James Gunn Reveals Major Problem DC Studios Won't Have as Zack Snyder Did
James Gunn is confident he and Peter Safran will not run into the same problems which Man of Steel director Zack Snyder ran into while working on moves based on DC Comics. Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League movies suffered in their theatrical forms due to changes mandated by Warner Bros. throughout their production. By the time it was released, Justice League had morphed into a near-entirely different film with a new director at the helm. However, this is not expected to happen, anymore. Gunn said he won't be running into any "studio interference," as Snyder did, now serving as the co-head of DC Studios.
"The position is different than it was with Zack, etc. Peter & I are the heads of DC Studios," Gunn told a fan on Mastodon. "The only studio interference would be from us!" Studio interference has long plagued DC Comics movies since Man of Steel attempted to launch a new big screen universe in 2013. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League would both see massive improvements when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice released its Ultimate Edition and Justice League got a re-release in the form of Zack Snyder's Justice League. 2016's Suicide Squad is said to have suffered from studio interference, with director David Ayer long-promising a very different, much better cut of the film also exists. Suicide Squad has not been given an opportunity to release Ayer's cut, though.
Gunn and Safran seem to be overhauling quite a bit within Warner Bros. Discovery when it comes to the DC Universe. The first major change, aside from the duo being appointed co-CEOs, came with Superman. Shortly after Henry Cavill returned to his role as Superman for a scene in Black Adam, Gunn revealed on Twitter that the role would be recast for new stories. It is unclear how much of the DC film world which was established by Snyder and other filmmakers which followed will remain as Gunn and Safran gear up to tell their story.
Snyder's remaining cast from when he was making a Justice League movie includes Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, and Jason Momoa as Aquaman. Affleck is expected to play Batman again in 2023 and has met with Gunn, expressing an interest in directing a future project. It is unclear if he will be the DC Universe's Batman beyond any already-filmed roles. Gadot's Wonder Woman 3 was recently scrapped, though Gunn claims in an Instagram comment that he has not "booted" her from the role. Momoa has Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom set to release next year but rumors point to the actor switching in a role as Lobo. Miller will lead The Flash next year. The future for the cast members remains unclear at this time as for as public knowledge is concerned.
What are you hoping to see from Gunn and Safran's DC Universe? Share your thoughts in the comment section or send them my way on Twitter.