For fans, Marvel vs DC is an important question, but James Gunn’s new role proves that both the DC and Marvel studios need each other to grow.
Marvel vs DC may be the loudest debate in entertainment right now, but James Gunn’s new role makes it clear that the competition is firmly in the minds of fans and not in the studios. James Gunn has been getting stronger with superhero movies. Proves his ability to write and direct low budget projects like 2010’s Super and bring together super teams for both the MCU and DCU like Guardians of the Universe and The Suicide SquadGunn is an expert storyteller. Although there was a brief stint when Gunn was fired from Marvel Studios, his career continued to thrive and he was hired by Warner Bros. picked up to work on their DCU.
James Gunn proved his worth and was also approved to develop a spin-off series from The Suicide Squad, peacekeeper which quickly became a critical success factor. Now, just months before the release of Gunn’s latest MCU collaboration, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, his new role as co-chair and co-CEO of DC Studios has just been announced with universal approval and praise. Gunn has worked in prominent positions for both Marvel and DC and was in a unique position to influence the continued direction of both universes. All this proves that behind the scenes Marvel vs. DC is not an argument made by anyone in the industry.
The example of James Gunn proves that Marvel vs. DC is not real
There are obvious differences between the DCU and the MCU, from their tones and focus, the story choices and the source material. But there’s also a lot of things they have in common, a focus on heroes and inspiring themes, building a colorful and fantastic world that is beyond our own reality, and very often they even share an audience. Ultimately, both studios develop massively expansive stories that are told in dozens of movies and shows, and Gunn is just a shining example of how both sides can achieve those goals.
Working closely together on both bullpens, Gunn has shown that storytelling is at the heart of both DC and Marvel as they adapt generational stories from comic book pages to the screen. While the MCU has had significantly more success at the box office thus far, both sides have had a number of films that took off and some flopped. Gunn remains close to Marvel head Kevin Feige, which is evidenced by the fact that Feige was the first person he told about the new feature, and it’s exciting to think that both could join their collective brainpower to create new and creative find ways to break the superhero genre.
Why Marvel Needs DC to Do It Right (and Vice Versa)
The superhero genre remains relatively modern and has certainly only taken off in the last ten years. In addition to the MCU and DCU, there are the Sony Spiderverse, the Arrowverse, and additional DC projects that are not in the primary DCU to name a few. Each has unique features that make them distinct and distinctive, offering viewers different experiences. Fans of any genre could easily get tired and bored if every movie released came from the same story without any diversity. Having variety allows any studio to challenge itself to expand and innovate, try to tell stories in new ways, and shake up the formula. If Marvel or DC were only competing with themselves, there would be no need to be creative and tap into brilliant talent like James Gunn to shape the future of his universe.
