James Gunn has a clear plan in mind to stop superhero fatigue after taking over for DC Studios.
Superhero fatigue has been the subject of many fan conversations in the past years, especially after Marvel and DC's momentum slow down a bit this year.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige previously addressed how superhero fatigue will affect the MCU, noting that there are "80 years of the most interesting, emotional, groundbreaking stories that have been told in the Marvel comics" for their company to explore and bring to life.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness director Sam Raimi also talked about "superhero overdose" after his directing stint in the original Spider-Man trilogy, but seeing Iron Man and The Avengers blew him away which led him to return to the superhero world.
James Gunn Reveals Plan to Overcome Superhero Fatigue
Speaking with Rolling Stone, DC Studios boss James Gunn talked about superhero fatigue and how he plans to somehow fix or even stop it for the DCU.
While admitting that he believes that such fatigue exists, Gunn believed that it has nothing to do with superheroes. Instead, the Guardians of the Galaxy director pointed out that it all boils down to what "kind of stories that get to be told" and the central character:
“I think there is such a thing as superhero fatigue. I think it doesn’t have anything to do with superheroes. It has to do with the kind of stories that get to be told, and if you lose your eye on the ball, which is character."
Gunn then reflected on how amazing characters like Superman, Batman, and Iron Man are, but it would get "really boring" if it "becomes just a bunch of nonsense onscreen:"
"We love Superman. We love Batman. We love Iron Man. Because they’re these incredible characters that we have in our hearts. And if it becomes just a bunch of nonsense onscreen, it gets really boring."
Gunn indirectly implied that his DCU will plan to focus on emotionally grounded stories that elevate the characters instead of primarily relying on massive spectacles to ultimately prevent superhero fatigue:
"But I get fatigued by most spectacle films, by the grind of not having an emotionally grounded story. It doesn’t have anything to do with whether they’re superhero movies or not. If you don’t have a story at the base of it, just watching things bash each other, no matter how clever those bashing moments are, no matter how clever the designs and the VFX are, it just gets fatiguing, and I think that’s very, very real.”
Will James Gunn's DCU Improve the Superhero Genre?
James Gunn being aware of superhero fatigue is a promising sign for the DCU, considering that he's the one who is steering the ship for the franchise.
This could tease stories showcased in the reboot that will likely be meaningful and character-focused instead of mostly relying on massive action sequences as their selling point.
Given that Gunn will both write and direct Superman: Legacy, there is a strong chance that the retelling of Clark Kent's story on the big screen will be vastly different from the ones that came before.
In fact, the visionary filmmaker already teased that Superman: Legacy will have a different vibe than the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy films.
Doing this would allow the Superman reboot to stand out while also setting the tone for DCU's ambitious first chapter.
Hopefully, Gunn's commitment to telling a more profound superhero story would elevate not just the DCU, but the entire genre as well.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to premiere in theaters on May 5. Superman: Legacy will arrive on July 11, 2025.
