{"id":488011,"date":"2026-01-02T22:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T22:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/488011\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T22:00:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T22:00:11","slug":"james-gunn-on-making-superman-and-dc-studios-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/488011\/","title":{"rendered":"James Gunn on Making ‘Superman’ and DC Studios’ Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tJames Gunn<\/a> looks tired but energized as he settles into his chair for the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast<\/a>, having just flown in from Atlanta. He\u2019s already into pre-production on \u201cMan of Tomorrow,\u201d the follow-up to this summer\u2019s \u201cSuperman<\/a>.\u201d so exhaustion would be expected. Gunn is not only directing the film, but he\u2019s also running DC Studios<\/a> alongside Peter Safran \u2014 an unprecedented balancing act he calls \u201cthe hardest movie I\u2019ve ever made.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe conversation is taking place only two hours before the entertainment landscape shifted, with Netflix announcing an $82 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. \u2014 a reminder of how quickly the ground beneath the Hollywood industry, DC, and Gunn himself, continues to move.<\/p>\n

\n\tNonetheless, we\u2019re talking about \u201cSuperman,\u201d where Gunn leans in, his eyes brighten and discusses what drew him to the character \u2014 which wasn\u2019t the scale or mythology.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhen I first talked to the cast and crew, I wanted to make something about goodness,\u201d Gunn says. \u201cThis guy isn\u2019t perfect, even though he\u2019s Superman. He\u2019s really just trying to do his best. He\u2019s good-natured. He\u2019s loving. He sees the best in everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThat idea was Superman is not a god, but a sincere, sometimes awkward moral presence. That became Gunn\u2019s anchor \u2014 and he credits Grant Morrison\u2019s \u201cAll-Star Superman\u201d for crystallizing that approach. \u201cThat was the thing that hooked me,\u201d he shares. \u201cThat big lug of a superhero being genuinely kind. That\u2019s what I took from the book.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tUnlike the relative freedom Gunn had with \u201cGuardians of the Galaxy,\u201d Superman came with a century\u2019s worth of expectations, and of course, disagreements. \u201cEveryone in the world thinks something different about Superman. Everybody knows who he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe scrutiny extended beyond the cape. Gunn was aware that this film would be viewed as a referendum on the future of DC itself. \u201cThere were all the eyes on us \u2014 on DC, on the DCU, on everything,\u201d he says. \u201cThat pressure was real.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tCasting, then, was non-negotiable. \u201cIf I couldn\u2019t find Superman, I wasn\u2019t going to make the movie,\u201d Gunn says flatly. David Corenswet was the second audition he saw. \u201cI remember thinking, \u2018If that\u2019s the worst we do, we\u2019re in great shape.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat emerged is a film that leans toward optimism at a moment when superhero cinema has often favored grit. Gunn\u2019s Superman isn\u2019t na\u00efve, but he is hopeful. Coming off the year we all had, that choice feels quite radical.<\/p>\n

\n\tOn this episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Gunn talks about his process of making \u201cSuperman,\u201d why he\u2019ll never chase a prestige projects and what to expect from \u201cMan of Tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tScreengrab courtesy of DC Studios<\/p>\n

\n\tRead excerpts from her interview below, which has been edited and condensed for clarity.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat made \u201cSuperman\u201d the hardest film you\u2019ve directed?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tThis was the hardest movie I\u2019ve ever made. The next hardest was probably the first \u201cGuardians.\u201d With \u201cGuardians,\u201d you were building a corner of the universe that felt completely different from everything else Marvel was doing at the time. Here, I was reorienting something everyone already thinks they understand. Strangely, it\u2019s the most comic-book-driven thing I\u2019ve ever done. More than any of my other superhero films.<\/p>\n

\n\tHow did assembling your creative team shape the film?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tI\u2019ve worked with many of these people for years. Beth Mickel, my production designer, has been with me on the last three films. Steph Ceretti has overseen visual effects for multiple projects now. Being in charge of DC meant I could finally keep the team together instead of losing people between films. That continuity matters.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat were you most proud of in the visual effects, especially with Krypto the Dog?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tFramestore\u2019s work on Krypto is extraordinary. I\u2019ll put those shots up against anything I\u2019ve ever seen. ILM was incredible as well. It was just a world-class group of artists working at the highest level.<\/p>\n

