SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Sets The Record Straight On Rumors The "Studio" Is Unhappy With Trailer

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Sets The Record Straight On Rumors The "Studio" Is Unhappy With Trailer

Superman director and DC Studios boss James Gunn has weighed in on claims "the studio" is unhappy with the movie's teaser trailer making it clear yet again that Warner Bros. is basically a non-factor.

By JoshWilding - Nov 28, 2024 04:11 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman

Yesterday, "Writer. Columnist. Filmmaker" Dan Marcus claimed to have learned that there's "enormous pressure" from Warner Bros. for the Superman teaser trailer to be "received well."

He'd claim that multiple versions have been presented to "the studio," only for them to be left wanting more. Pushed for clarification, he'd claim that "the trailer editor showed a cut to Michael De Luca from Warner Bros. for approval and was met with 'Make it better.'"

Anyone who knows anything about how marketing campaigns like this work will be aware that it's perfectly normal for a studio to create several cuts of a trailer; some will be more spoilery than others, for example, and each will have a different look and feel as executives attempt to figure out how best to promote an upcoming blockbuster. 

DC Studios co-CEO and Superman writer/director James Gunn was asked about the rumour on Threads and, after acknowledging that it's "sort of" true, he explained just how off base this rumour is (in fairness, Marcus told his followers to take what he was saying with a "grain of salt" and said it was "just what I’ve heard"). 

"When he says 'studio' that’s solely me, as the only studio involved in cutting or anything to do with the trailer is DC Studios i.e. me & Peter (& I’m the creatively demanding one)," he explained.

"This is the exact same rigorous process I’ve gone through cutting every Guardians trailer, pushing the marketing folks as hard as I can, cutting & recutting until I think we have something worthy of the film itself."

Gunn added, "All that said, my notes are a lot more specific than 'make it better.'"

Based on the filmmaker's comments, it's fair to say Marcus either got the wrong end of the stick or was making an educated guess. As Gunn has repeatedly said, DC Studios is its own entity - the source of this rumour also incorrectly stated that they have no marketing team - so any suggestion there's unhappiness from "the studio" is, well, nonsense. 

You can read Gunn's comments, along with an update on plans for Superman's posters, in the Threads posts below. 

Superman tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.

David Corenswet is playing the Man of Steel, while Rachel Brosnahan has been tapped to star as Lois Lane.

The cast includes Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, and Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer.

Supporting characters include Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Pruitt Taylor Vince as Pa Kent, Neva Howell as Ma Kent, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant, Christopher MacDonald as Ron Troupe, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Milly Alcock as Supergirl.

Superman is currently set to be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.

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bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 11/28/2024, 4:23 AM
Guess I was right in the other article. By now people should know that when they "hear" something about something Gunn is working on, it should only be coming from Gunn right?
blackiron777
blackiron777 - 11/28/2024, 4:33 AM
mhmmm I have been cautiously optimistic about Gunn taking over the DC universe. While I did enjoy his Suicide Squad movie, I have just finished watching Peacemaker Season 1 and honestly I pray to the high heavens Gunn can evolve as a screenwriter away from dialogue that sounds like it was written by a 15 year old boy.

one thing I will give Gunn though is he knows how to hit those emotional beats, but his style of humor just gets in the way to much for me and I found myself wanting to stop watching the show.

From his set designs to the costumes it feels like his DC universe will be a version of Kick Ass or that movie Mystery men. His DC material feels like it's meant to be taken serious, but is also a parody at the same time
it's kinda hard to explain.

I'll still give Gunn a chance though
User Comment Image


Typhoon20
Typhoon20 - 11/28/2024, 7:02 AM
@blackiron777 - He's a one trick pony. Give him a comedy and he will knock it out of the park. The humor is childish yes but I enjoyed SS and peacemaker. Probably more than GOTG. It's forgettable enjoyable cheesiness.

But Superman isn't a comedy. And Superman is also quite boring sorry to say.

