James Gunn’s DCU Mistakes Are Already Happening

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It appears that James Gunn has adapted seamlessly to his position as co-CEO of DC Studios, but his initial true test – the upcoming summer release of an unspecified DCU film – awaits. Despite this outward calmness, daily challenges are being tackled in the background to smooth out wrinkles, eliminate scripts and production issues that might be underwhelming, and ultimately deliver the highest-quality product possible. Gunn is aware that he, his co-CEO, and their team will not hit the mark every time. In other words, while Gunn appears confident in his new role, he’s also preparing for the inevitable bumps along the way as they work to revamp the DC Universe.

Superman is all set and primed for release in July, yet during a recent DC Studios press conference about their upcoming lineup, Gunn hinted at some thrilling developments – including an as-yet-unrevealed series he’s particularly fond of, which happens to be his favorite project thus far. However, he also admitted that there are minor aspects he’s already found himself second-guessing.

In simpler terms, life can be tricky with minor details cropping up often. For instance, I wish I could have handled certain situations differently or asked David (Corenswet) to redo a take. These are just small things. There were writers we included in projects that I now wish we hadn’t, but overall, I feel incredibly fortunate. It’s remarkable that Ana (Nogueira) was part of Supergirl and penned an excellent script. Moreover, there’s another project, my favorite one so far, which no one knows about yet. This has been my favorite project for a few months now, but unfortunately, it’s still under wraps.

James Gunn & Peter Safran Know Where They Are Headed…but It Won’t Be Without Struggles

The realm of DC films has seen a mix of spectacular successes and persistent letdowns. While masterpieces such as Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy grace the screen, productions like “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” are more common. For James Gunn and Peter Safran, there lie significant hurdles on their path, and they fully comprehend that not every endeavor will hit the mark flawlessly. As Gunn put it:

The DC film universe has had both impressive victories and frequent setbacks. While films like Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy are triumphs, productions similar to “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” are more commonplace. For James Gunn and Peter Safran, there will be challenges ahead, and they acknowledge that not everything they make will be a complete success.

Our team, comprising approximately thirteen individuals, manages to create and distribute an impressive volume of top-notch material. While we’ll undoubtedly make mistakes and some parts will be better than others, our ultimate goal is to ensure everything is the best it can be. I feel incredibly lucky about this.

After making this point, Safran emphasized the significant progress DC Studios has made over the past two years, even though just one project – “Creature Commandos” – was released during that period. Remarkably, the extensive efforts put into developing and readying the upcoming movie lineup have positioned the franchise favorably for the future. In simpler terms, he highlighted that despite a slow start, DC Studios has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to set up an impressive slate of movies.

Looking back, if we had predicted two years ago, while sitting here as a group, what we would achieve today, I believe we’d be quite taken aback by our progress. Despite the challenging five months without active work in our first year, which caused difficulties for everyone, we’re pleased with how far we’ve come and are optimistic about the future.

It’s inevitable that when Superman appears, people will draw comparisons to past versions, particularly Henry Cavill’s latest portrayal, and voice dissatisfaction over how the old DC Extended Universe concluded – specifically with Henry Cavill’s most recent iteration. Yet, this is a new DC Universe, a fresh perspective, and a unique creative team. Time is needed for it to flourish and develop, and it seems that the future of the franchise is becoming more unified and promising than it has been in the past ten years.

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2025-02-26 15:33