When he took over as co-head of DC Studios, James Gunn promised to take the brand in a fresh, new direction. While fans must wait to see what exactly his plans are for a refreshed and - hopefully - more successful DC cinematic universe, Gunn has been open about why his approach will work and why others’ approaches aren’t working.
Gunn made a name for himself as a superhero movie master with the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, then cemented that legacy with a reboot of DC's Suicide Squad, cheekily titled The Suicide Squad, followed by a spin-off TV show Peacemaker. In terms of superhero movies, Gunn has yet to miss; many fans agree that his entries into the MCU and DCEU were some of the best of each franchise. While Gunn's fans celebrated his DC Studios takeover, there are still valid concerns that even Gunn's magic can’t save DC.
However, Gunn doesn’t think the problem is with DC itself. Appearing on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, Gunn discussed why superhero movies keep missing the mark after years of dominating the box office. "But I think that what’s happened is, people have gotten really lazy with their superhero stories," he said. "And they have gotten to the place where, 'Oh, it’s a superhero, let’s make a movie about it.' And they make, ‘Oh, let’s make a sequel, because the first one did pretty well,’ and they aren’t thinking about, 'Why is this story special? What makes this story stand apart from other stories? What is the story at the heart of it all? Why is this character important? What makes this story different that it fills a need for people in theaters to go see? Or on television?"
Although his words may seem harsh, they ring true - especially for Marvel fans. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness received mixed reviews from audiences and critics alike, and Ant-Man 3 was received even worse. Both films acted as continuations of the MCU saga and as sequels to largely well-received movies. While they both focused on characters who were familiar to fans, the emotional aspect of both movies got tangled in the complex worldbuilding Marvel Studios has shouldered itself with. In stark contrast, Spider-Man: No Way Home received glowing reviews from critics and audience members alike while keeping its emotional - and occasionally heartbreaking - story front and center and still exploring the idea of the multiverse.
While there’s no way to know if Gunn's vision for the DCU will be successful, he seems confident that he’s identified the major do’s and don’t’s of superhero movies. It's clear that while high-octane action sequences and large-scale battles can be exciting for audiences, they won’t care who wins if they don’t care about the characters. Gunn understands that, and this fundamental understanding might be enough to take the DCU to new levels of success.