Recently, remarks from DC Studios co-chair and Superman director James Gunn about Marvel Studios' recent struggles with box office and critical reception have made waves online.
In the Rolling Stone article, Gunn stated that the high output of Marvel content for Disney+ "killed them."
Now, Gunn, is clarifying those comments a bit over on @Threads, where he posted, "To be clear - & as IS clear in the context of the interview- I didn't say "it killed them" like they're over but they were screwed by the situation they had no control over. They're on the other side of that now, which is good. "
He went on to add, "The sacrifice-everything-for-streaming craze killed many good things by forcing a demand for "content" that couldn't possibly be met, putting movies on TV before they had a proper theatrical run & much more. The insanity has died down & balanced out everywhere. Thank God."
It's well documented that the vision Bob Chapek had for Disney+'s rollout is very different from the recently returned to power, Bob Iger.
Chapek wanted an instant competitor to Netflix and was willing to spare no expense to accomplish this goal. Iger is more even-keeled, focusing more on the bottom line in quarterly fiscal reports to investors.
As such, Iger has recently mandated a reduction in original content that gets made exclusively for Disney+.
The question now is whether this change in philosophy has arrived too little, too late for Marvel Studios.
Even the recently well-received Thunderbolts* aka New Avengers will end its theatrical run in the red, despite being liked by both critics and audiences alike.
Superman is slated for release on July 11, 2025, marking the inaugural film in James Gunn's rebooted DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. Gunn not only directs but also penned the screenplay for this highly anticipated movie, which was formerly titled Superman: Legacy.
The film boasts a stellar ensemble cast:
- David Corenswet takes on the dual role of Kal-El/Clark Kent.
- Rachel Brosnahan portrays the intrepid reporter Lois Lane.
- Nicholas Hoult embodies Superman's arch-nemesis, Lex Luthor.
A contingent of other heroes and notable figures includes Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.
Supporting the main cast are:
- Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord.
- María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer.
- Terence Rosemore as Otis.
- Wendell Pierce as Perry White.
- Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher.
- Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell appear as Clark Kent's adoptive parents, Jonathan 'Pa' Kent and Martha 'Ma' Kent, respectively. Additionally, Milly Alcock is set to debut as Supergirl in this film before headlining her own solo adventure, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Supergirl.