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With the first film in the new DC Universe, "Superman," set to debut next month, DC Studios co-CEO and the film's director, James Gunn, sat down for an extensive interview with Rolling Stone. He discussed the latest developments on several DC projects and responded to those who doubt their vision.
First up, "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow," the film most closely connected to "Superman," has received a title change. It has been shortened to simply "Supergirl," mirroring how "Superman: Legacy" was later retitled to just "Superman."
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Speaking of "Superman," some fans may already know that before he took on "The Suicide Squad," Gunn was approached by Warner Bros. in 2018 to reboot the Man of Steel, but he declined at the time because he couldn't find the right angle for the character. In this new interview, Gunn revealed that Warner Bros. also offered him the chance to write and direct a "Batman" film while he was working on "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," but he was too busy to accept. However, Gunn added that he would have said yes if they had asked him to do "Batman" back in 2018.
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During the interview, Gunn also addressed the topic of the declining theatrical market. He doesn't believe the downturn is because audiences have lost interest in movies or because home theater systems have become too advanced. He argued the primary factor is a shrinking number of high-quality films compelling enough to draw audiences to theaters. This is why, from the inception of DC Studios, he has consistently emphasized that "if the script isn't good enough, we will absolutely not force it into production." He noted that most Hollywood blockbusters have scripts that are rewritten during filming or even start shooting without a finished draft—a mistake he is determined to avoid.
Gunn is serious about his script-first policy. He personally confirmed that he recently decided to cancel a DC movie that was already in development. The reason? The "script wasn't ready." Even though everyone was eager to make the film and it had already been greenlit, he made the tough call to pull the plug. He did not, however, reveal the title of the canceled project.
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Beyond the theatrical market, Gunn also touched on the decline of Marvel films. He admitted to having privately discussed the issue with senior Marvel Studios producer Louis D’Esposito. Gunn doesn't believe the fault lies entirely with Marvel, echoing the studio's public admission that the dip in quality and brand fatigue stemmed from a mandate from parent company Disney to significantly increase output.
Gunn also stated that DC Studios is not under a similar mandate. "We're not beholden to a certain number of movies and television shows we have to make every year," he explained, so they will only release projects they feel have achieved the highest quality. He acknowledged that some projects will inevitably be better than others, but he hopes that, overall, every piece of content will be as high-quality as possible. "Nothing gets made until the screenplay is where it needs to be to my satisfaction," he affirmed.
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Of course, Gunn was inevitably asked about his thoughts on the persistent online attacks from some fans of Zack Snyder. He responded candidly, stating that he doesn't expect a 100% positive reaction to any film and that some dissenting opinions are fine.
Gunn understands that new projects often spark huge controversy, regardless of how positively they are reviewed. He used the "Superman" trailer as an example, where a shot of Superman appearing to be in pain from the sun's rays caused a major debate among some fans. Gunn clarified that Superman was in pain simply because his injured bones were resetting, calling the argument meaningless.
Gunn shared that an actor friend of his frequently reads negative online commentary. "He reads everything," Gunn said. "He reads all the Reddit posts. He watches all the videos of people who make a living off of hating us. That's how they make their money." Gunn advised against this behavior, warning, "You don't need to be watching videos of how terrible you are. You can't be constantly looking at that stuff. It'll drive you crazy. It's just terrible for your soul."
via： Rolling Stone