If Superman had flopped or proved to be yet another DC Comics film that critics eviscerated, where would that leave the DCU and DC Studios?
I guess we'll never know, or one would have to enter a pocket universe to find out.
With Superman poised to approach or perhaps even eclipse the $400 million global box office mark this weekend and currently sitting at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, DC Studios co-chief and director James Gunn is finally letting out a huge sigh of relief.
Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Gunn admitted that he now has a huge weight off his shoulders.
"I have a strange way of approaching work. When I'm working, when I'm filming or writing, I really don't feel pressure- I'm having fun, that's my relief valve. That's a relieving time for me. But then outside of that, yeah, I felt a lot of pressure. I mean, there was a lot riding on this," said Gunn on Superman's critical and financial reception from the public.
"When I feel pressure, the first pressure is from all the people that worked on this movie- the department heads and the actors that believe in it so much and Peter Safran, they all believed in this project so much. From the beginning, everyone was just wholeheartedly, 100% in and if it comes out and it's crap, that just sucks."
"Also, we have Craig Gillespie working on Supergirl, Chris, Damon and Tom working on Lanterns, and James with Clayface so there's all these other people, working on these other projects that could have been bolstered or hampered by this movie- and thank God, they've all been bolstered by it."
Superman officially hit theaters on July 11, launching the cinematic side of James Gunn’s reimagined DC Universe, and setting the tone for what’s to come.
Despite Blue Beetle being the first DCU character to hit cinema screens, Superman is widely recognized as the true start of this new era.
Early box office numbers are strong, with projections now climbing past $600 million globally. Some analysts even believe it could cross the $700 million mark by the end of its run. The film, formerly titled Superman: Legacy, is both written and directed by James Gunn, marking a fresh creative direction for the DCU.
David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent/Superman, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as a cunning Lex Luthor. The movie also introduces several other DC heroes: Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.
The supporting cast includes Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer, and Wendell Pierce as Perry White. Anthony Carrigan brings Metamorpho to life, while Milly Alcock surprises fans with a cameo as Supergirl.