James Gunn is busy preparing for the release of the highly anticipated Superman movie that will mark a new dawn for the DCU. Ahead of the film’s release, Gunn and his DC Studios co-head Peter Safran recently conducted a press meet where the two shared updated plans for the franchise and details about new projects.
During the press meeting, Gunn was also asked about his take on Superman in the context of the political landscape in America with Donald Trump returning to the presidency. In response, Gunns hinted the character was the perfect antidote for a politically divided America. Here is what Gunn had to say about Superman and the future of the DCU.
James Gunn reacts to releasing Superman after Donald Trump’s re-election
James Gunn is the current co-head of DC Studios with the filmmaker recently conducting a press meet where he detailed the studio’s upcoming plans. During the event, Gunn spoke with Variety about his next directorial venture Superman, which will be released in July, six months after Donald Trump’s re-election.
In his conversation with the press, Gunn was asked what Trump’s return to power meant for Superman as a character, especially with Gunn attempting to bring a new and updated take on the iconic superhero.
He’s a character that stands for something that is solid, for basic human morals, basic human integrity, the basic belief in protecting others the weak and being good to people and being honest. He stands for what I think of as the rules that don’t change.
Gunn made the above statement, explaining that he did not think Superman was a part of the current cultural movement in America.
The filmmaker elaborated that the character’s ideas and morals were universal in nature and not restricted to political discourse at a certain point in time. Therefore, Gunn’s comments heavily implied that the upcoming film could prove to be an antidote to the more radical political circumstances that have created a divided America.
James Gunn reveals if Donald Trump’s policies will affect the DCU
Since his return to power, Trump has passed several executive orders and policies that have targetted people of color and other minorities. As a result, Gunn was asked whether these real-world political events would affect the degree of diversity in the new DCU.
In response, Gunn treaded rather carefully, admitting that while he understood where the question stemmed from, he personally wasn’t following much of the news from Trump’s new tenure primarily because he was busy running a new studio. He said:
I’ve been off working on stories for three years, and I just try to tell the best stories I possibly can, and that’s all I care about
Gunn’s comment suggests that the DCU will largely remain unaffected by Trump’s seemingly anti-diversity policies.
However, the filmmaker also did not directly voice a need for diversity in the DCU, arguing that the goal was to simply tell the best stories possible with the characters at his disposal. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how the new DCU pans out and whether its fate will be affected the political upheaval in the country.
Superman is scheduled to be released on July 11, 2025.
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