\n\tHow does it feel to be both a filmmaker and a studio head at the same time?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tI don\u2019t think it\u2019s ever really been done. Even Walt Disney was more of a producer than a director. It\u2019s an experiment. And yes, sometimes it probably sounds like madness \u2014 especially since I don\u2019t make the most conventional films. But I love big spectacle. That\u2019s my jam. I originally said no to the job. I didn\u2019t want to do what Kevin Feige does. But once Peter and I realized we\u2019d be doing it together, it became exciting. I still don\u2019t know if it\u2019s sustainable long-term. It\u2019s a lot. There just aren\u2019t enough hours in the day.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat films made you fall in love with movies?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tI think the first movie I saw in a theater was \u201cThe Aristocats.\u201d Then \u201cThe Strongest Man in the World\u201d with Kurt Russell. But it was \u201cStar Wars\u201d that completely changed me. That feeling of entering another world. And then \u201cRaiders of the Lost Ark\u201d made me aware of filmmakers themselves \u2014 George Lucas, Steven Spielberg. That\u2019s when it clicked.<\/p>\n

\n\tHow do you think about prestige versus mainstream filmmaking?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tI don\u2019t care about prestige. I mean, sure, would it be cool to be nominated for Best Director or something? Yeah, would I rather have that than not? But it\u2019s not really my concern. Occasionally I have ideas that are more independent movies, but I like making the kind of movies that I make, and I like making pop cinema, for lack of a better term. If I can have those things also be something that are emotionally resonant to people, or affect people in a deeper, more spiritual way, like a lot of people have told me that \u201cSuperman\u201d did, a lot of people have told me that \u201cGuardians 3\u201d did, then that\u2019s fantastic. That\u2019s what I would love to be able to do. But I like making the big movies too. There\u2019s an artistry to it, the creative flow. But then I also like the part of it that\u2019s putting the big puzzle together and creating this machine that works for an audience to elicit a reaction from them, whether it\u2019s emotional, whether it\u2019s laughter, whether it\u2019s screaming, whether it\u2019s whatever it is. That\u2019s the fun part of it.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhy did \u201cGuardians of the Galaxy\u201d feel like the right leap into big-budget filmmaking?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tI had walked away from another studio project because they stripped everything personal out of it. Then \u201cGuardians\u201d came along and I thought, no one else can make this movie the way I can. I wanted to make a space opera. I love raccoons. It felt completely me. That\u2019s always been my goal \u2014 to make big movies that still feel personal.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat can you tell us about \u201cMan of Tomorrow?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tAt its core, it\u2019s about Clark and Lex. I relate to both of them. I relate to Lex\u2019s ambition and obsession \u2014 minus the murder. And I relate to Superman\u2019s belief in people, his Midwestern values. They\u2019re two sides of me. <\/p>\n

\n\tWhat does your partnership with Peter Safran bring to DC Studios?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tPeter\u2019s the best. He does everything I don\u2019t do well. He keeps the ship steady, keeps everyone aligned, connects us with Jim Lee and the comics side, and unifies departments that used to operate separately. What we share is a genuine love for these characters. We know what a privilege it is to help shape how people see them now \u2014 and that responsibility is something we take seriously.<\/p>\n

\n\tVariety\u2019s \u201cAwards Circuit\u201d podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, Jenelle Riley and Michael Schneider, who also produces, is your one-stop source for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each episode, \u201cAwards Circuit\u201d features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives, discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines, and much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"James Gunn looks tired but energized as he settles into his chair for the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":488012,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[164055,954,171,956,53,15801,9180,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-488011","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-movies","8":"tag-awards-circuit-podcast","9":"tag-dc-studios","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-james-gunn","12":"tag-movies","13":"tag-oscars","14":"tag-superman","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-unitedstates","17":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115827757880757744","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=488011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/488012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=488011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=488011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=488011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}