One thing Gunn does well is he knows what the critics like. He knows those beats. This will probably be a high 70s low 80s film. I don't think it will be outright bad.
Comicmoviejunki
Comicmoviejunki - 11/28/2024, 9:07 AM
@blackiron777 - all his movies suck.They are for the young and/or immature audience. The type to like corny dick jokes and twisted shit.
Humperdink
Humperdink - 11/28/2024, 2:39 PM
@Typhoon20 -

But Superman isn't a comedy. And Superman is also quite boring sorry to say.


Superman (1978) was incredibly comical and it's the best Superman film in my opinion. I think comedy is fine with a Superman film, provided it is balanced and I think Gunn's able to do that.

Superman isn't even boring. Especially in the right hands. If you lack imagination any superhero film can become that.

The recent set of Superman films were so dour, gray and joyless, I think it left people desperate for a shift in tone.
Urubrodi
Urubrodi - 11/28/2024, 4:35 AM
This is the sort of thing that is worth of Gunn adressing, unlike most of his back and forths with random users. In this instance I'm glad he said something about it.
GiverOfInfo
GiverOfInfo - 11/28/2024, 4:51 AM
IN GUNN WE TRUST!!!!!!

Golly Bob Howdy, I knew everything was fine.... Gunn is going to do great. I can't wait to see the trailer.

If Gunn is happy with it, then I trust his judgment. He hasn't let me down on anything he has made yet.
Urubrodi
Urubrodi - 11/28/2024, 5:02 AM
@GiverOfInfo - I don't see Gunn as the Messiah like some people, but he's probably one of the best choices DC could have made at that point. Looking forward to see what he'll do with Superman. Not gonna lie that some decisions made for the DCU has made me a bit worried (e.g. the Authority and basically a Justice League in Superman, grounded take on Green Latern with an old Hal, random selection of projects for a universe that's jsut starting...). But hoping for the best.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 11/28/2024, 4:52 AM
User Comment Image

My notes would have been “make it way way way way way way way way way better”…

I guess Gunn doesn’t care enough 😁.
MR
MR - 11/28/2024, 5:12 AM
Of course it wasn’t true. This isn’t even news. When are the people behind this website gonna grow up?
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 11/28/2024, 5:17 AM
@MR - not just them but some of the people in the comments section need to grow up too

They started taking that rumor as fact.
RolandD
RolandD - 11/28/2024, 8:30 AM
@TheVisionary25 - We called it, didn’t we?
MR
MR - 11/28/2024, 8:51 AM
@TheVisionary25 - it’s just click bait so that they get the Google clicks $$. I’m 100% certain there will be another sensational rumour in about an hour from now. I say just ignore the next one.
vegetaray
vegetaray - 11/28/2024, 8:52 AM
@MR - Have to get those click numbers up. Poke the Snyder cult into their -SEE! WE TOLD EVERYONE GUNN IS BAD~ mode, or posting some BS political angle that will get people worked up…Seem to be to go to around these parts nowadays.
MR
MR - 11/28/2024, 9:41 AM
@vegetaray - indeed. The mission it seems is to actually NOT support comic book movies. It’s like being a politician actually - sow division, keep voters at each other’s throats and reap the benefits. There is no “rising tides lifts every ship” philosophy on here.
krayzeman
krayzeman - 11/28/2024, 11:00 AM
@MR - oh my goodness! This a million times over! They need the engagement so back that as soon as they get any inkling of a “rumor” they got to publish it to get folks riled up! I guess I’m feeding into it too because I’m commenting on your post! Siiiiigh
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 11/28/2024, 5:13 AM
So in other words, CBMRumor.com made another fuss over nothing??
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 11/28/2024, 5:25 AM
Why doesn't he edit it himself?

Sounds like damage control 😂
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 11/28/2024, 7:03 AM
@BraveNewClunge - I thought that's what he said he does in his tweets....
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 11/28/2024, 7:18 AM
@lazlodaytona 'pushing the marketing folks as hard as I can, cutting & recutting until I think we have something worthy of the film itself'

He is clearly using a marketing team to cut and edit the trailer


'All that said, my notes are a lot more specific than “make it better.”'

Do you think he's giving notes to himself?

