James Gunn is the rare filmmaker who has played in two of Hollywood’s biggest superhero sandboxes at the same time, directing “The Suicide Squad” and creating the “Peacemaker” spin-off series for DC Studios while being on “Guardians of the Galaxy.” movies (and a TV special) for Marvel. But while he’s had success working with Warner Bros. and Disney, Gunn’s days as a double agent are about to come to an end. Gunn and his former manager Peter Safran became the new co-CEOs of DC Studios in late 2022, and in that role Gunn will enjoy Kevin Feige-level creative control as they rework the studio’s superhero properties to create a coherent cinematic universe.
While this job prevents Gunn from making more Marvel movies, he makes it clear that his affection for the brand hasn’t diminished — and he doesn’t rule out future collaborations.
In a new interview with Empire to promote the upcoming “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” — Gunn was asked about his interest in having his DC characters team up with Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes. The filmmaker revealed that the concept has been discussed, even if there are no official plans yet.
“I’m sure it’s more likely now that I’m the boss,” Gunn said of a potential crossover. “But that’s many years away… I think we have to define what we’re doing (at DC) first. I’d be lying if I said we didn’t discuss it. But every meeting was very, very easy and fun.”
Gunn’s comments came the same week he admitted that some audiences are getting tired of superheroes after years of Marvel blockbusters dominating American pop culture. He stressed that the genre needs to be rooted in storytelling, not visuals, to succeed – so it’s safe to say that any Marvel-DC event needs to be grounded in a story that justifies the hype.
“I think there is such a thing as superhero fatigue,” he said. “I don’t think it has anything to do with superheroes. It has to do with the stories that need to be told, and when you lose your eye on the ball, that’s character. We love Superman. We love Batman. We love Iron Man. Because they are these incredible characters who live in our hearts. And if it’s just a bunch of nonsense on the screen, it’s going to be really boring.”
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