The new DC era is trying to do two things at once: reintroduce familiar icons as big, broad, four-quadrant myth and crack open the weird corners of the universe where capes give way to bruised space operas, strange planets, and characters who don’t exactly glide through heroism with a smile. Take “Supergirl” for example, an irreverent, reluctant superhero who comes from a world of personal damage, literally. However, when the first trailer was released, the film’s cosmic flavor reminded many people of “Guardians of the Galaxy.” And DC Studios co-Chief James Gunn isn’t dodging the allegations. He’s basically leaning into it, while pointing to something more.
On the Variety Awards Circuit podcast, the DC Studios co-chief framed the upcoming Kara Zor-El movie as very much a filmmaker-driven piece, first and foremost, praising director Craig Gillespie with the kind of warmth that reads like a genuine stamp of trust. “Well, I mean, ‘Supergirl’ is Craig Gillespie’s vision, and it’s very much. I love him so much. He’s a great guy.”
Gunn even doubled down on why Gillespie was the guy, pointing to the filmmaker’s tonal dexterity—big emotion, jagged humor, and a knack for character-driven spectacle. Gunn said Gillespie’s film, 2017 “I, Tonya,” “should have won [Best Picture]. And that’s what made me so interested in Craig when he came in,” he said.
And the cosmic vibe is absolutely intentional. Gunn flat-out called it a “space fantasy,” and he acknowledged the way that label naturally echoes his own past work on Marvel’s galaxy-hopping franchise—while still pointing to its comic-book roots.
“And I love Millie Alcock in the movie, and I think it’s a space fantasy, which is like ‘Guardians’ in a way, but it’s based on the Tom King book, but it doesn’t follow it religiously, but it has a lot of the core of that there,” he explained. “And I’m really excited for people to see it and to see Millie. It’s going to be awesome.”
Of course, the Gunn/Safran era of DC isn’t unfolding in a vacuum. It’s arriving in an industry where the ground is constantly moving—streamers circling legacy studios, corporate shakeups becoming background noise, and every week bringing a new round of “what if” headlines. Asked about the impending sale of Warner Bros. to Netflix, Gunn had a cautious, yet optimistic, answer.
“Do I have hopes? No, I really don’t because everything’s unknown,” he said. “I think it’s all really exciting, frankly. So I hope and pray for the best. And I’ve been through these sorts of changes so many times that I’ll always be careful what you wish for because you don’t really know until you know. And I hope it goes well, and I think it’s exciting, you know, every direction has really exciting things for DC, so I’m excited about where it’s going to go.”
Which brings it back to the partnership at the center of the whole operation. Gunn made a point of describing what he values about working with Peter Safran—not just as a business co-pilot, but as someone who shares the same childhood-fandom roots.
“The love of working with Peter Safran at DC: the thing that we both share is we’ve loved these characters since we were children,” he explained. “And being able to shepherd these characters into the next stages of their existence in media is a privilege that we’re aware of. It’s exciting to help create the next wave, the way people see them today, and [introduce] characters like Peacemaker to the popular imagination that has never really known them. So, it’s fun.”
“Supergirl” is currently set for June 26, 2026. Listen to the whole conversation below.
