Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt and James Gunn in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
A new day dawns in the newly rebranded DC Studios, and James Gunn plays a major role in piloting the ship. Since being named co-head of the company alongside producer Peter Safran, he’s taken some important steps. Many of them, like his decision not to continue with Henry Cavill as Superman, have drawn strong reactions from fans. More recently, Gunn drew the ire of some commentators after mentioning that some of his Guardians of the Galaxy co-stars would “likely” be part of his future superhero projects. He’s now dealt with the backlash he’s faced over the feelings.
While making plans at DC, James Gunn is also gearing up for the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the final installment in his Marvel Cinematic Universe trilogy. During an interview, Gunn spoke about his relationship with his cast and whether they will work together again in the future. The filmmaker got honest and said that later he would work with them individually and that it would probably happen “at my other job”. Some fans seemed to object to the idea of Gunn collaborating with the cast for productions with another superhero brand. This prompted the writer/director to drop an answer brushing aside any negative connotations surrounding possible reunions:
We have hundreds of roles to fill. As I’ve always done, some will be brand new faces, some will be actors I’ve worked with before, and some will be actors I’ve never worked with. What’s most important is that the actor fits the role and is easy to work with.
He raises some fair points, the first being that a variety of actors are needed to fill out this new cinematic DC franchise. So there’s sure to be plenty of fresh faces taking on both popular and lesser-known characters. Plus, it’s definitely no secret that the super director loves to repurpose past collaborators and usually finds the right roles for them. So if one of his MCU peers joins him in his new job, chances are they’re the right people for the job.
The story goes on
This latest Twitter Post from James Gunn further reveals how he’s trying to be as transparent as possible when it comes to his endeavors at Warner Bros.-owned studio. In the last month alone, he’s quashed rumors surrounding Matt Reeves’ The Batman franchise and clarified the state of Wonder Woman 3. He also said that Superman is “a big, if not the biggest, priority” for the entertainment company.
Many seem particularly interested in seeing what he will do with the Man of Steel. James Gunn has only hinted at his ideas, the biggest detail being that he is writing a story about a younger version of the hero. Some are also speculating that Grant Morrison’s work will serve as inspiration for the reboot, although that has yet to be confirmed. Following his Guardians comments, however, fans’ biggest concern is whether an MCU alum like Chris Pratt could end up playing Supes. It’s not entirely impossible, but honestly it feels pretty unlikely.
I have no doubt that whatever the newly installed manager does will make sense and that he will continue to be meticulous about the casting. And if that means adding Guardians of the Galaxy stars to the mix, so be it. They’ve done magic in the superhero genre so far, and they can certainly produce more using characters from DC’s vast catalog.
But before we get too ahead of ourselves with James Gunn’s DC plans, let’s just look forward to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which hits theaters on May 5th. Also, be sure to check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 New Movie Release Schedule for when other superhero movies are releasing this year.