Sure, James Gunn is making the publicity rounds, promoting his upcoming Marvel Studios film, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” But there’s another hero in Gunn’s life right now who is taking a bit of a shine away from his ragtag group of space heroes—Superman. You see, even as Gunn talks about his new Marvel film, a lot of folks are more interested in his next film, “Superman: Legacy,” which will not only be the first ‘Superman’ solo film in more than a decade but also the first major film in the filmmaker’s new vision of the DCU. And according to Gunn, don’t expect a ‘Guardians’ vibe in his ‘Superman’ film.
Speaking in a new profile over at THR, James Gunn talked a bit about “Superman: Legacy” and how it relates (or more specifically, doesn’t) to his work in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” film franchise. You see, the latter is focused on comedy thanks to characters like Mantis, Drax, and Rocket, led by the bumbling leadership of Star-Lord. And Gunn was given free rein with his ‘Guardians’ films to redefine the group for the big screen, considering no one other than Marvel mega-fans really had any clue who they were prior. This isn’t the luxury he is allowed when tackling the most famous superhero on the planet.
“It’s easier to take a character nobody knows, like the Guardians, or Peacemaker, and then do whatever you want with them,” said Gunn. “People in every single country in the world know the story of Superman.”
And since everyone knows Superman, there is a bit of an expectation about what a ‘Superman’ film looks and feels like. Unfortunately, for the filmmaker, those expectations don’t really align themselves with what folks believe a James Gunn film is like. Superman is much more like Captain America than Star-Lord, you know. Because of this, Gunn said his “Superman: Legacy” isn’t going to be a comedy, and it’ll be a sincere superhero film.
“How can I make it different from the ‘Superman’ movies that have been made so far, but also have it respect all the ‘Superman’ movies that have been made so far?” he said. “So it just took me some time to try to figure it out.”
Next up, fans are eagerly awaiting word on who will land the coveted role of Clark Kent, aka Supes, in ‘Legacy.’ DC fans have flooded social media with photoshopped images of their favorite actors in a Superman costume, but Gunn has already said that casting is only just beginning. But you know what? What better place to announce the new Superman than in the upcoming “Flash” film arriving on June 16? Maybe there we’ll get our first glimpse at the new Man of Steel.
Before then, you can see Gunn’s newest film, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” on May 5.
