Creature Commandos has proven itself a strong start to the new DCU, though it's Superman that will be make or break for DC Studios and its reboot of the DC Extended Universe.
James Gunn's approach to starting afresh has raised plenty of eyebrows, particularly as it's not exactly a full reboot. While he's recasting characters like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, several actors from Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad will reprise their roles. Jason Momoa, meanwhile, is ditching Aquaman's trunks and is set to rev into action as Lobo.
During a recent interview with Screen Brief, Gunn was asked how he plans to live up to fan expectations when it comes to the DCU's take on new and familiar DC characters.
The Superman writer and director talked in detail about the challenge of trying to make everyone happy, particularly when these heroes and villains have been portrayed in so many different ways over the years (meaning a large percentage of comic book fans have very specific hopes and desires for them).
"The biggest challenge is that everyone in the world knows who Superman is and where he came from. Some of that’s a benefit, like we don’t go into origin stories in this. Practically everybody knows that Clark Kent came here in a rocket as a baby, sent by his Kryptonian parents, and a farm couple adopted him. So, we don’t have to go through all that. That’s a benefit, in a way."
"But also, so many people in this world are so intimately attached to Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman—The Big Three. They have specific ideas about what that character is to them."
"Most people have come up to me and said, 'I never really related to Superman because he’s just too powerful. I relate to Batman because he’s like the underdog.' So that’s something I took into account from the beginning, that a lot of people don’t relate to him. I think it’s a little bit to do with how we see him at the beginning of the trailer, and the beginning of the movie, too."
"And other people like Superman because he can punch planets in half. So you’ve got to deal with all these different people who have different ideas of what Superman is supposed to be. And you have to deal with all of them and hopefully people are able to go and say, 'Well, okay, I like my idea what Superman is. Let’s see what this idea of Superman is. Let’s, let’s sit down for two hours and watch this movie and see what it is.'"
"That’s what you’ve got to do with the DCU, because things are going to keep changing and evolving. A lot of people keep telling me, 'Oh my god, you made this trailer just for me! I can’t believe it!' And you know, other people are going to feel differently about it, but they can still enjoy the story and enjoy how our view of Superman is, or whatever other DC character there is."
We can't fault anything Gunn is saying here and it sounds like he's taking the best possible approach to bringing these characters to life on screen. Inevitably, not everyone will be happy but the filmmaker clearly hopes to even find a way to satisfy even them.
Superman, DC Studios' first feature film to hit the big screen, is set to soar into theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures. In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind.
The movie arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.