James Gunn seems keen on a DC and Marvel crossover in his new DCU with Co-CEO Peter Safran. Now, it seems the director of Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad has a potential new plan to implement this strategy.Blue Beetle is supposedly the first DCU film even though it was created under the previous regime at Warner Bros. This is likely due to Shazam 2 bombing at the box office, so the new strategy may support the upcoming DCEU films better unless they prove to produce similar results. Assuming Blue Beetle is the first film of the DC Universe, it would fit nicely under what Gunn's upcoming strategy may be, especially if his Marvel comments are any indignation since the Blue Beetle trailer tonally aligns with the MCU storytelling formula.In an interview with Empire Magazine about the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and its IMAX marathon, it was asked if Marvel and DC could ever “share their biggest toys on the big screen." Gunn replied, “I’m certain that’s more likely now that I’m in charge [at DC]. Who knows? Just don’t expect anything on that front in the immediate future.” Gunn expanded on this sentiment by expressing that it’s “many years away,” and he thinks they “have to establish what they’re “doing [at DC] first,” but he “would be lying to say" that they "haven’t discussed it. But all discussions have been very, very, light and fun.”
Gunn's comments on a Marvel crossover with DC reflect the divide in fans between those who praise the Blue Beetle trailer and those that criticize it for being tonally similar to the MCU. DC is not Marvel, and it should carve out its own path that directors such as Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder, and Matt Reeves tried and are trying to build. On the other hand, Marvel's successful movie formula aligns with what general audiences already like. Creating a cinematic universe that reflects that formula seems to be the business strategy that Gunn acknowledges, like the previous studio executives before him.
While the idea itself will surely take notice among the general audience, it may not instill confidence in what’s best for DC. Many crossovers should happen, like Watchmen, Scooby-Doo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and even the Looney Tunes featuring Batmite, before Marvel should enter the equation, if at all. The point is the DC Universe is rich and vast, and that to fans, it may be seen as nothing more than a trojan horse for any conversations involving a Marvel and DC crossover to take place, or even be considered, when its own universe hasn’t been established yet. Luckily, the idea seems to be in the distant future, but based on Gunn's filmography and Warner Bros.' previous business strategy, it could be a sign of what’s to come for the DCU.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 premieres in theaters on May 5, 2023.
Source: Empire Magazine