James Gunn under fire as WB Execs are reportedly upset with his DC comments

After James Gunn revealed the new DC slate, many fans shared mixed reactions to the fact that the DCU won’t be a complete reboot of the old DCEU. It will only be a semi-reboot where the likes of Superman and Batman will be recast, and others like Aquaman, the Flash, and Peacemaker will retain their roles. This is what bothered fans the most.

James Gunn is doing almost exactly what the former leader of DC, Walter Hamada wanted to do by writing out Henry Cavill’s Superman and Ben Affleck’s Batman and replacing them with Sasha Calle’s Supergirl and Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne. Gunn is doing it by recasting these roles instead. But his moves haven’t just angered fans but also many executives at Warner Bros. Discovery.

---

How James Gunn angered Warner Bros. Executives

The Hollywood Reporter’s (THR) latest newsletter stated that James Gunn’s announcement video reportedly ruffled some feathers as the new DCU Co-President called out some flaws under the old regime.

Having been given a free hand by WBD CEO David Zazlav, Gunn and Peter Safran have been doing things their way. THR’s newsletter pointed out that some of the comments the new heads of DC Studios made about the old DC leaders were “not exactly tactful.”

Many executives who were handling DC before the new duo are still in charge of other divisions at Warner Bros. Discovery. According to THR,

“There have been quite a few ruffled feathers.”

Gunn commenting on DCEU’s long disjointedness could come back to haunt him and Safran later.

James Gunn admits that the DCEU has been disconnected (Image via DC)

Even at the private DCU slate reveal event, Gunn spoke to journalists and stated:

"The history of DC is pretty messed up. No one was minding the mint. They were just giving away IP like they were party favors to any creators who smiled at them. What we are going to do is promise that everything from our first project going forward is going to be unified."

His second comment may or may not have referenced what happened with the past DC films, but it’s certainly quite intriguing:

“We’re not going to be making movies and putting hundreds of millions of dollars into a film where a screenplay is only two-thirds of the way done and we have to finish it while we’re making the movie. I’ve seen it happen again and again, and it’s a mess. And I think it’s the primary reason in the deterioration of quality of films today versus 20-30 years ago."

Something like this could have happened with many DC movies such as Suicide Squad (reshoots), Justice League (reshoots), and Birds of Prey. But either way, these statements could create problems for Gunn and Safran if their plans don’t produce results.

---

How Gunn’s DCU could make DC good again

James Gunn might make a DC film based on The Authority (Image via DC)

The new DCU regime has to climb an upwards ladder because fans’ patience is running thin after all the promises and betrayals they’ve endured over the last decade. Even after the announcement, many fans are upset that a good Superman like Henry Cavill hasn’t been hired while some other non-popular characters are being retained.

Other fans feel that the projects announced by James Gunn are pretty disjointed and aren’t leading anywhere. It’s only a common belief that The Authority movie has been announced so its characters could become the antagonists in a Superman: Legacy sequel. But they’ll likely be the villains in Gunn’s Justice League crossover.

The Authority is how James Gunn can connect everything, as they could be built as antagonists to go up against a newly formed Justice League. Then, chapter 1 will finally culminate with a Justice League vs. The Authority movie event. That’s how DC can become great again!