Earlier than the DC Prolonged Universe got here to an in depth in ignoble trend with a string of flops, James Gunn was requested to direct a Superman film that may simply have turned the franchise’s fortunes round. However it appears the director was reluctant to just accept the job again in 2018 on account of the truth that he did not actually have a tackle the character that he deemed worthy sufficient of a full film.
Talking at a Q&A occasion in London (through IGN), Gunn stated, “I used to be daunted by the duty. I wasn’t certain how I used to be going to do it,” including, “Should you bear in mind, there was different stuff occurring with Superman on the time … it was going to be politically messy.” That “different stuff” needed to do with Henry Cavill and his ongoing involvement within the DCEU. In 2018, the franchise had simply put out 2017’s “Justice League,” the box office disaster that doomed the franchise, and Warner Bros. was not sure about the way forward for their comedian guide motion pictures. It appears the studio was, no less than, pretty sure they had been going to go in a brand new course with Superman, which additionally put Cavill’s future in jeopardy. As such, Gunn’s discussions had been occurring at a fraught time for DC motion pictures, and it appears this additionally performed into his determination to remain away.
Not less than, he determined to avoid Superman. As an alternative, he directed 2021’s “The Suicide Squad” for DC, forward of the discharge of his remaining Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” Nonetheless, the concept of a Superman film by no means left his thoughts.
James Gunn was extra taken with The Suicide Squad than Superman
James Gunn has spoken elsewhere about why he turned down a “Superman” film in 2018, a lot of which additionally appeared to come back right down to the truth that he was extra drawn to a “Suicide Squad” film. As he advised the New York Times, he was initially supplied the “Superman” gig by former Warner Bros. head Toby Emmerich, who really went to the identical fitness center as Gunn’s producing companion and future co-head of DC Studios, Peter Safran. Emmerich proposed the concept of a Gunn-helmed Supes film, which precipitated Safran to change into “loopy about it.” Gunn continued:
‘[Saffran] referred to as me up, and I used to be like, ‘I do not know what to do with Superman. What else?’ And he stated, ‘Nicely, we actually want a ‘Suicide Squad’ sequel.’ I used to be so jealous of [director] David Ayer once they did the primary ‘Suicide Squad’ [in 2016] as a result of that was one in every of my favourite comics, so I jumped at that and did not do ‘Superman’ as a result of that was extra up my alley.
However it appears Gunn’s lack of a transparent tackle Superman was simply as necessary because the prospect of overseeing a “Suicide Squad” sequel. The director advised Entertainment Weekly that he turned down the provide as a result of he “did not have that particular thought of what that [film] could be.” It is a good factor, too, as a result of after DC and Warner Bros. tried to deliver Gunn into the fold, issues solely received extra difficult for the DCEU.
James Gunn finally discovered his particular thought for Superman
The DCEU/Henry Cavill state of affairs reached a fever pitch with Dwayne Johnson’s bizarre attempts to remain in the DCEU following his 2022 “Black Adam” debacle. Johnson had drafted in Cavill for a cameo in his anticlimactic blockbuster, and collectively the pair introduced Superman’s official return. However as Gunn has defined elsewhere, Warners already revealed to him during their 2018 discussions that they wanted Cavill recast. What’s extra, on the similar second Johnson and Cavill had been saying the return of Superman, Gunn had been given the inexperienced gentle to put in writing an entire new film primarily based on the character. To say he was confused by Cavill’s apparent return, then, is an understatement.
By that time, the director had discovered that “particular thought” that had eluded him in 2018, and Warner CEO David Zaslav had accepted the entire thing. Because the director stated throughout his London Q&A, “Finally [I] began to suppose that perhaps it was one thing I can do.” Nonetheless, he wasn’t certain he would direct at first. “It is somewhat recreation I play with myself,” he stated. “It permits me to be free and to put in writing one thing that’s extra enjoyable, however then I often nearly at all times need to direct it.”
Finally, he did determine to direct as the brand new co-head of DC Studios. Because the inaugural movie within the relaunched franchise, Gunn’s “Superman” was a charming crowd-pleaser that launched an entire new age of DC superheroes. Not will audiences be confronted with lugubrious desaturated blockbusters that appear fully cynical in regards to the heroes they symbolize. As an alternative, we will anticipate loads of goofy little guys like David Corenswet’s Man of Metal, who helped “Superman” soar at the box office, in the end making $615 million (although that $255 million budget seems irresponsible at best).
