James Gunn Breaks Silence on Controversial DC Reports

By Richard Nebens Updated:
James Gunn DC Justice League

After a slew of reports noted massive changes in place for the DC Universe, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn hinted that not all of it is 100% accurate.

While Gunn is still in the early stages of his tenure with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) as he rebuilds the DCU, a recent round of insider reports has hinted that the franchise is on its way to some massive changes already. That news blast indicated that Wonder Woman 3 is already being shelved ahead of development along with Man of Steel 2, the latter of which only got the green light weeks ago.

The real bomb came when fans heard that the core actors from the DC Universe were in danger of being recast, including Henry Cavill as Superman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. This led to a barrage of backlash from fans of the Snyderverse, who are already calling for Gunn to be replaced by director Zack Snyder after only six weeks on the job.

But now, after fans began to worry about what the next phase of the DC Universe holds, Gunn has offered his own comments on what's going on behind the scenes.

James Gunn Clarifies Reports on DC Future

James Gunn, DC
DC

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn took to Twitter to set the record straight about what's happening with the future of the DC Universe.

Following reports noting massive changes for the franchise on Wednesday, December 7, Gunn noted that "some of it is true" while the rest of it is either false or still being decided. 

Gunn explained that he and co-CEO Peter Safran knew that they were taking on a job that wasn't completely put together but that he saw the potential opportunities as being too good to focus on the drawbacks. 

He also explained that not all DC fans will be happy with every change being made and that he can't offer anything more specific until a later date.

The full statement can be seen below:

"So. As for the story yesterday in the Hollywood Reporter, some of it is true, some of it is half-true, some of it is not true, & some of it we haven’t decided yet whether it’s true or not.

Although this first month at DC has been fruitful, building the next ten years of story takes time & we’re still just beginning.

Peter & I chose to helm DC Studios knowing we were coming into a fractious environment, both in the stories being told & in the audience itself & there would be an unavoidable transitional period as we moved into telling a cohesive story across film, TV, animation, and gaming.

But, in the end, the drawbacks of that transitional period were dwarfed by the creative possibilities & the opportunity to build upon what has worked in DC so far & to help rectify what has not.

We know we are not going to make every single person happy every step of the way, but we can promise everything we do is done in the service of the STORY & in the service of the DC CHARACTERS we know you cherish and we have cherished our whole lives.

As for more answers about the future of the DCU, I will sadly have to ask you to wait. We are giving these characters & the stories the time & attention they deserve & we ourselves still have a lot more questions to ask & answer."

What Are Gunn's Plans for the DCU?

Considering how disjointed the DC Universe has been for the better part of a decade, it's not surprising that many fans have been in outrage over the lack of consistency and quality in WBD's work with the franchise. And now, with the entire story and cast potentially being scrapped and rebuilt into something different, it's equally frustrating for viewers who have found some diamonds in the rough amongst so much controversy.

While Gunn unquestionably has plenty of work to do in order to build his own vision, he remains adamant about keeping the fans in the loop about what's really happening. The DC Studios CEO has already told the public that he has ambitions to build "the biggest story ever told" across any medium, which will mean an expectedly massive workload on his plate as he tries to bring something that will work effectively.

As 2022 comes to an end, Gunn has teased that he and Safran will likely share more updates on their plans for the DCU after the new year, with fan discussions becoming more prevalent online. At that time, the news that came from these reports regarding DC's future will finally be confirmed or denied as the new era of the DCU truly gets underway.

- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.