The DCEU is going through a bit of makeover right now, with two new heads of the Warner Bros. Discovery wing: James Gunn and Peter Safran. The pair’s full plans won’t be unveiled till early next year, but there’s already big plans afoot. Wonder Woman 3 may not happen. Jason Momoa may play a DC superhero who isn’t Aquaman. And Henry Cavill is definitely out as Superman, after almost a decade on the job. It’s a lot to take and it’s already inspired lots of criticism. But if you’re one of those people getting a little too personal with your disdain for Gunn and Safran, well, they’re not going to listen to you.
Our choices for the DCU are based upon what we believe is best for the story & best for the DC characters who have been around for nearly 85 years. Perhaps these choices are great, perhaps not, but they are made with sincere hearts & integrity & always with the story in mind.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 19, 2022
In a Twitter thread Monday, Gunn addressed some of the more extreme responses to the DCEU renovations. He started by acknowledging that he and Safran knew they’d ruffle some feathers, but that their moves were down with sincerity and respect for the characters and the institution that is the DC Comics line. That being said, he did not appreciate some of the haters, specifically the ones who were “uproarious & unkind.”
No one loves to be harassed or called names – but, to be frank, we’ve been through significantly worse,” Gun wrote before laying it on the line: “Disrespectful outcry will never, ever affect our actions.
Doubling down, Gunn wrote that the assault from the more frothing critics “means little to us in comparison to our jobs as artists & custodians in helping to create a wide & wonderful future for DC.”
The DCEU has long struggled to find a consistent voice à la its counterpart at Marvel. In one sense, Gunn was already changing its DNA before he took the job as overlord: His confusingly titled sequel to 2016’s Suicide Squad took what had been a brooding dour-fest (with tacked-on classic rock hits) and made it both fun and super gory. He also gave them a hit TV show spinoff with Peacemaker. In other words, maybe it’s best to trust him on this one.
You can read Gunn’s full Twitter thread below:
One of the things Peter & I were aware of when we took the job as heads of DC Studios was a certain minority of people online that could be, well, uproarious & unkind, to say the least.
Our choices for the DCU are based upon what we believe is best for the story & best for the DC characters who have been around for nearly 85 years. Perhaps these choices are great, perhaps not, but they are made with sincere hearts & integrity & always with the story in mind.
No one loves to be harassed or called names – but, to be frank, we’ve been through significantly worse. Disrespectful outcry will never, ever affect our actions.
We were aware there would be a period of turbulence when we took this gig, & we knew we would sometimes have to make difficult & not-so-obvious choices, especially in the wake of the fractious nature of what came before us.
But this means little to us in comparison to our jobs as artists & custodians in helping to create a wide & wonderful future for DC.
(Via Variety)