Since last year, James Gunn has been receiving hateful comments from DC and Henry Cavill fans after he let the “Man of Steel” actor go from his role. During the press conference where he released the names of the 10 projects that will partly make up Chapter 1 of the new DCU, he was questioned about Cavill’s firing.
He was candid in his response and admitted that the actor had been “d*cked around” by previous regimes at Warner Bros. However, his blunt truthfulness has reportedly upset the higher-ups of the company. Let us dive deep into what has shaken up the Warner Bros executives.
Warner Bros. Executives Are Unhappy With James Gunn And Peter Safran
As per a new report by The Hollywood Reporter, DC Studios CEOs Peter Safran and James Gunn’s not-really-tactful comments have landed them in hot water with Warner Bros. executives. The article mentions that it isn’t just the “d*cked around” comment regarding Henry Cavill that put the new CEOs in this position. The duo also referred to DC’s live-action history as being “f*cked up” and termed the “Batgirl” movie as “unreleasable.”
This was a sharp departure from the prior way of handling things. Previous executives in charge of DC simply never addressed the rocky road the DC movies had faced until then. As for “Batgirl,” that was more tactfully handled. David Zaslav, the Warner Bros. Discovery boss, said that they had canned the film because they didn’t want to release DC films just for streaming. So Gunn and Safran coming out with harsh words and terming the film “unreleasable” ruffled some feathers.
However, their bluntness is understandable. After all, James Gunn and Peter Safran are filmmakers, not business executives. James Gunn spends a ton of his time online debunking false DC rumors. In fact, when asked if he would still swat down fake news regarding the new slate, the co-CEO replied that it was his joy to do so. As a result, where other executives express generic statements or just retweet praise, James Gunn jumps in and does what he wants. Thankfully, he does so because his way works.
Why Fans Love James Gunn And Peter Safran’s Way Of Speaking?
James Gunn’s frank and free manner of conduct has enamored him with DC fans. After all, the fan base has had its fair share of regular executives who never communicated with them and let the false rumors fly freely. So having a CEO who communicates truthfully with them has assured them that he’s a capable leader who cares about the DC universe. Also, whatever Gunn and Peter Safran talked about isn’t new for fans.
Most hard-core DC fans had already deduced that Henry Cavill was indeed treated poorly by the Warner Bros. management. Dwayne Johnson admitted that it wasn’t easy to bring the actor back for the cameo in “Black Adam” because of meddling Warner Bros. executives. Also, as per rumors, the only reason James Gunn could easily fire Cavill was that the actor didn’t have a contract stating that he was getting another Superman movie. All he had were assurances, which ultimately landed him outside the DCU.
As for the comment regarding the “f*cked up” history of the DC, this was already widely known, even by casual viewers of the DC. In an interview with Gizmodo, Gunn specifically mentioned the various franchises within DC that were running parallel to each other. He name-checked the Snyderverse, the Arrowverse, and his own little corner that was populated with two projects, “The Suicide Squad” and “Peacemaker.”
As such, he repeatedly stated in the press meeting that he and Safran aimed to create a coherent and cohesive DCU that would be connected across films, TV series, animation, and video games. Moreover, he clarified that other projects that don’t fit within the continuity would be relegated to the “Elseworlds” label. Such projects include Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” and Todd Phillips’ “The Joker.”
Such clarification will help chart a new path forward for DC that will hopefully be more harmonious than the earlier one. But Gunn and Safran don’t have all the answers regarding DC just yet.
What About The DCEU Actors?
We know that Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck have departed the DCU, but what about Zachary Levi, Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Sasha Lane, and more? James Gunn and Peter Safran have basically said that they haven’t decided. However, he said that the door was open for all of them.
But most fans think that this is just PR talk since 4 DC movies are yet to be released in 2023, and out of them, 3 will feature all of these actors in them. “Shazam 2” stars Zachary Levi and a cameo by Gal Gadot; “Aquaman 2” stars Jason Momoa; and “The Flash” stars Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, and Gal Gadot. So, Gunn and Safran probably don’t want to confirm anything outright. After all, that might make the people hesitate to watch the films. However, this is just speculation. It remains to be seen who James Gunn and Peter Safran bring back and who they don’t.
See more: Here’s Why DCU Chapter 1 Is Called ‘Gods And Monsters’?
