James Gunn has just revealed how DC Studios has a superior production process to Marvel Studios.
The relationship between Gunn and Marvel has had its fair share of ups and downs. Back in 2012, Gunn first signed up for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to serve as the writer and director of Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), a film that was considered a risky venture due to its lesser-known characters and offbeat tone.
His arrival was widely praised by those already playing key roles in Team Marvel.
The Avengers (2012) director Joss Whedon – who at that point played a much larger part in the franchise – praised Gunn’s hiring, saying, “James [Gunn] is what makes me think it will work … He is so off the wall, and so crazy, but so smart, such a craftsman and he builds from his heart. He loves the raccoon. Needs the raccoon … He has a very twisted take on it, but it all comes from a real love for the material. It’s going to be hard for [the human characters] to keep up.”
As we now know, Gunn was a smart choice. Guardians of the Galaxy opened to near-unanimous praise and has since been included in rundowns of the top 100 films of all time.
The biggest stamp of approval came courtesy of legendary director Steven Spielberg, who said it was the superhero film “that impressed [him] most” as it does “not take itself too seriously,” and he felt like he had “seen something new in [superhero] movies [from the film], without any cynicism, or fear of being dark when needed.”
It was the combo of multiple winning elements that made the film such a success. Its actors played a huge part, with Chris Pratt (Peter Quill/Starlord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), and Karen Gillan (Nebula) all serving as standouts. However, Gunn’s personal touch also cannot receive enough praise. His unique vision – blending humor, heart, and a vibrant soundtrack – made the film a then-truly unique installment in the MCU.
Unsurprisingly, a sequel soon followed. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) landed on screens three years later, solidifying Gunn’s reputation as a creative force within the Marvel universe.
But then everything changed. Gunn’s relationship with Disney, Marvel’s parent company, soured in 2018 when controversial tweets resurfaced from between 2008 and 2011. These posts – which featured inappropriate jokes about pedophilia and the Holocaust – caused Disney to swiftly cut ties, removing him from the director’s chair for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
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“The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James’ Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him,” said Walt Disney Studios then-chairman Alan Horn in a statement.
This was met with widespread backlash, not only from fans but the cast of the Guardians films. The entire main cast publicly supported Gunn and even penned an open letter vouching for his reinstatement. After months of deliberation and pressure from the creative community, Disney decided to rehire Gunn in early 2019, acknowledging his growth as a person and the importance of his vision to the Guardians franchise.
There was just one hitch. During that time, Gunn had signed on to direct a film for Marvel’s biggest competitor, DC Studios. While Gunn agreed to return, the caveat was that he would first complete The Suicide Squad (2021).
And while he did subsequently return for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) – which was one of Marvel’s rare post-Endgame hits – that marked the end of his Marvel career, with Gunn accepting a permanent position as co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran.
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Now, Gunn’s future lies with the first film in a freshly revamped DC Universe, Superman (2025). Starring David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, this is a reboot with zero connection to Henry Cavill’s take on the Man of Steel.
The film recently wrapped filming, with Gunn now deep in post-production. With the MCU taking a creative dip in recent years (with the odd exception, of course, such as Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), which recently crossed the $1 billion mark), some have theorized that this new cinematic universe could step up to take its place at the front of the superhero genre.
While we’ll have to wait until it’s released to test that theory, recent comments from Gunn have got us thinking that it’s in with a good shot. It’s become a bit of a running joke that Marvel films are increasingly heading into production without a final script or clear creative vision, which increases the necessity for reshoots.
Cate Blanchett (who played Thor’s villainous sister, Hela) confirmed as much about Thor: Ragnarok (2017), and while things may have worked out well in that case, this approach does explain the lack of creative coherency across the entire MCU since the Infinity Saga wrapped up.
Gunn, however, does not work that way – and as a result, neither does DC.
In a series of posts on Threads, Gunn confirmed that he’s only done “a total of one day of reshoots on [his] past two films combined.” (This would be Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 and The Suicide Squad).
He went on to explain that this is because he heads into every single film with a clear, precise plan, detailing his six tips for success.
1) Over-prepare 2) Don’t start shooting until I have a finished script my whole team is happy with 3) Hire actors and department heads I know can do their jobs 4) Surround myself with people who will challenge me and not just yes-sir everything 5) Ask myself daily – are there any small imperfections in the script or what we’re shooting that might end up feeling like huge imperfections when we cut the film together? 6) 1 and 2 again!
Gunn added that there’s “usually a lengthy audition process” for his films. He also does “background checks, talking to people they’ve worked with” before locking an actor in for a role.
While he may not have mentioned Marvel, it’s hard not to notice the differences between the MCU’s go-to approach to filmmaking and Gunn’s. There may be a lot more optimism around the MCU’s future lately thanks to Deadpool & Wolverine, but if they really want to get back on track, following the James Gunn-approved recipe for success isn’t the worst idea in the world.
Do you think DC has the potential to dethrone Marvel at the box office?