Warner Bros. Bosses Say James Gunn "Understood The Assignment" With SUPERMAN; Talk Involvement With DC Studios

Warner Bros. Bosses Say James Gunn "Understood The Assignment" With SUPERMAN; Talk Involvement With DC Studios

Warner Bros. Pictures co-chiefs Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca have praised James Gunn's Superman, claiming that the filmmaker "understood the assignment" when it came to rebooting DC's Man of Tomorrow...

By JoshWilding - May 06, 2025 05:05 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman
Source: The Wrap

There's a lot of excitement and intrigue surrounding James Gunn's Superman, the movie that will launch DC Studios' DCU. Fans remain eager for a new trailer (despite recently getting a 5-minute sneak peek and featurette), and it's rumoured to drop later this month. 

DC Studios is separate from Warner Bros. in the same way that Marvel Studios largely stands apart from Disney.  However, studio heads Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca still have their finger on the pulse, and told SmartLess hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes that they've seen an early cut of the reboot. 

"I used to chase James as a producer when he did 'Slither' and started with his low-budget movies," Mike De Luca explained. "He’s really unique and I think DC is in great hands with the two of them."

"We’ve seen an early cut of 'Superman,' and I don’t want to bury the lead, there’s a lot of marketing about to roll out ahead of its release, but he really understood the assignment," the executive continued. "His heart’s in the right place, his aim is true, and we’re really excited about their new version of DC."

His fellow co-Warner Bros. Pictures Chairman, Pam Abdy, added, "Yeah, James is great."

De Luca went on to explain that DC Studios does indeed bypass them, reporting directly to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. He and Abdy have been criticised for their handling of the DC brand, specifically Joker: Folie à Deux, an overpriced box office flop. 

"We actually have to stipulate: DC reports directly to David Zaslav, we don’t oversee it, but we were big supporters of Peter and James taking the job," he confirmed. "Our advice when we were asked was it doesn’t need another career executive, it needs a storyteller in charge."

"We were really impressed with Pixar — they brought Pete Docter, who’s a filmmaker in from the field, to be chief content officer and preside over their slate of movies," De Luca concluded. 

How much stock should we put into this praise? Hands-off with Superman or not, they also report to Zaslav, so they're bound to say the right things on behalf of Warner Bros. Even so, it's hard to imagine them being this positive about the movie unless they truly believe it's something special.

You can hear more from De Luca and Abdy in the player below. 

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 stars David Corenswet in the dual role of Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.

Also appearing are Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Neva Howell, and Milly Alcock.

Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.

SUPERMAN Is Downed By Kryptonite And Fights Ultraman In Epic New TV Spots For First DCU Movie
Related:

SUPERMAN Is Downed By Kryptonite And Fights Ultraman In Epic New TV Spots For First DCU Movie

Watch The Highlights Of The SUPERMAN Manila Press Tour; James Gunn Shares Inside Look At The T-Craft
Recommended For You:

Watch The Highlights Of The SUPERMAN Manila Press Tour; James Gunn Shares Inside Look At The T-Craft

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

1 2
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 5/6/2025, 5:14 AM
"it doesn’t need another career executive, it needs a storyteller in charge"

Marvel, take note. Your desperation ends with this advice
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 5/6/2025, 5:16 AM
#InGunnWeTrust

#DesperateMarvel
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 5/6/2025, 5:18 AM
I really hope this does well at the box office. DC and the genre as a whole need a win.
dragon316
dragon316 - 5/6/2025, 8:08 AM
@TheJok3r - depends on people who want to see it thunderbolts and transformers one have goodd reviews fighting stay alive transformers lost thunderbolts still fighting
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 5/6/2025, 5:21 AM
Honestly, it's not really reassuring that studio execs say a filmmaker understands the assignment, considering it often feels like they want the opposite of something creative.
MrRossBot
MrRossBot - 5/6/2025, 6:58 AM
@bkmeijer1 - I’ll say this in response to your assessment: these two aren’t the typical executives. They’re film nerds and lovers of the medium. They get it. They’ve somehow, in their respective careers, found a solid balance between corporate and creative. You should listen to the episode! Very good!
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 5/6/2025, 7:31 AM
@MrRossBot - alright, thanks for the clarification. I might give it a listen. Bateman and Arnett are already pretty funny too
MrRossBot
MrRossBot - 5/8/2025, 12:36 AM
@bkmeijer1 - Nice! Hope you dig it!
JurassicClunge
JurassicClunge - 5/6/2025, 6:01 AM
WB need to stop prasing directors before the movies are released 😮‍💨

People still laugh at the standing ovation comments 🤣😅

1 2

Please log in to post comments.

Don't have an account?
Please Register.

View Recorder