James Gunn Shares His Plans on How He Aims To Surpass Both MCU & Former DCEU
James Gunn at this point has quite a history in the superhero world. He’s been a part of the MCU, giving rise to the highly profitable ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ franchise. He’s also been a part of Snyder’s doomed DCEU.
When he and Safran took over the reins of DC Studios, they announced their complete reboot and a full slate of projects. But talking is easier than doing and now more than a year since the initial announcement we have a better picture of how Gunn plans to create a cinematic universe that will surpass both MCU and DCEU.
Gunn is currently really busy shooting ‘Superman’ in Cleveland which has been transformed into Metropolis for the upcoming movie. So far set leaks look exciting, despite Corenswet’s Superman suit receiving somewhat mixed reviews once again.
Gunn commented in the past on his experience creating a new cinematic universe from scratch, describing it as “having a blast.” He is also adamant that the voices of the individual creators included in the process have to be heard:
“No, it’s been a blast and artists have had a good time being in on the ground floor of this, helping us to build a universe that still retains the voices of the individual filmmakers”
As we know Synder’s DCEU suffered from pretty heavy studio interference. There were significant creative differences between Snyder and Warner Bros., resulting in inconsistent tones and storylines. Several DCEU films underperformed at the box office compared to expectations, affecting the studio’s confidence and willingness to continue on the same path.
As far as the MCU goes, Iger recently stated that not enough execs were on the set, especially in the context of ‘The Marvels’ to ensure that quality remains high, and it’s no secret that Disney’s MCU projects were on the list of biggest box office losers last year, with only a single movie turning a profit.
Gunn confirmed that the DC Universe will expand beyond films and shows to include animation projects and video games, which are anticipated to be major strengths of the franchise. He also aims to keep the actors reprising their roles across all forms of media. Frank Grillo for example will voice Rick Flag Sr. in ‘Creature Commandos’ but will also reprise the role in live-action projects such as ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 and ‘Superman’ according to most recent set leaks.
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