James Gunn Says There Is No Rivalry Between Marvel and DC

Marvel Comics vs. DC Comics is a battle almost as old as the superhero genre itself.

For decades, comic book fans argued over which universe had the better heroes, villains, stories, and artists.

Photo: Marvel

Batman vs. Iron Man, Captain America vs. Superman, or even Lex Luther vs. The Red Skull are all arguments that have been debated and explored for generations.

With the advent of the superhero movie, these arguments largely turned into a battle of cinematic universes. Although  Marvel has reigned supreme at the box office, there are loyal DC fans who argue that the DC movie are better.

Photo: Warner Brothers

James Gunn On Switching Studios

One man with perhaps the most unique perspective on the decades-long debate is James Gunn. After finishing the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn is making the move to DC, where he will be co-head of DC Studios, as well as write and direct a new Superman movie.

Gunn, who previously directed DC’s The Suicide Squad, was recently asked if it was strange juggling commitments at the two rival studios.

Photo: yahoo.com

“It’s not odd. It isn’t odd at all, not to me. I understand how it appears, but I’m just busy cause I’m working two jobs at one time. But it’s not odd.”

Not only does Gunn find nothing strange about his career path, but he rejects the false dichotomy between Marvel and DC all together.

Photo: Marvel

“People have this weird belief that Marvel and DC hate each other or somehow are polar opposites,” Gunn continued, “But it’s just not the truth. I mean, listen, man, our job is the same. We want to get people into the theaters to see movies. That’s what matters. And I think that we work together to do that. And the more good Marvel movies are, the better it is for DC movies. The more good DC movies, the better it is for Marvel movies.”

No Hard Feelings

While Gunn may be switching studios, there is no hard feeling between the Guardians director and Marvel. In fact, after being hired by DC, Gunn’s first call was to MCU head Kevin Feige.

“Not only do I love Kevin [Feige], he was the first person I told after I did the deal with DC (John Cena was the second),” Gunn wrote after getting the job. “Contrary to popular belief, a dollar less for Marvel is not a dollar more for DC. DC and Marvel have the common goal of keeping the theater-going experience vibrant and alive!”

Source: Complex.com

Following Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s release this weekend, Gunn’s next project will be Superman: Legacy, which will hit theaters in July of 2025.