With the formation of DC Studios, James Gunn elaborates on what will help set the DC Universe apart from the DCEU. Following a decade-long run with the DCEU movie timeline, the launch of DC Studios is set to give Warner Bros. Discovery a new chance at running an interconnected universe across the big and small screens. The DCU’s Chapter 1: “Gods and Monsters” will have plenty of heroes and villains coming to life, with more unannounced projects still in the makings that will expand the franchise.
DC Studios recently held a special event, for which ScreenRant was present, as Gunn and his fellow co-CEO Peter Safran spoke about the goals and ambitions of the DCU. After having seen how previous DC franchises did, it was important for Gunn and Safran to make DC Studios “a writer-driven organization and screenplay-driven company,” with the hopes of having the DCU running for as long as possible while stating the following:
James Gunn: As we said a couple of years ago, we’re completely a writer-driven organization and screenplay-driven company. We’re always going to put quality over quantity, and the first thing that drives us is making sure that we have a great script. This is a brand that’s endured 80-plus years and contains some of the greatest heroes and villains that the world has ever known. Maybe even the greatest.
Peter Safran: I would say the greatest! Why say maybe? It doesn’t need a qualifier.
James Gunn: Some of the greatest; the top 10 greatest. [An aside] Weasel is #5. [Laughs] Anyway, I grew up with these characters, as you know, and I love these characters. I feel indebted to the people that created them and the people that came before us. These are all characters that transcend language and belong, all across the world, to everyone.
One of the things people talk about is that, with all the films that we’re making, we’ve been really good at putting together so many films and TV shows over the past couple of years. Things have gone our way. I feel lucky, in a lot of ways, and blessed that we’ve had so many great writers turn over such great stuff. But that lineup is going to always be continually changing. So, if something isn’t coming together – if we get a screenplay that we’d like to make, but that isn’t good enough – we’re not going to make that. When we get another thing like Clayface that takes us by surprise, we’re going to go with that.
While time will tell how already-filmed films like Gunn’s Superman movie and other DCU projects that are in production will perform, the approach that DC Studios is taking is what the DC brand has needed for many years. Something that has become a big struggle in Hollywood with superhero films is studios having creative differences with the filmmakers, which has resulted in some comic book movies not connecting with audience members. That has also, unfortunately, affected how comic book films are performing at the box office.
In the case of Warner Bros. Discovery, the DC Films division, would choose to commit to announcing projects rather than putting the time and effort needed in the screenplays. That is why many DCEU films toward the franchise’s end had terrible results, as it became evident that there had been many rewrites and reshoots taking place. That is the last thing the DCU timeline needs, as it is better to have a script finished before they even commit to principal photography.
Our Take On DC’s Screenplay-First Approach
From everything Gunn stated about the creative direction for DC Studios, this is what the DCU franchise will benefit from as they become a new superhero cinematic universe. Allowing the DCU and any DC projects that are greenlit by DC Studios to thrive by having solid screenplays in place rather than just announcing titles that, in the end, never get produced will give DC a sense of harmony. Hopefully, as the DCU continues to go forward, Gunn’s word will become clearer across their films and TV shows.
DC Universe
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.