The DCU Is About to Make the Same Mistake James Gunn Did On His Way Out of the MCU

The DC Universe is on cloud nine right now. Kicking things off with Creature Commandos felt like a strange choice at the time, as it wasn’t a project that had much juice. However, James Gunn knew what he was doing. Creature Commandos sets the tone for the entire DCU, showing how characters’ faults are what make them great. That theme carries over into Superman, which takes a different approach than its predecessors by making its titular hero vulnerable. In fact, the movie makes the bold choice to have Superman begin his career in the DCU with a loss, taking a beating from the Hammer of Boravia before gaining control of the situation in Metropolis.

Of course, Gunn is no stranger to having his characters struggle. The Guardians of the Galaxy films are all about a group of characters who can’t do anything right. But through the power of self-reflection, they all learn that they can do more good than harm and even save the entire galaxy from destruction. The Guardians films are some of the best the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to offer, but just like the characters that lead them, they are far from perfect. The last one, in particular, takes things a bit too far in one department, and the DCU is about to head down the same road.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Refuses to Pull Its Punches

The members of the titular team are having a rough go of it at the start of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In Avengers: Infinity War, they lost their moral compass, Gamora, who died as part of Thanos’ quest for the Infinity Stones. Most of them were dusted for five years after that, returning in the middle of a major conflict that introduced them to a new Gamora that wasn’t nearly as friendly as the one they knew. Returning to Knowhere was supposed to give the Guardians a fresh start, but it ends up creating more tragedy. An attack by Adam Warlock leaves Rocket fighting for his life, which is sad enough on its own. However, that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

As Rocket clings to life, he starts to see visions of his past. They reveal that he was a raccoon from Earth that a being known as the High Evolutionary took and experimented on. Fortunately, Rocket wasn’t alone, making friends with a few other animals that were in the same boat. The group spent their time fantasizing about what they would do once they were free, but the High Evolutionary didn’t care about any of that. He was threatened by Rocket’s intelligence and ended up killing all of his friends during an escape attempt. While moments with that level of emotion are staples of Gunn’s work, it’s hard to watch animals suffer, making Vol. 3 arguably the MCU’s least rewatchable movie. Now, a DCU movie is about to suffer the same fate because Gunn promises that it’s every bit as emotional as his final Marvel Studios project.

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Supergirl Is About to One-Up Vol. 3

Since Gunn loves animals so much, it’s no surprise that the DCU has its own mascot. Krypto is by Superman’s side throughout the 2025 movie, helping him defeat Lex Luthor and save the world. However, the Superdog doesn’t get off easy, getting hurt when Luthor’s cronies break into the Fortress of Solitude. And that moment was almost worse because, at one point, Superman featured a scene where Ultraman punched Krypto. After test audiences reacted negatively to the scene, it was removed. But Krypto is about to find himself in a tough spot once again in Supergirl.

The first trailer for Craig Gillespie’s upcoming film shows Krypto looking a bit down, with Kara Zor-El sitting next to him, appearing concerned. Supergirl is adapting the popular Tom King comic book Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which sees Krpyto get hit with a poison arrow. If that part of the story comes to the big screen, then Krypto is in real danger, and, just like Peter Quill in Vol. 3, Kara is going to make it her mission to save him. That sure sounds like an interesting story, but based on Gunn’s past, it might go too far and make Supergirl a tough watch. While the DCU has earned a bit of leeway, it’s about to ask a lot of its audience.

Supergirl hits theaters on June 26, 2026.

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