DC Studios Boss James Gunn Regrets Putting Certain Writers On DCU Projects: "We're Going To Make Mistakes"

DC Studios Boss James Gunn Regrets Putting Certain Writers On DCU Projects: "We're Going To Make Mistakes"

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has admitted that he regrets putting certain writers on the DCU projects announced at the start of 2023 and teasing an upcoming movie or TV show none of us have heard about.

By JoshWilding - Feb 26, 2025 06:02 AM EST
Filed Under: DC Studios
Source: ComicBook.com

Last week, DC Studios invited select reporters to an hourlong DCU update which, when all was said and done, wasn't received with a particularly warm response online. 

As well as admitting that several "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters" projects announced at the start of 2023 have fallen by the wayside, co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran revealed they still haven't found the DCU's Batman.

While both executives chose their words carefully during this event, Gunn was surprisingly candid when asked about his biggest regrets since taking charge of DC Studios. 

"I mean, life is complicated. There’s always little things," he said. "Like I wish I did that differently. I wish I asked David [Corenswet] to do that take differently, it’s just like little things. There’s writers that we put on projects that I wish we didn’t, but overall, I feel just so lucky."

"I mean, the fact that, Ana [Nogueira] was on Supergirl, came out with this great script," Gunn continued. "The fact that there’s another...my favorite project nobody even knows about yet. It’s been my favorite project for a few months. Nobody even knows it."

That's an intriguing tease, though we can't help but wonder who the writer is he mentions. Could it be the Booster Gold showrunner Safran said "fell out of love" with the planned TV series?

Gunn added, "We’re an organization of basically 13 people that’s able to produce all this material and have it go and have it all be high quality. We’re going to make mistakes. Some things are going to be better than others. So we’re doing everything we can to make everything as good as possible. And I feel remarkably fortunate."

Safran echoed those thoughts when he reflected on how far DC Studios has come since first being revealed to the public a little over two years ago.

"As hard as we are on ourselves, if two years ago, when we all sat in this room together, we said, this will be your output two years from now, I think we would have been surprised that we could accomplish that much," he said. "Particularly with the five months of pencils down in our first year, they were always really problematic for everybody. So I think we feel pretty good [about the future]."

DC Studios does appear to be going through some growing pains but that's perfectly normal this early on. Ultimately, the studio's future success will hinge on whether they're able to move beyond them. 

Let us know your thoughts on Gunn and Safran's remarks in the usual place.

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NoDaysOff
NoDaysOff - 2/26/2025, 6:19 AM
This the kind of openess that gets you in trouble.. Gunn you talk too much.
theBlackSquare
theBlackSquare - 2/26/2025, 6:29 AM
@NoDaysOff - Not to be antagonistic but trouble with who? The basement trolls? They'll eat no matter what. I personally like Gunn's candour.
RedFury
RedFury - 2/26/2025, 6:43 AM
@theBlackSquare - Samesies. Humility is a good quality in a person.
NoDaysOff
NoDaysOff - 2/26/2025, 7:02 AM
@theBlackSquare -The guy who has a history of being a twitter troll is now running a business. His mouth can get him in trouble as he's already found out once before.

Don't get me wrong, I liked his work and his openess but he digs his own holes to lay in.
theBlackSquare
theBlackSquare - 2/26/2025, 7:28 AM
@NoDaysOff - Ha right, that kind of openness – fair! Those tweets were not good.
JustAWaffle
JustAWaffle - 2/26/2025, 8:08 AM
@NoDaysOff - I actually find the transparency refreshing. The positives and the negatives. When he owns the failure or mistake it shows that he’s willing to grow from it. It’s not common with people at the top of things like this. .
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 2/26/2025, 8:13 AM
@theBlackSquare - Gunn is doomed he speaks, doomed if he doesn't. It's never gonna be right no matter how much he says. It's either ''he talks too much'' or ''why doesn't he reveal anything!?''
Urubrodi
Urubrodi - 2/26/2025, 8:31 AM
@JustAWaffle - Well don't think his writers would enjoy that transparency. It's basically having your boss go public and say he shouldn't have hired you because you did a shit job. He didn't give any names but whoever had their scripts rejected will know that it was about them.
NonPlayerC
NonPlayerC - 2/26/2025, 9:54 AM
@bkmeijer1 - Correct, there is no middle ground for people these days
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 2/26/2025, 6:22 AM
This guy refuses to cast Hunter LYLE Majors
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 2/26/2025, 6:43 AM
I completely understand their sentiments.

I know empathy seems to be in short supply nowadays especially on the internet and for people who apparently make millions but they are also people like the rest of us who have flaws and are just trying their best to, atleast in terms of the creatives that is.

I wonder who these writers were that Gunn is lamenting about , doubt it was whoever they wanted as the Booster Gold showrunner since he never accepted the offer

Also damn , 13 people in an organization is small especially for a studio that’s going to have a lot of volume in the future though I’m sure they’ll grow if/when they get more successful….

