While James Gunn found success prior to Guardians of the Galaxy, that was the movie which put the filmmaker on the map. He followed the 2014 release with a sequel before making the leap to Warner Bros. to helm The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker after briefly parting ways with Disney and Marvel Studios.
Now, as he does the round to promote Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Gunn has teased his future as both DC Studios co-CEO and Superman: Legacy's director.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn explained how going from a filmmaker on the fringes of Hollywood to a bona fide A-Lister and studio boss has influenced what he's bringing to the table for this new take on the Man of Tomorrow.
"I completely relate to Superman because he’s everything I am," he says. "He’s somebody who is an outsider who feels like an alien, but also the ultimate insider, because he’s [frick]ing Superman. And that’s kind of like what I feel like."
"It’s easier to take a character nobody knows, like the Guardians, or Peacemaker, and then do whatever you want with them," Gunn continued. "People in every single country in the world know the story of Superman."
He admits to turning down a Superman movie in 2018 for that very reason and went on to share some insights into what he now has planned for the character. The trade confirms Superman: Legacy won't be a comedy and Gunn has no plans to make Clark Kent one of the quirky characters he's known for; instead, he wants to make a truly sincere superhero movie.
"How can I make it different from the Superman movies that have been made so far, but also have it respect all the Superman movies that have been made so far?" he asks. "So it just took me some time to try to figure it out."
Now that's been figured out, Gunn is in the process of casting the movie before shooting begins next January.
Superman: Legacy is set to be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.