James Gunn Knows How to Save Marvel and DC

James Gunn is one of the few filmmakers with a presence in Marvel and DC Studios. Because of this, he is uniquely qualified to identify the issues with both Cinematic Universes. And according to Gunn, he has a straightforward solution.

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Director James Gun is currently the king of superhero movies. Not only is he responsible for the highly successful Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, but he created one of the most critically well-received movies in DC history, The Suicide Squad (2021).

It only makes sense that Gunn finds himself as the new creative head of DC Studios, with his official “reign” beginning to take shape with Blue Beetle (2023) and his first feature film being Superman: Legacy (2025). This gives him the unique perspective to identify the faults with the current batch of Marvel and DC films. According to a recent interview, he knows exactly what it is.

James Gunn Knows How DC and Marvel Can Improve

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In a recent appearance on the Inside of You podcast, James Gunn discussed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), taking over DC Studios, the future of DC movies, and differences between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe. And it was during the latter when Gunn identified the most common issue shared between both companies: tone.

“…I think that what both MCU and DCU need to do is have a wider range of tones than they presently do. I think they work, but they could do a better job.”

As both companies have attempted to create the perfect formula for a superhero movie franchise, they all have begun to feel the same. This is true in most of Marvel Studios’ television series and the DC movies within the Snyderverse. While this doesn’t automatically mean the products will be bad, they all feel too similar, leading to what many critics call “superhero fatigue.”

If anyone can course-correct the DC Cinematic Universe, it’s James Gunn. The Suicide Squad and the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise stand out from the other films in their shared universes. They’re wacky, violent, and have a surprising amount of heart. It really gives you hope that Superman: Legacy will feel like the most unique and exciting Superman film to date, even if it swapped out Henry Cavill for David Corenswet.

Do you agree with James Gun’s theory? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!