James Gunn on SUPERMAN's Tone and the DCU's Future: “Not All Movies Should Feel the Same”

James Gunn isn’t shy about putting his stamp on a film, and with Superman leading the charge into the new DC Universe, fans have been wondering just how much of Gunn’s DNA will be baked into the reboot. Turns out? All of it.“This is 100 percent a James Gunn movie,” the director told Entertainment Weekly when asked how Superman sets the tone for what’s to come in the DCU.Gunn is making it clear leading the charge on the DCU isn't about building a monolith. It's about variety, personality, and letting creators breathe.“What I want with the future films is for them to be the same—not James Gunn movies, but when I talked to Craig Gillespie who's doing Supergirl, I said, ‘I don't want all of these movies to be the same.’”The difference in tone and style is deliberate. Gunn is leaning into what makes DC Comics special with the tonal range, the contrast between titles like The Dark Knight, Superman for All Seasons, and The Long Halloween.“They're all these beautiful stories within the same world, but completely different. And that's what I think is exciting.”“I think that I learned from my time at Marvel,” Gunn said. “When Guardians of the Galaxy came out, people were like, ‘Well, how is this raccoon going to interact with this God of Thunder who's been set up in a totally different type of movie?’ And that was the thing that people liked the most about Infinity War.”For Gunn, it all comes down to trusting storytellers to bring something unique to the table, and not forcing every film into the same mold.“So it's about really letting the artists create these unique visions that allow us to get to know these characters in different ways.”Gunn went on to tease that characters from Superman will pop up sooner than expected and not necessarily in the same kind of setting.“I look forward to the time when these characters—one of them does show up pretty soon...two of them actually—so anyway, when they get to see them in a totally different light.“In a totally different genre and a film that isn't the big spectacle, action-adventure, maybe something more dramatic, maybe something more comedic, whatever, and see those characters in a slightly different light portrayed by the same actors.”Insiders who’ve seen cuts of Superman are reportedly impressed, with many praising the film’s tone and character work. If that hype holds true, the DCU might be kicking off on strong.We’ll see just how Gunn’s vision takes flight when Superman lands in theaters on July 11, 2025.

Apr 3, 2025 - 17:05

James Gunn on SUPERMAN's Tone and the DCU's Future: “Not All Movies Should Feel the Same”

James Gunn isn’t shy about putting his stamp on a film, and with Superman leading the charge into the new DC Universe, fans have been wondering just how much of Gunn’s DNA will be baked into the reboot. Turns out? All of it.

“This is 100 percent a James Gunn movie,” the director told Entertainment Weekly when asked how Superman sets the tone for what’s to come in the DCU.

Gunn is making it clear leading the charge on the DCU isn't about building a monolith. It's about variety, personality, and letting creators breathe.

“What I want with the future films is for them to be the same—not James Gunn movies, but when I talked to Craig Gillespie who's doing Supergirl, I said, ‘I don't want all of these movies to be the same.’”

The difference in tone and style is deliberate. Gunn is leaning into what makes DC Comics special with the tonal range, the contrast between titles like The Dark Knight, Superman for All Seasons, and The Long Halloween.

“They're all these beautiful stories within the same world, but completely different. And that's what I think is exciting.”

“I think that I learned from my time at Marvel,” Gunn said. “When Guardians of the Galaxy came out, people were like, ‘Well, how is this raccoon going to interact with this God of Thunder who's been set up in a totally different type of movie?’ And that was the thing that people liked the most about Infinity War.”

For Gunn, it all comes down to trusting storytellers to bring something unique to the table, and not forcing every film into the same mold.

“So it's about really letting the artists create these unique visions that allow us to get to know these characters in different ways.”

Gunn went on to tease that characters from Superman will pop up sooner than expected and not necessarily in the same kind of setting.

“I look forward to the time when these characters—one of them does show up pretty soon...two of them actually—so anyway, when they get to see them in a totally different light.

“In a totally different genre and a film that isn't the big spectacle, action-adventure, maybe something more dramatic, maybe something more comedic, whatever, and see those characters in a slightly different light portrayed by the same actors.”

Insiders who’ve seen cuts of Superman are reportedly impressed, with many praising the film’s tone and character work. If that hype holds true, the DCU might be kicking off on strong.

We’ll see just how Gunn’s vision takes flight when Superman lands in theaters on July 11, 2025.