DCU Boss Wants the MCU To Do Well & Admits DC Lost Fans’ Trust

The premiere of DC’s Superman last summer seemed to turn a new page for the studio, showing the world the direction that James Gunn and Peter Safran, who runs DC Studios alongside him, were taking the stories held under their IP. While Superman will always be iconic for his small-town boy charm and intrinsic sense of justice, there was something even more earnest to the Man of Steel that we were introduced to in this newest iteration. And his cousin, Supergirl, or Kara Zor-El, held a twisted mirror up to that earnestness, being a much more reluctant hero than Clark ever was.

And it’s in these two newest films that Safran hopes the studio can “get back on track.” And while critics found themselves divided in their ratings of Supergirl, it had less to do with the story or the acting and more to do with what they considered disappointing action sequences. But it’s been DC’s inconsistent handling of characters as a whole over the last decade that has fans still skeptical about whether the studio will ever do their favorites justice. Speaking with BBC Newsbeat, Safran said, “I want to rebuild the trust of the audience, which I think DC had lost over the years.” And when asked what he thought about DC and Marvel being held in perpetual competition, he added, “That which unites comic book fans is much greater than that which divides us.”

Is There Hope For DC To Build Back That Lost Trust?

Both Safran and Gunn would like to think so as they move forward with stories they believe will finally bring all the IP together “under one creative vision.” And it’s no secret that fans have been less than impressed with the portrayal of the characters we’ve seen in recent years, which has felt like a random grab bag of personality traits and tropes. With both Superman and Supergirl having just been released and Clayface on the horizon, Safran thinks the studio is setting itself up for success—but, more importantly, setting fans up for something they can really enjoy. He elaborated, saying, “We have a big responsibility on our shoulders, but we’re thrilled with how it’s going so far.”

As of right now, fans are divided on whether or not they believe in what Gunn is doing with the IP. With Supergirl‘s less-than-stellar performance with critics, they’re less inclined now than they were last year to truly buy into the vision. But the truth is that it’s next year’s Man of Tomorrow that will likely be the deciding factor for a lot of the fandom. Some say that the damage from prior studio heads can’t be undone, while others caution the fandom at large to let the new leadership get their feet under them. At the end of the day, though, Gunn and Safran have a vision, and it’s one worth getting excited about as they bring together characters that never necessarily got their proper due.

What are your thoughts on the direction that Gunn and Safran are taking with DC Studios? Are you vibing on their creative direction? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other DC fans are saying.

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