James Gunn’s career took a major turn in the fall of 2022, when he was tapped to be the co-head of DC Studios alongside producing partner Peter Safran, Since then, Gunn and Safran have been charting out DCU Chapter 1, a brand-new interconnected continuity that spans films and TV shows. The Guardians of the Galaxy helmer’s hiring was met with much fanfare, and Gunn even revealed that Jason Momoa enthusiastically reached out to him. And, it turns out, Ryan Reynolds also expressed excitement about Gunn getting the gig.
Amid the release of his latest film, Superman, James Gunn has been making the rounds and talking about not only the first DCU flick but also various aspects of his job. Gunn recently stopped by the DC Studios Showcase Official Podcast, where he regaled the hosts with a plethora of sweet details. When recalling the time he was hired to take on the big job, Gunn talked about hearing from the Red Notice star. Not only did the actor share some sweet sentiments, but Gunn also made a joke pertaining to one of his superhero flicks:
The next [message] was Ryan Reynolds, and he’s like — this is true. ‘Congrats, man! That’s awesome! Whatever that’s cool.’ And I said, ‘Want to be Green Lantern again?’ And he’s like, ‘Fuck off.’
It was very sweet for the Deadpool actor to reach out to James Gunn after he was hired at DC Studios. Quite frankly, I was unaware of the fact that these two were even friendly at that point. Regardless, I love seeing Hollywood creatives support each other in various ways, and I get the feeling that Gunn really appreciates having received that positive text message. Of course, I also give Gunn some kudos for lightly poking fun at his buddy’s role in the (highly panned) 2011 superhero film, Green Lantern.
The DCU boss’ conversation with Jason Momoa seems to have gone quite differently, though. Momoa reached out to excitedly express his interest in playing Lobo, a character that he’d long been fan-cast for. Ultimately, everything worked out, as Momoa was cast to play the intergalactic bounty hunter and will make his debut in the forthcoming Supergirl movie. Momoa deserves credit for putting himself out there and shooting his shot. (Then again, it’s hard to deny just how perfect he is for the role of “The Main Man.”)
Casting decisions are far from the only concern that James Gunn has to contend with at the moment, of course. Gunn is overseeing a number of projects that are currently in various stages of development. Aside from Supergirl, DCU films like Clayface, The Brave and the Bold and Wonder Woman (which just landed a writer) are also in the works. On top of that, Gunn also has “Elseworlds” productions on his plate, with Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II being one of them. Gunn recently saw the script for Reeves’ sequel, and he’s happy with it.
Like both Jason Momoa and Ryan Reynolds, I’m glad James Gunn was tapped to co-lead DC Studios. I’m confident in the vision he has and look forward to seeing a wide range of stories play out on both the big and small screens. I can’t help but wonder if Gunn and Reynolds might talk more following the latter’s texts. Even if they do, though, I doubt any discussions will actually lead to Reynolds donning a green, CGI suit again.
Those who would love to check out DC content can check out various TV shows and movies – including Green Lantern – using an HBO Max subscription.
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