James Gunn Gives Honest, Blunt Review of Deadpool & Wolverine: 'Very Messy'

DC Studios' top executive, James Gunn,  took a moment to share his praise for one of the MCU's biggest recent hits, Deadpool & Wolverine. Amidst a Phase 5 slate that performed better than many thought, Ryan Reynolds' third Deadpool movie came out on top of the pack and became one of 2024's most successful theatrical ventures. Looking at Gunn's history with Marvel and his appreciation for great superhero movies, many were curious to hear what he thought about it as well.

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn shared his first public thoughts on Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine during the promotional tour of Superman. Joining Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, Shepard asked Gunn what he thought were the greatest superhero movies ever. After naming off 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie (1978), and 2008's Iron Man, Shepard brought up the Deadpool movies for comparison. Gunn then said he loved all three of them, specifically pointing out how Deadpool & Wolverine was "very messy... But so freaking funny:"

Shepard: "I wanted to know, what do you think are the greatest superhero movies made?

Gunn: "'Into the Spider-Verse,' [the] first one... is the greatest. [Richard] Donner['s] 'Superman.' 'Iron Man.' 'Iron Man,' really. I'd I'd say... Yeah, I'd say 'Iron Man' is great. I'm forgetting something..."

Shepard: "What about... what's the naughty ones I love... Ryan Reynolds..."

Gunn: "Deadpool."

Shepard: "The first Deadpool."

Gunn: "I actually love all three of them. They're all really good."

Shepard: "The last one was like impossibly good. I was like, 'My god, this is f***ing cool.'"

Gunn: "Very messy... But so freaking funny. Yeah, I love those. I love those."

Deadpool & Wolverine came to theaters nearly two years after Gunn officially took over the position of DC Studios co-CEO, marking the MCU's first-ever attempt at an R-rated movie. Bringing back multiple legacy Marvel stars, the film turned out to be a huge success for the franchise. It earned stellar reviews from critics and grossed $1.3 billion at the global box office, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history and the second-highest-grossing movie of 2024 (only behind Inside Out 2).

Meanwhile, Gunn is hard at work continuing to develop a new cinematic universe for DC Studios, which kicked off in theaters now with Superman (which he wrote and directed). The new franchise officially began with Creature Commandos on HBO Max in December 2024, and it will continue this year with Supergirl (June 26), Lanterns (Late Summer), and Clayface (September 11).

James Gunn's Previous Thoughts on Marvel/DC Movies

Considering Gunn's long history with comic book movies, having worked intimately with both Marvel and DC since 2014, the DC Studios co-CEO has offered more than a few comments on the superhero movie genre.

Most recently, Gunn took a look at moments he did not want to see redone on the big screen again, which addressed both Marvel and DC history. Naming off Batman's parents' deaths and Superman's journey to Earth as a baby from DC, he also went to the Marvel side of the argument and pointed out the spider-bite that gives Peter Parker his Spider-Man powers.

Before that, looking at July 2025's massive superhero movie slate, Gunn shared his thoughts on the supposed rivalry between Marvel and DC. With Superman coming only two weeks ahead of Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Gunn exclaimed, "There's room for us both" and wanted to "focus on all the positivity" surrounding both companies' movies. 

Looking ahead, even though Gunn has admitted to not being as active online as he used to be, fans are sure to watch out for more comments from him on the greater superhero movie landscape. Considering his place as DC Studios' top executive, which will hopefully be the case for years to come, the conversation surrounding these films will only become more intricate and layered moving forward.