James Gunn made a huge step earlier this week when the filmmaker struck a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery and DC, making Gunn the co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios. His role will be similar to that of Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige as Gunn will be responsible for the creative direction of the connected universe which is currently undergoing some changes under David Zaslav’s regime.
As it turns out, James Gunn recently revealed the first person he told after his DC deal, and that was none other than Kevin Feige. Gunn took his Twitter to respond to a now-deleted tweet commenting on the alleged rivalry between Marvel and DC, saying the success of both franchises is great for the cinema.
“Not only do I love Kevin, he was the first person I told after I closed the deal with DC ([John Cena] was the 2nd). Contrary to popular belief, a dollar less for Marvel is not a dollar more for DC. DC & Marvel have a common goal of keeping the theater experience alive and alive.”
Gunn’s tweet can be found below.
Regardless of your fan loyalty, DC and Marvel are bound to work wonders for movie theaters as they consistently bring in hundreds of millions of dollars with each expected release. DCs Black Adam used to be recently released in theaters, bringing in a whopping $145 million in its first weekend in theaters. Later next month, the long-awaited sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will appear on the big screen, which is sure to be a powerhouse.
James Gunn has strong ties to Marvel & DC
James Gunn began his tenure at Marvel Studios in 2014 with: Guardians of the Universe, returned to direct the 2017 sequel. The franchise essentially cemented Gunn’s status in the MCU (although he was temporarily fired), as the filmmaker is synonymous with the guards.
Gunn is set to release the next installment later next month, targeting the rag-tag group of superheroes, featuring The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special premiering November 25 on Disney+. The special will see Dave Bautista’s Drax and Pom Klementieff’s Mantis as they track down Kevin Bacon, which they say will be a special gift for Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord. Then Gunn will be at the helm Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3the next feature film to be released on May 5, 2023.
Gunn is no stranger to DC, though, having worked on several projects before becoming head of the studio. In 2021 the filmmaker directed The Suicide Squad, a sequel/reboot of the 2016 iteration starring Margot Robbie, John Cena, Idris Elba, and Joel Kinnaman. The film was a huge success, there was a peacekeeper spin-off focused on the titular character played by Cena. Season 2 is currently in the works and will head to HBO Max in late 2023 or early 2024.
Fans are excited to see what Gunn can do with the DC Universe as the franchise struggles somewhat compared to its Marvel counterpart. However, with new creative direction and direction, the two comic book franchises could last for years to come.