James Gunn has written the script for his upcoming Superman: Legacy and is currently putting together a casting list and audition material. Hes also about to embark on a worldwide press tour for his final movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The writer-director recently told Rolling Stone that his Superman movie isnt going to feel like a Guardians movie.
I learned so much from making these movies, Gunn said about his Marvel franchise. But its not like Superman is going to have exactly the same vibe as a Guardians movie. Its actually quite different.
What the tone of Gunns Superman: Legacy will be remains to be seen. The tentpole is focusing on a younger iteration of the superhero than the one last seen on the big screen played by Henry Cavill. After his Guardians Vol. 3 press duties are over, Gunn will transition full time to his new gig as the co-head of DC Studios with Peter Safran. Superman: Legacy will kick off the duos new DC Universe, which will also include films featuring Supergirl and Batman and Robin.
I really want Marvel to keep making good movies, Gunn said about his exit. I think its really hard in the wake of the Blip. Theres this worldwide, universe-wide event that happened. And in truth, everybody would be stark raving mad at this point. So its hard to write stories in the wake of that. Which is why theGuardiansmovies have been easier, because theyre set outside of that a little bit.
The Blip refers to the climax of Avengers: Infinity War when the villainous Thanos snapped half of the universes population out of existence. The missing populace returned at the end of Avengers: Endgame, and every subsequent Marvel film and television series has had to wrestle with the ramifications of the event.
The ending of Endgame posed a different challenge for Gunn as it concluded with the Guardians of the Galaxy members linking up with Chris Hemsworths Thor.
[Marvel] chose to have that ending in editing, Gunn said. And I didnt think it was gonna be in there. Endgame came out right after I decided to do Guardians again. So I didnt have much say in what was in Endgame, and then it came out and then I was like, What the fuck am I gonna do?
Fortunately for Gunn, Taika Waititis Thor: Love and Thunder quickly did away with Thor and the Guardians teaming up indefinitely. Thor went his own way in the film, leaving the door open for Gunn to write Vol. 3 without Thor as originally intended.
When [Marvel Studios president] Kevin [Feige] told me, Taikas gonna do Thor, and well have the Guardians in it. I said, Thank God!' Gunn said. To be completely honest, Thor was never going to be in this movie. Taika took a bullet for me. Because I was not going to have him in. I was just gonna start up and theres no Thor.
With his Guardians franchise coming to an end and a whole new DC Universe about to begin, is Gunn worried about superhero fatigue?
I think thereissuch a thing as superhero fatigue, Gunn told Rolling Stone. I think it doesnt have anything to do with superheroes. It has to do with the kind of stories that get to be told, and if you lose your eye on the ball, which is character. We love Superman. We love Batman. We love Iron Man. Because theyre these incredible characters that we have in our hearts. And if it becomes just a bunch of nonsense onscreen, it gets really boring.
I get fatigued by most spectacle films, by the grind of not having an emotionally grounded story, Gunn added. It doesnt have anything to do with whether theyre superhero movies or not. If you dont have a story at the base of it, just watching things bash each other, no matter how clever those bashing moments are, no matter how clever the designs and the VFX are, it just gets fatiguing, and I think thats very, very real.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to open in theaters May 5 from Disney, while Superman: Legacy is slotted for a July 11 release.