James Gunn Tells Fans Not to Worry – Superman is a “Huge Priority”
Last week’s cancellation rumors were a shock. After clarification from DC Studios head James Gunn, Superman fans have less to worry about.
Since the Discovery/Warner Bros. merger, DC has been through some shit. Tightening budgets and restructuring have caused the shelving and cancellation of multiple projects like Batgirl, Zatanna, and The Wonder Twins. It’s also caused several rounds of moving release dates around. The last several months have been a wild (and sometimes angering) ride for fans. And it’s not done. Last week the Hollywood Reporter published an article about the state of DC and projects on the chopping block.
Wonder Woman 3 has been canceled (several days after the HR report, it was made clear why). The report stated that the studio was thinking about cutting Superman and Aquaman cameos from The Flash so they wouldn’t have to deliver on projects later. All this led to the worry that Man of Steel 2 (and any future Superman projects) was also on the cancellation list. This came mere weeks after Superman made a cameo in a Black Adam post-credit scene, and Henry Cavill announced that he would return as the character.
via Henry Cavill
Superman Worries – James Gunn Responds
To do some damage control, the new co-CEO of DC films took to Twitter to reassure fans. Explaining that the HR report got some things right, but they did get some wrong. And that he and co-CEO Peter Safran are still getting their ten-year plan set. He wasn’t terribly specific about the future of characters until yesterday. A fan asked about the Man of Steel returning to the screen, which is what Gunn had to say about it…
via Twitter
What Does That Mean?
So, there’s that – but it doesn’t reveal if Henry Cavill is still attached to any future Superman projects. The actor’s return is a big request from fans (myself included), and he’s up for it. I hope another movie is in the cards. Something that’s more like Donner’s hopeful take and not gritty like Snyder’s movies. A director out there is perfect for that; he has worked with Cavill and said he’s interested in branching out into superhero movies.
Christopher McQuarrie mentioned to Collider that he had a discussion with Cavill while they were filming Mission: Impossible.
“I had an awesome conversation with Henry Cavill about an awesome version of Superman while we were on set. You’re sitting around for hours, waiting for stuff to be built so I can put Henry in it, and throw him off a cliff, or freeze him to death. And we talked about a really awesome version of Superman.”
The actor laid out a story centered on a heroic and optimistic Superman – as he mentioned in his press release last month. In that Collider interview, McQuarrie stated that he was up for a Superman movie if he got the call. He wasn’t sure how possible such a project would be due to the studio system in place at the time (the interview is from 2018 – a lot has changed). I know he’s asked the old Warner Bros. guard several times about it and got a no. Those folks are gone.
A McQuarrie Superman movie with Cavill would be fantastic. I don’t have high hopes that it’ll happen… but, man… it could be great.
Christopher McQuarrie directing Mission Impossible: Fallout via Paramount Pictures
