Fans like to complain. Comic book movie fans really like to complain. And DC Studios fans basically live to complain online. OK, not ALL of them. But given the volume of grievances logged by DC fans on social channels over the years—especially as they watch all the DC Films in order—it’s safe to say they are a “Prove It To Us” fanbase. Which is what current DC Films Co-President James Gunn tries to do. He explains his decisions. He practices transparency. And when fans have questions, he usually answers them online.
Like when casting announcements started rolling out regarding co-stars for James Gunn’s planned Superman: Legacy, a few people started to gripe. The issue became the addition of characters like Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), which some Superman fans already feel is going to steal focus away from the Man of Steel. Why can’t Superman: Legacy just be a movie about Superman? And it can be! Which is why Gunn’s explanation for the inclusion of these characters makes all the sense in the world. He turned to social media and informed one of his followers:
They fit the story I’m telling. Story always comes first.
Yes, it does. And kudos to James Gunn for both recognizing this, and adhering to it. It’s a major part of the reason why his contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, rank high on our MCU ranking list. It’s why Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was a box office smash, and one that Marvel Studios needed. Gunn focuses on character, and spends more time with character arcs then other filmmakers working in the superhero sandbox.
We actually know a lot about Superman: Legacy, even though it's two years away. Let's dig into the details on James Gunn's film.
But I do, to a certain extent, understand the complaint that superhero movies can get overcrowded. Especially on the DC side of the docket. The Black Adam movie didn’t just have The Rock. It had to include the Justice Society of America (who were instantly forgettable). And The Flash, which is bombing at the box office, couldn’t just be a Flash movie. It needed to include Supergirl (Sasha Calle) and two Batmen (Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck).
Will Superman: Legacy lose focus on Superman by surrounding the character with other existing DC heroes? We will have to wait and see, though James Gunn has made it abundantly clear that he wants to introduce his Superman in a world where the DC heroes already exist, and it is not an origin story, as we have seen before. Which is terrific. The right way to approach this story. Because, as Gunn says, “story always comes first.”
Make sure, if you are a fan of Superman and DC Films in general, that you bookmark our feature to Upcoming DC Movies because we expect to hear a LOT of news on pictures like The Authority and The Brave and the Bold after Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom arrive in theaters.
