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As the new "Superman" film for the DC Universe continues its theatrical run, director James Gunn has been making the rounds, sharing behind-the-scenes insights and future plans for the DCU.
During an interview on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, Gunn once again addressed the controversial departure of Henry Cavill from the Superman role. Gunn clarified that he was already developing his own version of "Superman" and considering taking on the role of co-CEO of DC Studios even before "Black Adam" announced Cavill's return. He emphasized that his decision not to continue with Cavill was not made after he assumed his executive position.
Gunn explained, "We were in discussions about me taking over DC Studios. We were talking to David Zaslav (Warner Bros. Discovery CEO) and all the legal people about the contract, and the day our contract was finalized, they suddenly announced that Henry was coming back. I thought, 'What is happening right now?' I knew exactly what our plan was, and our plan was to make 'Superman.' So, it was really unfair to him, and it was truly frustrating."
(Image source: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Gunn continued, "There was a lot of unclear stuff during that time, and a lot of people... sigh... I want to be as diplomatic as possible (chuckles). At that time, there were others trying to push their own vision for the DC Universe, trying to force it through, but that was never part of David Zaslav's plan. Anyway, we joined DC, and it was truly an unfortunate situation. He was really pitiful, so Peter (Safran, co-CEO of DC Studios) and I arranged to meet with him to talk it through. Henry was an absolute gentleman. He said, 'My only request is that I get to announce this myself, not through you guys.' And we completely agreed."
Gunn also expressed his openness to Cavill joining his DC Universe in another role in the future: "I mentioned it to him that day. I would love for him to play another character."
(Image source: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Elsewhere in the program, Gunn revealed that Bradley Cooper, who makes a cameo in "Superman" as Jor-El, Superman's Kryptonian biological father, was initially in talks with him to play the arch-villain Lex Luthor. "We briefly discussed it, but I later felt that Lex should be closer in age to Superman. I didn't specifically write Lex's age into the script, I just felt that Lex is very important to Superman and the future of the DC Universe, so it would be better for him to be younger. But Bradley would also be a very competent Lex; he's actually good at playing anything."
(Image source: DC Comics)
During the interview, Gunn also took the opportunity to clarify the controversy surrounding the authenticity of the messages left by Superman's parents. Some viewers believed that the messages, in which Superman's parents seemingly told their son to "rule Earth," were either tampered with by Luthor or mistranslated. However, Gunn emphasized that those messages are indeed real, as explicitly stated in the film, and were neither altered by Luthor nor mistranslated by Earth's linguists.
Furthermore, Gunn confirmed that the previously reported delayed DC superhero film "Sgt. Rock" has indeed been shelved. Luca Guadagnino, the director of "Call Me by Your Name," who was slated to helm the project, has also exited. However, Gunn assured that there is a high probability of "Sgt. Rock" being revived, indicating it is not completely canceled.