Another pro is then of not having too many cooks in the kitchen which is good too.
Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 2/26/2025, 6:46 AM
He’s controversial but I like his honesty and forthrightness
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 2/26/2025, 7:01 AM
Haven't they only had like 1 come out? Lol
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 2/26/2025, 7:30 AM
@MyCoolYoung - yep , only Creature Commandos so far

Weird question to ask from the press to him about regrets though since they have barely done anything yet
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 2/26/2025, 7:11 AM
Assuredly, as it has been since the days of our forefathers, whomever amongst years shall grow broke, ye, that man shall go broke.
UncleHarm1
UncleHarm1 - 2/26/2025, 9:58 AM
@MakeAmericaGrea - "I don't like him very much, wahhh"

Translated by UncleBot
Forthas
Forthas - 2/26/2025, 7:13 AM
This studio looks like it is completely lost. I see no difference between this and the previous mess that was the latter part of the DCEU. There is no direction. There is little anticipation for these projects and they continue to lean in to the elements that make more recent comic book films an embarrassment.


Say YES to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ... say NO to Stupidity, Extremism, and Ignorance (SEI) and Childish Reactionary Tantrums (CRT).
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 2/26/2025, 7:17 AM
@Forthas -

This could be said about the MCU too.

Wars
Trek
DC
Marvel
Who
Indiana

All up in smoke thanks to you know who doing you know what.

Say NO to

Didn't
Earn
It
Pictilli
Pictilli - 2/26/2025, 7:20 AM
@Forthas - [frick] the snyderverse and [frick] DEI
Nolanite
Nolanite - 2/26/2025, 7:23 AM
@MakeAmericaGrea - shut your mouth.
theBlackSquare
theBlackSquare - 2/26/2025, 7:31 AM
@Forthas - Oh wow, how'd you get to see Superman so early?
Forthas
Forthas - 2/26/2025, 10:08 AM
@Nolanite -

User Comment Image
User Comment Image
User Comment Image

Say YES to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ... say NO to Stupidity, Extremism, and Ignorance (SEI) and Childish Reactionary Tantrums (CRT).
Pictilli
Pictilli - 2/26/2025, 7:19 AM
Hail Gunn! In Gunn we trust. Saying all the right stuff as usual
AllsNotGood
AllsNotGood - 2/26/2025, 7:25 AM
Don't worry we're only going to get a few projects and it'll just fizzle out.
fosdog
fosdog - 2/26/2025, 8:02 AM
@AllsNotGood - I feel the same way. I was initially trying to be optimistic about this new DCU, but that has fallen by the wayside. Not so much optimism anymore, just hoping that it does do well.
AllsNotGood
AllsNotGood - 2/26/2025, 8:14 AM
@fosdog - MCU started out with the basics. The dceu is a convoluted mess already
BeyondtheFuture
BeyondtheFuture - 2/26/2025, 7:52 AM
It’s weird how much this guy sounds like Trump when he talks: we have the best project, it’s my favourite project and no one even knows about it, my secret project. Sure, man.
Lokiwasright
Lokiwasright - 2/26/2025, 7:55 AM
User Comment Image
THEKENDOMAN
THEKENDOMAN - 2/26/2025, 8:28 AM
He should say he also regrets talking too much and promises to shut the [frick] up untill he approves a script, secures a lead cast and makes an announcement.

For [frick]s sake
NickScryer
NickScryer - 2/26/2025, 8:46 AM
He should have started with Batman. Everybody loves Batman.

Superman, as great as he is, is often seen by general audience as silly and corny. Especially version Gunn seems to be going with. I'm not saying he should have gone full Snyder, but if he brought us a good Batman (which seems to be easier to get right) people would be more compelled to his other projects.

It's like if MCU started with Captain America or Thor.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 2/26/2025, 8:58 AM
@NickScryer - TBH Iron Man was a lesser known character in 2008. It'd be like if they started with Guardians of the Galaxy
NickScryer
NickScryer - 2/26/2025, 9:04 AM
@bobevanz - sure, but he was still less outlandish than Thor and Cap.
And there are many parallels between Iron Man and Batman so that's why I'd rather they started with that. Begin more grounded and gradually go more cosmic, magical etc. Worked for MCU.

AwesomePromoz
AwesomePromoz - 2/26/2025, 10:03 AM
@NickScryer - I don't want a grimdark, murdering, wooden Superman, and I don't think many other ticket buyers do either.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 2/26/2025, 8:57 AM
And yet Marvel has never said anything close to this. They think we're the problem for skipping their mid ass content
dragon316
dragon316 - 2/26/2025, 9:37 AM
Yeah true antman 3 captain America brave new world others
JacobsLadder
JacobsLadder - 2/26/2025, 9:39 AM
what's funny is if the DCEU has just stayed the course and not over-reacted to every thing the MCU did, it would be well into a second Justice League movie with multiple Bat-Man and Superman and WW movies, and Flash, Cyborg, GL, Hawkman, Supergirl, whomever. Instead, it's pull the plug, fire everybody, reboot, etc. what a waste of such great characters. I have 0 faith in this. I'll go see Supes because I'm just a big fan, but after that, who knows what to expect from any of this anymore.

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