Several Hollywood celebrities react to James Gunn’s new job in DC movies and celebrate the important position of the Suicide Squad director.
With the announcement that James Gunn heads the DC Studios film slate, Hollywood has nothing but praise for the genre-bending director/producer. Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe began with Iron Man, the audience wondered if DC would follow suit with their own shared universe. After the success of The Avengersand the divisive response to The Dark Knight RisesWarner Bros. and DC felt it was the right time to launch their own universe, starting with Man of Steel. What should have been a surefire hit turned into a mess with the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and a series of films that largely undermined DC’s attempt to compete with Marvel.
Enter James Gunn who, after a brief feud with Disney and Marvel, took the reins in the DC movie The Suicide Squad. Serving as a standalone sequel to David Ayer’s film, the film has been critically acclaimed and some considered it one of the best DC movies produced. Although the film was not a box office success, it received enough support for a spin-off titled peacekeeper, which also scored critical acclaim and opened the door for Gunn’s future projects at DC. What started as a small project grew into something better when Gunn became the new head of the rebranded DC Studios.
Following the announcement, many of Gunn’s associates and frequent collaborators took to Twitter to express their approval of the decision. Among the Hollywood celebrities celebrating Gunn’s new job in DC movies are Michael Rosenbaum, Ben Schwartz, Kumail Nanjiani, and comic book writers Gail Simone and Jim Lee. Check out the tweets above:
What Gunn’s new job means for DC’s future
DC’s history with film is a tumultuous affair. Before 2013, most of DC’s film series consisted of Superman and Batman movies, but when the studio tried to get out of their comfort zone with movies like cat lady and Green Lanterntheir critical and commercial failures deterred the two from adapting another character for some time. Man of Steel was the push they needed to come out of their shells, but with frequent criticism directed at their lack of direction and rushed slate, it was unpredictable what their next step would be. DC then found themselves in hot water with the repercussions of Ray Fisher and the ill-treatment of Ezra Miller, leaving many wondering if they would ever get their act together.
With James Gunn in charge, audiences and fans alike can rest easy knowing that a comic book veteran is making the plans after gaining the trust of many for The Suicide Squad, and obviously those from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Although their current output is small, the public can expect a lot of great things, including the potential Man of Steel 2who is reportedly now looking for writers and Henry Cavill who recently returned in Black Adam. It’s currently unknown if Gunn plans to team up with Zack Snyder again, but with strong support from inside and outside the industry, it looks like DC Studios has a bright future ahead of it.
Sources: Various [See links above]