I get that you lot worship him but it's right there in plain English 😂😅
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 11/28/2024, 7:44 AM
@BraveNewClunge - You're inferring the whole quote as speaking about the marketing team solely. He's clearly heavily involved, from what I gathered from the quotes.
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 11/28/2024, 7:58 AM
@MosquitoFarmer - i never said he wasn't heavily involved but he's clearly using a team. Like if he's such a perfectionist why doesn't he just do it himself?
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 11/28/2024, 8:20 AM
@BraveNewClunge - You act like a director doesn't utilize a team...
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 11/28/2024, 8:27 AM
@MosquitoFarmer - nope, I know many do. However, if it's a teaser and he is so 'creatively demanding' why doesn't he simply cut it himself and save some marketing money 😅😂
RolandD
RolandD - 11/28/2024, 8:31 AM
@lazlodaytona - I believe he said that about the movie, not a trailer.
RolandD
RolandD - 11/28/2024, 8:34 AM
@BraveNewClunge-You do realize he’s more than just the director of this movie, right?
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 11/28/2024, 8:36 AM
@BraveNewClunge - Because like the majority of directors, he appreciated the collaboration. You've taken such a wild assumption about this.
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 11/28/2024, 8:50 AM
@RolandD - I'm sure everyone knows that already. 😮‍💨😉
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 11/28/2024, 8:51 AM
@MosquitoFarmer - i haven't assumed anything, I said why doesn't he cut it himself as he's so 'creatively demanding'.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 11/28/2024, 10:18 AM
@BraveNewClunge - by that metric, why doesn't he do EVERYTHING himself?

Including playing all the parts...
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 11/28/2024, 10:46 AM
@UltimaRex - that literally makes no sense 😅😂 try again.😮‍💨
newhire13
newhire13 - 11/28/2024, 11:19 AM
@BraveNewClunge - Because he’s busy editing the movie genius (between other prep work for various projects.) That’s the beauty of having a marketing department, their ability to work on the marketing.
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 11/28/2024, 11:38 AM
@newhire13 - no shit sherlock 😮‍💨 but if the marketing team keep getting wrong he could literally help out. You gunn lovers act like he can't do more than 1 thing at once when he has proven otherwise.

You lot have your knickers in a twist over a simple question based off of his words on how he is the 'creatively demanding' one.🥴
ImNotaBot
ImNotaBot - 11/28/2024, 12:12 PM
@BraveNewClunge - because he's the director of the movie and not the whole marketing team. i work with video editiong and motion graphics and a year ago i got to work in the marketing team for a movie trailer and that is HEAVY work.

We started to work in the trailer soon after the director of the movie started post production and it took months to get into the final version of the trailer. We constantly got notes from both the heads of the marketing team and the director.

If Gunn just "edit it himself", the trailer will come out in mid 2025 and the movie in late 2026. Also if he works alone in the first trailer, he'll prob have to do all the post trailers and clips for the movie and that is more heavy work to be done.
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 11/28/2024, 12:36 PM
@ImNotaBot - I'm glad you're in the know, but I didn't mean Gunn alone in a room by himself.

The way he explains it is like they have brought him something and he isn't happy with so sent them back to get it right. He also makes it sound like he's right there with them, so if he is indeed right there with them why doesn't he just edit it with them until he is satisfied. Also is it a teaser or a fully fledged trailer?.. because the MOS trailer was nothing complicated.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 11/29/2024, 10:35 AM
@BraveNewClunge - of course it makes no sense, it's the "logical" conclusion of what you just said.

So the one who needs to "try again" is you.
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 11/29/2024, 11:48 AM
@UltimaRex - so the director of a movie who has experience in cutting and editing every movie and trailer he works on should now play every part in that movie because I said why doesn't he do it himself?

Play every part in a movie and being in the editing process is the same to you?

Lmao you really need to try again 😫😮‍💨
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 12/1/2024, 4:37 PM
@BraveNewClunge - it's what you sound like. If Gunn starts cutting his own trailers then where does that end?

Posters?
Acting?
Craft?

The man is knee deep in post.
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 12/1/2024, 6:00 PM
@UltimaRex - he literally said he's cutting it with them 😮‍💨 he probably helps out then leaves notes and then is presented with the final trailer. I only suggested he sees the whole process through rather than waiting for marketing to do it as he is the creative demanding one.
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