“It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. And it killed them.”
James Gunn's words—caught mid‑interview—were sharp. In Rolling Stone, he said Disney's mandate to flood Marvel's slate with content “killed them”. But on Threads, he clarified: he didn't mean Marvel was finished—more that the creative pipeline was overwhelmed by commerce . It's nuanced: Marvel isn't dead, just wounded.
The Marvel slow‑down: a new era?
Gunn doesn't blame Marvel artists; he points at corporate pressure. Under Chapek, quantity trumped quality. Now with Bob Iger, Disney is dialing back exclusives for Disney+. Gunn applauds that reset, believing fewer, stronger projects could revitalize the MCU's pulse.
DC's counter‑proposal: “screenplay first”
Once a Marvel insider, now DC co‑chair, Gunn is taking no chances. He's axed greenlit DCU projects lacking a finished script—even entering production with no script? Not on his watch. That mindset underscores DC's debut: master quality over speed—even if it means losing out on some early hype.
Superman as manifesto
All this leads to Superman—the first salvo in Gunn's DCU, landing July 11, 2025. This film is a trial run—not just a blockbuster debut, but a tonal argument. Audiences crave substance, not saturation. And with David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan front‑and‑center, he's betting Superman can prove that disciplined storytelling trumps franchise fatigue.
More than a movie: industry pulse-check
We're watching a shift. The MCU's plateau isn't a flash in the pan—it's part of a larger recalibration across studios, streaming services, and franchises. Gunn's candid take lets us see the fault lines: rushed content kills cultural momentum. Now comes the test—will Superman fly because of its restraint, or despite it?
Final thought
I'm torn. Gunn's disdain for corporate mandates has truth. But script‑first doesn't guarantee magic. You could craft a perfect screenplay that still misfires. Yet, this feels right: quality over quantity, soul over saturation. If Superman soars on July 11, it won't be just because it's DC's reset—it'll be Gunn proving his blueprint.
