Will James Gunn Give DC the Advantage It Needs?

credit: Man of Steel

It’s easy to say congratulations to James Gunn for taking on the role of co-CEO of the DCU, but one has to wonder what his effect is going to be on the franchise and whether or not it’s going to make things work in the same way that the MCU has been working. Whether people want to admit it or not, there is still a rivalry between the two companies, and while it might have cooled down a bit, it’s not going away anytime soon.

The fact that Gunn has worked on both sides of the line isn’t such a big deal, but it does make this current appointment stand out as something that might allow the DCU to gain a bit more dominance, as its movies have been lauded as great for years, but somehow the MCU has still managed to become far more memorable in a lot of ways. The DCU is a worthwhile franchise, to be certain, but some of the movies that have been released over the past decade haven’t exactly managed to resonate with the fanbase in a way that would make it easy to call them the types of movies that people are going to elevate about their competitors. Sure, there are a lot of fans that love both Marvel and DC, but it still feels as though Gunn’s appointment to his current position is going to have a trickle-down effect that might send the DCU rocketing off into the stratosphere. At least, that’s what people are hoping, right? 

credit: The Batman

Will James Gunn ever return to the MCU?

That feels like a silly question, to be fair, but it’s also likely that it might not happen unless certain conditions are met or perhaps if the leadership in the MCU changes at some point. Even then, it feels as though Gunn would be less than wise to leave a position that gives him so much freedom over one that would see him hampered and possibly scrutinized every day, much as it has already happened. The role of a director is one that many people get into for a good reason, but the fact remains that it also brings with it a lot of expectations that can sometimes wear a person down and make them wonder if they made the right choice. Trying to think of why Gunn would ever return to the MCU is kind of tough, given that he did what he wanted to do and made his way forward. Thinking that he might stay with the DCU for years to come is far easier since, well, he has the position that could afford him a lot more freedom within the franchise. 

Is it possible that we’ll see a re-tooling of the DCU?

One can’t help but feel that things might be about to change in the DCU in a big way, but that could be a good thing since it might unify the franchise a bit more and possibly make it possible to see a unification of several storylines that could easily complement each other while still remaining distinct and strong enough to be their own tales. Being able to see one hero or villain interact with other individuals across storylines across various comics has always been a nice way to bring various characters and ideas together, but in the movies, it would appear that this is a much more difficult process since it requires so much more work. Maybe each story will be given a new look, or at the very least, a new direction in which to travel that will appease the fans and maintain the future of the franchise. 

credit: Aquaman

The idea of asking fans what characters they would like to see is a risky prospect. 

It has been stated that James Gunn has asked the fans which characters they’d like to see, and a few come to mind that people will no doubt be calling for since the cancellation of at least one or two movies or TV shows will have a lot of fans still up in arms about why their favorite heroes and villains were tossed aside. But the risky nature of asking fans what they want could be a bit of a mistake simply because the truth is that a lot of fans don’t really know what they want. People might state that they want to see this or that, but in the end, they usually end up changing their minds or finding some fault with what they’ve been given. 

This could lead to the DCU becoming a much more efficient franchise. 

Many people have argued over and over that the DCEU was worth pursuing, but the franchise became such a mess after a while that it’s not hard to imagine why some folks were willing to abandon it. This time around, though, with someone like Gunn at the helm, it’s fair to say that things might get straightened out in a very effective way. Only time will tell.