"The history of DC is pretty messed up": Superman Director James Gunn Hated How DC Shows and Movies Have Drifted Apart
James Gunn didn’t just take over DC Studios; he hit the reset button. From the moment he called DC’s past “pretty messed up,” it was clear Gunn wasn’t here to play it safe. During a pivotal 2022 Zoom with Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav and producer Peter Safran, he laid it all out. What started as a chat about Superman turned into a three-hour therapy session for the fractured DC universe.
“The history of DC is pretty messed up. No one was minding the mint,” Gunn later said, summing up the disjointed state of DC’s movies and shows.
Zaslav walked away from that chat convinced: Gunn would be the creative brain, Safran the business brawn. Since then, the duo’s been shaping DC into something with actual narrative structure, scrapping a third Wonder Woman, pausing scattered spinoffs, and pulling together a shared vision.
Superman (2025), written and directed by Gunn, is just the beginning. But it’s not just about rebooting heroes, but about rethinking the tone. Gunn doesn’t want every DC story to be a cookie-cutter blockbuster. From horror-driven takes like Clayface to animated spins like The Dynamic Duo, he’s going full genre-bender, and that’s the strategy that might finally give DC its voice.
DC’s biggest problem was identity confusion, and not just bad box office. One minute it’s gritty (Joker), next minute it’s camp (Shazam!), then multiversal chaos (The Flash). Gunn saw that. And more importantly, he had a plan.
With Peter Safran handling logistics and Gunn owning the creative pipeline, the new DC Studios is carving out its own space. The goal: One animated and two live-action films a year, alongside HBO Max series that stay true to the same canon. Now, this isn’t about catching up to Marvel’s numbers, but about building something coherent, stylized, and fresh.
What sets Gunn’s approach apart is how he treats superhero stories as genre playgrounds. Safran himself said DC shouldn’t be limited to action-adventure. Gunn’s slate reflects that – Clayface will lean into horror, while The Dynamic Duo is aimed squarely at families. It’s a bold pivot from the formula-driven days of the DCEU.
And while Superman is clearly the franchise anchor, Gunn’s real move is deeper: he’s stitching every project, from big screen to streaming, into one DC universe with tone and storytelling that evolve with each title.
With Marvel stumbling (Thunderbolts, The Marvels, and Fantastic Four: First Steps still struggling to land buzz), 2025 could be the year DC flips the script. And frankly, with Gunn’s creative freedom, that victory might actually stick.
Superman pulled off a heroic preview night. James Gunn’s soft reboot for the Man of Steel clocked in a massive $22.5M in early previews, beating Barbie, The Batman, and even Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Yes, it’s now Gunn’s biggest preview ever (via Deadline).
This is the strongest start for any 2025 release so far and a clear sign that audiences are ready for DC’s new era. Critics are calling it “the most emotionally grounded Superman yet,” and fans are backing that up – 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, five stars from kids, and a 78% definite recommend from general audiences. That’s the kind of reception Warner Bros. has been dreaming of.
And the timing’s perfect. DC has been trying to reclaim box office glory ever since the DCEU started crumbling. And Gunn’s Superman is carrying the weight of an entire cinematic universe reboot on its cape.
Industry insiders are now eyeing a $150M+ weekend. If that sticks, Superman could be DC’s biggest opener in years, and maybe, just maybe, the true start of its long-awaited comeback.
in theatres now.
Heena Singh is a writer at FandomWire, spent the last two years making waves in entertainment journalism. With a knack for digging up blockbuster celebrity scoops and an uncanny nose for the latest buzz, Heena’s articles bring a fresh and fun perspective to life. When she’s not conquering writing challenges, you’ll find her curled up in bed, peacefully sleeping.
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