James Gunn claims that his blueprint for the DC Universe is more planned out than the original Marvel Cinematic Universe. The filmmaker/producer will exclusively work on the DCU after he ends his stint with Marvel Studios following Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Before the threequel hits theaters, however, he has already announced the first batch of projects coming out from this new era of the DCU, under the guidance of him and co-CEO of DC Studios, Peter Safran.
Called DCU’s Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, Gunn announced a total of 10 projects, both on the small and big screen, for the franchise. In light of that, he also revealed that DC Studios’ plan for the initial era of the universe is more planned than Kevin Feige’s original MCU vision. Read his full quote below:
We’re coming into a world where superheroes exist and have existed for some time in one form or another, and that’s the universe. And so we are telling a big, huge central story. Except for, I think, we’re a lot more planned out than Marvel from the beginning, because we’ve gotten a group of writers together to work that story out completely.
Why MCU Phase 1 Didn’t Have A Concrete Plan (But Still Succeeded)
The beginning of the MCU has somewhat become a legend in Hollywood considering how big of a risk it was. Luckily for them, Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau’s Iron Man succeeded, despite countless hurdles, allowing the franchise to continue beyond its first film. Despite the uncertainties, however, Feige’s faith in his vision was what really carried the MCU through its first few years.
While Iron Man ended with the promise of the Avengers assembling, subsequent films like The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2 weren’t exactly crowd favorites. Despite that, Marvel Studios still moved forward, making necessary adjustments, while not veering too far away from whatever blueprint they had. In reality, the MCU’s success didn’t really become clear until The Avengers, which was both a critical darling and a box office juggernaut.
Until now, Feige claims that there’s really no secret to the MCU’s success. While they like planning things ahead, they’re also not beholden to that narrative in case a better idea comes along. This makes it easier for them to adapt to potential changes. Only time will tell if Gunn’s approach to the DC Universe will finally result in a sustainable franchise. His time working in the Marvel Cinematic Universe could be a big help in making sure that his new endeavor finally succeeds, however, as it has given him ideas for building a successful interconnected universe.