Diya Majumdar
As DC gets increasingly refined and curated exposure in the mainstream media (courtesy of James Gunn’s expertise), the franchise’s counterpart, i.e. Marvel has become somewhat of a go-to target practice arena for the rest of the world. It did not end with Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and Denis Villeneuve if that’s what one was thinking. The criticism being levied toward the MCU and its studio is one that now stretches onto the common demography as more and more people find it essential to point out that every other CBM adaptation has it better than Marvel.
James Gunn’s DCU Plans Draw Approval in Mass Consensus
The 1st of November, 2022, had been a day of celebration as well as scrutiny depending on how favorably James Gunn’s reputation was perceived in certain circles. To the larger demography, his work with Guardians of the Galaxy – a relatively unknown and unpopular IP he successfully brought to the forefront of the MCU fandom – and DC projects, The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, were noteworthy accomplishments. But beyond those, the Gunn-Safran pairing attracted mostly neutral reactions considering how DC’s foundations had already suffered irreconcilable damage at the time of their appointment.
After three long months of waiting and looking in from the outside, the plans that James Gunn presented to the audience is a spectacularly driven narrative, one that is not only filled with ambition but also hope for a better comic book-to-movie arc in the future. With Gunn, it seems as though playing it safe isn’t exactly the motto for survival considering how discursive his array of collectibles, characters, and IPs are in the first chapter itself.
The appraisal that now comes to mind and the reason why the people are so openly fond of the creator/director is because of his expansive authority over every DC media, including gaming and animation. No longer will the five media be individual tangents following their own narrative in their entirety. Gunn now also has the authority to incorporate the DC continuity in animation (Creature Commandos), television (Lanterns), and comic books (Earth-789 has now made Superman ’78 and Batman ’89 canon).
DC’s Comic Book-Inspired Narrative Finds a Target in MCU
For the better part of the past 3 years, the temporary respite that Marvel Studios had offered to its audience with silly productions and goofy plots, has drawn unparalleled wrath from the fans. In the larger scheme of things, the break was necessary to facilitate the next saga of the franchise. But 3 years is a lot of time for fans who were hungry for more in the aftermath of 2019’s Endgame.
The making or breaking of a franchise could occur overnight (as seen with Black Adam) and despite zero controversies or problematic cast under its employ, Marvel Studios drew blanks when called to serve the one purpose it was created to serve – produce comic book-to-movie adaptations.
As such, when the increasingly digressive franchise then turned to DC on the eve of 2023, 3 years’ worth of pent-up rage found an outlet upon finding that their counterpart was openly and proudly incorporating comics into movies and making classics into comic book canons. The respect for the source and the movies and Gunn deriving inspiration from one and incorporating them into the other became a focal point of approval.
DC Studios: here are the comics that inspired our movies
The Boys: don’t read the comics, we do it better. Please trust us on this
Marvel Studios: what are comics?
— Nicholas (@NicholasJLevi) February 3, 2023
remember when they canceled Avengers the Earth's Mightiest Heroes to make Avengers Assemble so it would be a closer adaptation of the movies?
— valle, the man without fear (@valleespacial) February 3, 2023
Anime Studios: typically great adaptation that can make the manga a multi million dollar franchise(example demon slayer). Which is why I’m happy James Gunn is mentioning the comics so much.
— SadlySiu (@DonBloonz) February 3, 2023
I don’t know if I’d go that far with Marvel, but I can’t deny with them it feels like the comics stop getting made.
— Mr.”Couch Gag”Macias (@Saicam_Films) February 3, 2023
DC’s current crafted movie lineup – Superman: Legacy, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow – includes the foundational trio that will hold up the DC cinematic universe in the years to come. Paired with HBO Max shows that include such projects as Lanterns, Waller, Booster Gold, and Paradise Lost will continue to contribute to the DC continuity in parallel.
Source: Twitter
