Credit: @JamesGunn/ TwitterDC Studios boss and filmmaker James Gunn has made his feelings clear on some of the DC Comics’ biggest characters in a series of tweets.
The director and co-CEO of DC Comics’ film output, Gunn replied to fans asking him questions about their favourite superheroes and Justice League members, including Superman and the Green Lantern.
After sharing a post celebrating the 44th anniversary of Richard Donner’s Superman (1978), one fan asked if and when the Man of Steel would be back on the big screen.
In response, Gunn tweeted:
Yes of course. Superman is a huge priority, if not the biggest priority.
Yes of course. Superman is a huge priority, if not the biggest priority.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 10, 2022
Whether that future is one which includes Henry Cavill in the role remains to be seen. Cavill has previously appeared as the iconic character in Man of Steel (2013), Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017), Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) and a cameo appearance in the Dwayne Johnson-led Black Adam (2022).
Related: Warner Bros. Pulls ‘The Flash’ In Stunning Challenge to Disney
The actor seemingly confirmed he had a future as Clark Kent/ Superman in a post on his Instagram page only a matter of weeks ago.
But the shift in DC Studios’ hierarchy of power, with new heads James Gunn and Peter Safran deciding the new future of the comic giant’s entertainment output, puts everything into a state of uncertainty.
Only earlier this week was it confirmed that Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 3 would no longer be moving forward, and a detailed report by The Hollywood Reporter on potential plans for the DC characters — including even recasting Jason Momoa, currently Aquaman, as bounty hunter Lobo — was recently addressed by Gunn on his Twitter.
The Flash (2023) also recently was pulled forward in the release calendar in a seeming vote of confidence by Warner Bros., placing it in direct competition with Disney Pixar’s Elemental (2023), also releasing on June 16 next year.
The move is particularly striking in the wake of the stories which plagued it’s production, particularly around star Ezra Miller, who was allegedly involved in a karaoke bar bust-up as well as arrested for second-degree assault for throwing a chair at a woman. As recently as September, details were still emerging about Miller’s behavior.
Addressing Superman wasn’t Gunn’s only comment on the state of the DC roster. After a fan asked whether Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern would be returning, Gunn said:
That’s not a priority for me and even much less of one for @VancityReynolds
That’s not a priority for me and even much less of one for @VancityReynolds.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 10, 2022
However, when asked about Green Lantern content in general, he did confirm that the intergalactic heroes were ‘important’:
Things became particularly heated when one content creator, @TheDenOfNerds, decided to accuse Gunn of disliking Henry Cavill (presumably because of his mention of the original Superman movie’s anniversary).
After politely confirmed the accusation as false, @TheDenOfNerds continued to press his point, citing multiple ‘people’ who had told him about Gunn’s dislike of the star.
That made Gunn snap:
So weird. You seemed so plugged in! Anyway, I just had forty people reach out to me to say you just got kicked out of your Mom’s basement. So sorry, man.
So weird. You seemed so plugged in! Anyway, I just had forty people reach out to me to say you just got kicked out of your Mom’s basement. So sorry, man.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 10, 2022
Gunn himself has skin in the game beyond his new leadership role. He directed 2021’s The Suicide Squad, starring Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, and led on the TV series Peacemaker (2021) starring John Cena.
More details on the fate of DC’s superhero roster should be revealed soon when Gunn and co-CEO Peter Safran present their plan to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.
Are you excited to see Superman back on the big screen? Let us know in the comments below.