DC’s decision in 2018 to bring James Gunn, the acclaimed director of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, into their fold marked a significant shift in their cinematic approach. Tasked with writing a soft reboot of the Suicide Squad movie, titled simply “The Suicide Squad,” Gunn brought his signature style to the DC Universe. Although the film didn’t achieve major financial success, it was met with praise from critics and audiences alike. Personally, my reaction to the film was lukewarm it was decent, but nothing groundbreaking.
Examining James Gunn’s Decisions for the DCU: Strategic Choices or Personal Preferences?
Fast forward to November 2022, when DC Studios and Warner Brothers hired Gunn and Peter Safran to oversee the entire DC universe of films. I found Gunn to be an intriguing choice and was willing to give him a chance. The DCEU was in dire need of direction. It had some under Zack Snyder, but not everyone was on board with his style and vision. Excessive studio intervention didn’t help either. Initially, the new plan was to give the DCEU a soft reboot, removing and replacing elements that weren’t working. This seemed promising, especially with The Flash supposedly providing an explanation for the changes. However, it didn’t, and things only became more confusing. Gradually, more actors, characters, and stories were cut until it was clear that the DCEU was being entirely rebooted.
Yet, a select few characters were retained, agreed upon by the studio, Gunn, and Safran. There’s a concerning trend here for lifelong DC fans. So far, we know that a few events and characters are canon in the new DCU: The entirety of The Suicide Squad, the Peacemaker series, Blue Beetle, and that’s about it. Notice a pattern? I certainly do.
With the exception of Blue Beetle, everything canon to the DCU are Gunn’s projects. It’s puzzling why more people aren’t upset about this. It’s insulting that Gunn is only choosing to keep the projects he worked on when there are other elements that fans loved and that worked well, which could have been retained. It seems as if Gal Gadot’s universally adored Wonder Woman is gone. Jason Momoa’s mostly loved Aquaman is out. The internet erupted when Henry Cavill announced his return as Superman, but he’s out too. Wonder Woman and Aquaman both suffered from poor sequels, and Superman didn’t receive universal acclaim, but I suspect Gunn would have kept them if he had worked on them.
As a lifelong fan, it’s frustrating to see a big name like Gunn “reboot” a universe only to keep the elements he personally crafted, then hire himself to write a new Superman movie with a premise that sounds remarkably similar to Man of Steel (albeit with many more characters). I can’t fathom any other reason to keep The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, and Blue Beetle canon. Sure, they received decent reviews, but Warner Brothers is financially struggling, and none of these three made money. Warner Brothers needs a coherent superhero universe to compete with Marvel, which is still profitable despite recent lackluster entries. Keeping three of the least-watched pieces of the DCEU doesn’t seem coherent. Will it be explained, or just ignored? Did Bloodsport really shoot David Corenswet’s Superman with a kryptonite bullet off-screen in a universe that wasn’t even conceived when that scene was written, filmed, or watched? I thought Corenswet’s Superman would be an inexperienced hero, but he was shot years ago? If The Suicide Squad is canon, then Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is too, but there’s been no official word on her. How will Joker be explained? Has Amanda Waller interacted with this new version of Batman?
To me, none of this can be logically explained in a movie, several movies, or series. Is James Gunn a narcissist? Is he planning to direct every DCU movie? Will the entire DC universe be shaped in Gunn’s over-colorful, classic rock-filled style? Is he the right person for the job, or should the reins be handed over to Matt Reeves? Personally, I haven’t enjoyed most of Gunn’s work, but there’s clearly an audience for it, and I am in the minority. Let me know what you think!