James Gunn Says DCU Is an Experiment and It Might Not Work With Him Being Co-CEO and Directing

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James Gunn has acknowledged that balancing his many responsibilities at DC Studios might not be sustainable long-term. As writer, director, and co-CEO, he’s overseeing all of Warner Bros.’ DC projects alongside Peter Safran, while also continuing to write and direct films. Gunn seems to recognize that this combination of roles could ultimately be too demanding.

James Gunn became well-known for writing and directing the popular Guardians of the Galaxy films for Marvel. After joining the DC Universe with The Suicide Squad, he wasn’t going to step into the role of head of DC Studios and let others do all the creative work – he wanted to be involved in making the movies himself.

Following the animated film Creature Commandos, James Gunn immediately began working on Superman, which he has described as the most challenging movie he’s ever directed. He explained to Variety the reasons behind this difficulty:

When I worked on ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ we created a unique part of the Marvel universe, distinct from their other projects. With this film, I took something familiar – the superhero genre – and approached it in a completely new way. Surprisingly, it ended up being the most faithful adaptation of comic book source material of anything I’ve directed.

James Gunn Isn’t Sure He Can Continue as Co-CEO of DC Studios


Warner Bros./ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Following Superman, James Gunn is set to direct Man of Tomorrow, the second film featuring Superman in the new DC Universe. While he isn’t directly involved with Supergirl as a writer or director, it’s evident Gunn prefers to be actively involved in the creative side of filmmaking, and this could potentially create challenges, as he explained:

This hasn’t really been attempted before. Even Walt Disney focused more on producing than directing. It’s a new approach, and honestly, it might seem a little crazy – especially considering my films aren’t always mainstream. But I really enjoy large-scale, impressive visuals – that’s what I’m passionate about. I actually turned down the project at first.

I initially didn’t want to follow Kevin Feige’s approach, but collaborating with Peter changed my mind and made the project really appealing. I’m still not sure if we can keep up this pace for the long haul, though – it’s incredibly demanding, and there simply isn’t enough time in the day.

Everyone is watching to see how Supergirl does this summer, but James Gunn’s next major film will be Man of Tomorrow, scheduled for release in July 2027. The movie features David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Frank Grillo as Rick Flag, Sr. Recently, Lars Eidinger was confirmed to play the villain Brainiac. By the time Man of Tomorrow comes out, we’ll have a clearer picture of the future of the DC Universe, and we’ll likely know who will be playing Batman in future films.

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2026-01-03 23:07