James Gunn, filmmaker and CEO of DC Studios, wants you to believe in Superman again.
After all, the director is no stranger to the power of a good superhero movie. He turned a cast of lesser-known characters into household names in Marvel’s beloved Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and revamped DC’s ensemble film The Suicide Squad from a one-dimensional franchise into something truly unique and compelling. But with his latest film, Gunn is out to create a superhuman feat of his own in revitalising not only Superman but the DC universe as a whole.
As Gunn gears up for the worldwide release of Superman this July, audiences are eager to see how his vision will not only redefine the Man of Steel, but also set the tone for the future of DC Studios. Although Superman has graced the big screen many times over, the past decade was defined by director Zack Snyder’s brooding, gritty take, leaving a lasting yet controversial imprint on the hero’s legacy. While Snyder has no shortage of devoted fans ready to defend Justice League, Man of Steel, and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Gunn is offering a fresh take: one that leans into a more optimistic and arguably more hopeful version of the character.
“Something that I’m hoping to do with the [DC Universe] is to have everything based in the comics,” Gunn told Rolling Stone Philippines. “Comics are the seed for everything, and [I want] to be able to take different films and TV shows and have them be expressed slightly differently, in the same way that different comic books would be, by the different writers and artists I read growing up.”
When asked what drew him to the story of Superman, especially at a time when more and more superhero movies seem to be leaning towards darker, more complex narratives, Gunn was quick to answer. “I think that at the heart of it all, there’s a kindness to Superman,” said Gunn. “The reason why I feel more passionately about this movie than, well, most of the movies I’ve done is that it’s about kindness in a world that is bereft of kindness. Which is our own world.”
“In Superman’s world, to be able to see somebody for who they are… to be able to be as kind as [Superman] is and to look out for the person who needs looking out for… That’s something noble,” continued Gunn. “It may be viewed as old-fashioned, but it’s not. It’s what we are as human people. It’s just who we should be. It’s what we aspire to be. I love that, and I feel good about putting [Superman] into the world.”
