After releasing a Skydance-approved joint statement with fellow former DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran, James Gunn has shared a lengthy post on Instagram addressing his shock exit as the creative driving force behind the DCU.
The news sent shockwaves across Hollywood and left fans reeling. While Gunn and Safran's time in charge of the DCU hasn't been a rousing success, Supergirl was the only critical flop, and Superman was considered a strong start for the rejuvenated brand.
Unfortunately, it was followed by a series of questionable decisions, including a Clayface movie that will barely break even at the box office. It's hardly a surprise that Skydance expects DC Studios to deliver more than projects that will only maybe turn a profit thanks to Digital and Blu-ray sales.
Regardless, Gunn has acknowledged the challenges that came with his time as DC Studios co-CEO by writing, "What only the closest people to me have known over the past four years is my time at DC Studios has been trying, to say the least. I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job (thanks to Peter for taking the brunt of that)."
"I’m always a very hard worker, but as a filmmaker I would at least get to take short breaks to unwind, and I’ve stolen even that time from both myself and my loved ones over the past four years (Jenn, I love you and I’m sorry and you don’t need to feel guilty for being the happiest of all people that I’m no longer doing this job)."
He continued, "And the thing my ADHD hyperfocus has had the most difficulty with has been dividing my time between projects I’m incredibly passionate about and the ones I’m not so much and all the things I have to do as a studio head... I will miss being the co-caretaker of these great characters, but I’m also incredibly relieved and excited to get back to pure filmmaking."
Gunn called his time "having full access to these characters to do whatever we wanted" a "dream come true," and expressed gratitude to the DCU's supporters and those he worked alongside.
Interestingly, the Superman director went on to hint that his time in the DCU may not be over quite yet. "We have Man of Tomorrow out this summer," he wrote. "And we’ve just been engaged on another DC project which I’m writing, and we’ll see where it goes after that. And, of course, the characters we set up will live on."
Before getting too excited, it's worth noting that this mystery DC project is one that Gunn and Safran were developing while they were in charge. While Jeremy Latcham could choose to keep Gunn around as a filmmaker, he now controls the DCU's creative direction and may decide that a clean break is most beneficial to the brand.
Still, Gunn has always excelled as a writer and director, and if Man of Tomorrow is a hit, why not keep him around to continue Superman's story? However, he'll have to do so while reporting to the person who has taken his job (and whether their visions align is very much TBD).
You can read Gunn's statement in full below.