There's a new shared universe in town, as DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn launched Gods and Monsters with the first few projects of the newly formed DCU. Superman performed well at the box office, and the public is curious about how many upcoming DC movies we should expect to see David Corenswet's Clark Kent in. Now the director/producer/writer has offered an idea, and it might be surprising how far he's looking ahead.
Fans who spent years watching the DC Movies in order are being treated to a new vision, with Gunn already connecting TV and movie projects in interesting ways. During a recent appearance on The Viall Files with Nick Viall to promote Peacemaker Season 2 (streaming now with a Max subscription), he shared a look into his creative process with Superman, saying:
I am like thinking, ‘What is the long-term story I’m telling here? What is the story that I'm gonna tell about Superman over four movies?'
Well, I'm psyched. James Gunn has proven himself in this genre time and time again, including the moving story of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. That was three movies and a holiday special, so four might be the magic number to both that Marvel property and and DC's Superman. Give us more information, Mr. Gunn!
I was impressed by how much world-building as done during Superman, including having other heroes like Green Lantern involved in the narrative. It feels like he could take Superman's story just about anywhere across four movies, so the future is looking particularly bright.
Of course, it's possible that this four-movie story might not all be Superman titles specifically. Maybe he's including any crossovers that might happen as well. It seems like the Justice League will be formed eventually... even if they're a mess currently and called the Justice Gang. Only time will tell, but it's exciting to hear how James Gunn is noodling around big picture ideas for the Man of Steel.
Clark Kent went through an emotionally challenging journey throughout Superman, trying to uphold his values and help people while being involved in a global conflict and targeted by Lex Luthor. He also finds out that his birth parents sent him to Earth to conquer it, shattering his ideas of those late Kryptonians. It was a fascinating meditation on the beloved DC hero, and the complications of trying to help people. After all, no good deed goes unpunished.
Superman is in theaters still in theaters as part of the 2025 movie release list, and Peacemaker Season 2 airs new episodes Thursdays on HBO Max. While John Cena cameod in the blockbuster, I'm hoping to see these to characters actually interact sometime in the future. Maybe that's part of Gunn's four-movie plan.
