DCEU: What James Gunn Brings To The Shared Universe

Earlier this week, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that James Gunn and Peter Safran would be co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios. They work together going forward to manage the DC movies, tv shows, and animated projects. Gunn has already had success with Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel), The Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker (DC). Safran has built a solid resume with success on Shazam and Aquaman for DC. So what will the future of DC Studios and the DCEU look like with Gunn and Safran at the helm.

Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

There’s obviously a bigger picture here that the fans may not see. This shared universe is about to be a lot more connected. Take into account James Gunn has already teased the connection between his and Safran-produced Aquaman when Jason Momoa appeared in a cameo at the end of Peacemaker. But that’s not the only place the universe grew. Safran produced on Shazam as well, leading to a sequel there. The movie ended up being too big to tell the whole story and spun off into a Black Adam film as well. With the post credit scene in that film, we all know a fan favorite will return to the fold. Now there’s an opportunity for that story to unfold in future films.

That’s kind of where the DCEU has failed, they tried to build a shared universe first, and then break down into characters into their own solo film. Now that there has been limited connectivity between the worlds Gunn and Safran can bounce ideas off each other, while simultaneously working on building the projects they’ve already established solo.

More Entertainment: Why Superman Failed The DCEU

Not All Fun and Games

One of the concerns around social media was heard this week “I hope he doesn’t try to make them too comic book-y and goofy”. While it is an odd statement to make about comic book properties, the sentiment is understood. Of course GotG and Peacemaker were over the top at times, but that’s what made those movies fun. However, it’s not all Gunn can do. Let’s not forget the movie Brightburn back in 2019. It was written by Mark and Brian Gunn and directed by David Yarovesky with James Gunn served as a producer on the project. Fans saw Brightburn as a reimagining of the Superman story but with a much darker twist that fit better into the horror genre. Not every project is fun and “goofy”.

A History of Fandom

Looking at James Gunn’s work alone, he took little known characters and made exciting to watch. Even as far back as the first Guardians movie in 2014, more pessimistic fans said it would be Marvel’s first flop because no one knew these characters. Gunn took characters like Star Lord and Gamora and made them a huge part of the MCU.

He had the key to the city to make any movie he wanted with DC and choose the Suicide Squad movie. Take it one step further and he didn’t just reuse characters from the original Suicide Squad movie already met with mixed reviews. He took even more of a deep dive into the DC library and made the least known characters exciting. That’s not an easy task unless you’re a fan. Gunn has a passion for the work he puts out.

That’s the biggest take away from the move. They’re just not hiring the guy who’s hot in Hollywood right now. Finally fans are getting someone(s) in control who has a similar passion for these movies as they are. That’s what the DCEU needed, people who aren’t just looking for their next big paycheck, they want these characters to come to life on the big screen for the fans. Both Aquaman and Shazam are arguably two of DC’s most unviserally liked movies.

Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad showed the movies don’t need the big characters to succeed. Creativity and fandom will be at the forefront of the new DC Studios and DCEU.