Zack Snyder shaped the universe almost single-handedly for years. However, his Superman, Henry Cavill, will not return, nor will Ben Affleck as Batman after The Flash. The future of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and Jason Momoa as Aquaman is unclear. DC is done with the Zack Snyder era and most of its characters. The DC Universe is now in the hands of a new boss: James Gunn. Earlier this year, he unveiled the first stages of his plan for the premier superhero world behind Marvel.
James Gunn’s strengths are direct and unconditional necessary contrast to the previous DCEU and the films of Zack Snyder. Gunn is perfect for rebooting the DC Universe. I explain why with the following 3 reasons.1. James Gunn has a special flair for superhero characters
With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which has been in cinemas since May, the director showed where his heart lies. The Guardians are a bunch of unusual characters who care for each other like a surrogate family. Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper) is not simply abandoned to his fate. Supposed villains like Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) get a second chance. Such a brave, emotional and sensitive filmmaker is what the DC Universe needs as a creative mind!
Marvel/Mondo
The Guardians of the Galaxy
James Gunn not only has a heart for superhero misfits, he is also wonderful at bringing them closer to the audience. In the Guardians trilogy, he created a harmonious ensemble from different character types. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and Gamora (Zoe Saldana) are the classic hero couple. Saving the universe, the goofy Star-Lord and competent anti-heroine grow closer and eventually drift apart.
In addition, bizarre characters such as Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista) not only provide fuel for loose jokes. In the third film, they develop an amazingly deep and respectful friendship. With Rocket Racoon and Groot, Gunn also developed two completely computer-animated creatures into fan favourites. They all grow together as a family.
2. James Gunn’s strengths have been lacking in the DC Universe so far
The background story and the final triumph around Rocket in the third Guardians of the Galaxy even brought tears to my eyes in the cinema seat. James Gunn understands and embraces these comic book misfits. He shares his love with us. It is precisely this form of empathy that the DCEU lacks with its archetypal heroes so far but painfully.
Excluding Batman’s traumatic history, the DC hero: inside cosmos is Greek deities and not shaped by people like you and me: Superman falls out of the sky as a superhuman alien baby and is indestructible. Wonder Woman grows up as a princess among godlike warriors. Aquaman is the son of a human and an underwater queen. The potential for identification with these figures is therefore similarly high (or low) as with a talking raccoon and a taciturn tree. It therefore requires a very special feeling to understand these characters. James Gunn has this flair and can give us a completely new approach to the well-known characters. He is directing a new Superman film himself, and he is supervising a Batman film as part of his universe.
3. James Gunn can handle turbulent productions
DC/Warner
The main DC characters
Which brings us to the next point: James Gunn will be joining as DC boss juggling different projects, much like Kevin Feige in the MCU. While Gunn shares the role as DC boss with producer Peter Safran, he plans to continue directing and writing screenplays. There is a huge difference between producing a single film and overseeing an entire film universe. While writing and shooting a movie feels like a quick but tiring sprint, surveilling the chronically chaotic DC world is arguably more of a grueling and never-ending marathon. Also and especially on a creative level.
There are always problems: there are no casts, start dates cannot be kept, creative differences have to be overcome and visions that span the entire film have to be organically woven into concrete film realizations. However, James Gunn has proven he is up to such challenges with the tumultuous production of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.
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We remember: In the summer of 2018, Disney fired James Gunn, only to use him again a little later as a writer and director for the third Guardians film. Meanwhile, he’s been hired by Warner and the DCEU to direct The Suicide Squad and also work on a spin-off series with Peacemaker. Returning to the MCU, he had to contend with some of the creative hurdles that Avengers: Infinity War, and more specifically Avengers: Endgame, had thrown into his Guardians franchise: Gamora was gone, yet he was back as a past tense at the same time. Thor snuck into the group as the “Asguardian of the Galaxy.” It was never in Gunn’s original vision. And then he had to shoot and produce under difficult Covid 19 conditions.
Actually, it’s like one Wonderthat Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is not a complete accident, but a beautiful conclusion to a whole trilogy. But actually not. The miracle has a name and is responsible for the entire DC universe and its reboot in the future. It’s called James Gunn.