture to what you're watching.
For context, Marvel has been criticized of “superhero fatigue,” and losing its individual stories in favor of an overarching plotline that connects its films and TV shows. As a result, some of the movies have been confusing, considering the large amount of content needed to be consumed by audiences to fully connect with each piece of material. This oversaturation has led to a lot of fan frustration, and the MCU losing a lot of casual fans.
James Gunn, who previously operated in the MCU as director of the Guardians of the Galaxy films, clearly does not want to suffer from the same fate with his DCEU. He said that while there may be some stories more connected than others, audiences being able to enjoy films individually is a priority. He explained:
That might change down the line as we get deeper into what's happening in this universe. It could be like Infinity War and Endgame, where you kind of have to see Infinity War to know what's going on in Endgame. But right now, I'm trying to keep it so that you don't have to see Superman to see Supergirl, for example. Even though there's a lot of stuff in Superman that leads to Peacemaker, you certainly don't need to see it to see Peacemaker.
We’ll see if Gunn is able to keep this plan a priority as the universe gets more expanded. Marvel did a great job letting their films stand alone amidst a greater storyline for years, as the Iron Man films still have stood the test of time, as well as the initial Captain America films and fan favorites like Thor: Ragnarok and Ant-Man. However, it’s when the universe got up to 20+ films in addition to TV shows when the franchise started to lose its way.
For now, Superman looks like a promising first installment cinematically into the new and improved DCEU. Peacemaker also had positive reviews for its first season, with many fans looking forward to Season 2, which releases in August for HBO Max subscribers. Fans are entrusting Gunn to continue this early streak as the creative mind behind this new era of superhero films, and hopefully this new direction is exactly what both DC and audiences need right now.
You can check out James Gunn’s Superman when it hits theaters nationwide on July 8th, 2025. For more information on other exciting titles heading to cinemas this summer, make sure to consult our 2025 movie release schedule.
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