Gunn particularly dislikes superhero films with third acts that have “no rhyme or reason.”
Superhero fatigue is definitely real for many moviegoers. Years of seemingly non-stop projects being churned out by Marvel and DC have burnt a lot of fans out on the superhero genre, especially when many of these projects feel less inspired than the heights of Avengers: Endgame or The Dark Knight. Even James Gunn, who’s now in charge of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, admits there’s just too much superhero content out there nowadays, but he still believes in a bright future for the over-saturated genre with the right approach. Speaking on an episode of the Inside of You podcast, Gunn gave assurances that the DC film and television slate won’t go overboard with new content and derided stories that didn’t try to differentiate themselves from a generic superhero tale.
Along with Safran, Gunn already has a loaded slate planned out for the future of DC under their guidance, including plenty of films like Superman: Legacy and The Brave and the Bold as well as television series like Creature Commandos, Booster Gold, and Waller among other things. There is a lot on the docket, but it’s also spread out as part of a ten-year plan for DC to get back on track. Gunn assured that DC Studios was not going to over-extend itself and over-saturate the market with mediocre superhero content. “We’re going to be very careful with the product that we put out and making sure everything is as good as it can possibly be,” he said.
The main thing he wants DC to avoid, however, is making superhero movies without any reason other superhero movies are popular. He personally finds that the lack of creativity is what ultimately burns people out on these types of stories, adding:
“People have gotten really lazy with their superhero stories. And they have gotten to the place where, ‘Oh, it’s a superhero, let’s make a movie about it.’ And then, ‘Oh, let’s make a sequel, because the first one did pretty well,’ and they aren’t thinking about, ‘Why is this story special? What makes this story stand apart from other stories? What is the story at the heart of it all? Why is this character important? What makes this story different that it fills a need for people in theaters to go see?”
Weak Third Acts With “No Rhyme or Reason” Particularly Frustrate Gunn
Where superhero films really end up losing Gunn are with tepid third acts that don’t hit the heights expected of the genre or that don’t pay off the characters’ arcs in any meaningful way. “People have gotten a little lazy and there’s a lot of biff, pow, bam stuff happening in movies, and I’m watching third acts of superhero films where I really just don’t feel like there’s a rhyme or reason to what’s happening,” he continued. “I don’t care about the characters. And they’ve gotten too generic.” Gunn’s no stranger to creating characters that fans care deeply about. The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy has become one of Marvel’s best-performing and best-received IPs due to how much care is put into his found family of misfits. Not to mention, the films never seem to fall flat in the third act, delivering emotional punches that satisfyingly wrap up the arcs of Star-Lord and company.
Superhero Stories Need to Embrace Other Genres, Says Gunn
In terms of how to create more films that touch audiences in a meaningful way, Gunn says it starts by embracing other genres. Superheroes are not necessarily a genre, but a vehicle to explore other genres whether that be action, comedy, horror, or a mix. They should never fall into “this sort of middle-of-the-road type of genre and tone that so many superhero movies have,” Gunn says, but instead employ some creativity by telling interesting stories through the lens of superheroes:
“I like very serious superhero movies, and I like very comedic superhero movies. I like ones that are a murder mystery but it’s with superheroes. I like to see these different types of stories, as opposed to seeing the same story told over and over again.”
In terms of what superhero stories have found success of late, Gunn isn’t wrong. Secret Invasion, Marvel’s new gritty Cold War espionage story with a very human look at Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), has resonated with audiences far more than many of Marvel’s other recent projects. Matt Reeves‘s The Batman was also a success for embracing its darkness, making a more mature Batman film that fans loved and Gunn rightly invested in as part of the Elseworlds strategy. Meanwhile, Gunn’s own series Peacemaker is beloved for its comedy centered on John Cena. That’s without mentioning the unbridled creativity, artistry, and heart thrown into the animated Spider-Verse films. All of those projects embraced their own identity rather than the generic superhero umbrella. It’s that same variety that can be seen throughout the entire DC slate Gunn and Safran crafted and gives some hope that the studio will be far better off with them at the head.
Time will tell if Gunn and Safran’s DC slate turns out better than the last generation of films and television, but they seem to be on the path to success. The next film they currently have on the docket is Blue Beetle which releases on August 18. In the meantime, check out Gunn’s appearance on Inside of You below.
