James Gunn Fell Into The Same Trap That Led To The DCEU’s Failure

When James Gunn was announced as the co-chairman and CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, there was a lot of excitement about the franchise’s future and what could happen. However, it has been a rocky road ever since, with the DCU failing to hit the standard that people expected and having a plethora of problems.

From initial projects being put on hold to Gunn’s controversial decision not to use Robert Pattinson as the DCU Batman, the initial buzz surrounding this franchise has officially fizzled out. People aren’t as excited about the upcoming movies and television shows as they should be for a franchise this big with this much potential. However, Gunn still has the time and possibility to turn things around if he starts to make some significant decisions.

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James Gunn Came Out Of The Gate Too Strong

One of the big problems that Gunn made was coming out of the gateway too strong with too many ideas too quickly. While it makes sense that he would want to announce a string of projects to get audiences excited about what is coming for the DCU, the phrase ‘walk before you run’ fits this situation. After so many years of failed DCU projects and movies not being anywhere near the standard moviegoers expect from these characters, it would have made sense to keep things simple. Audiences didn’t need a slate of countless movies and television shows; they just needed a couple of big projects, such as the upcoming Superman movie, to get excited about and start a buzz. Those movies being a success could have then led to a wider announcement when audiences had been given a reason to have faith in the DCU delivering quality, which has yet to be the case.

There have already been reports of initial projects being put on hold or canceled altogether, proving that Gunn was biting off more than he could chew from the start. Slow and steady steps are the way to take the DCU. This was proven before when many ideas were released without the long-term planning on executing them or building up a fanbase that was willing to watch them all. Trying to create interconnected storylines within countless movies isn’t just something that can happen with a click of the fingers. DC Studios must prove to audiences that these movies are going to be worth investing their time in, especially as they need to get people to watch some of the smaller movies and not just ones featuring A-list characters like Superman or Batman.

The DCU Is Trying To Catch The MCU

At the start of this journey, Gunn’s big issue is that he is trying to catch the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From how he released the initial slate known as ‘Chapter One,’ which was obviously a rip-off from Marvel’s different phases, to how he wants to structure the movies and television shows all blending together. Having been part of the MCU with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Gunn should know better than most how much effort it has taken Marvel Studios to reach the point it’s at now. It is several decades’ worth of work and movie releases, with consistently high quality, big risks, and ultimately, entertaining storylines that have won people over.

Simply announcing a run of movies doesn’t guarantee that the DCU will become the MCU or anything close in terms of quality. Anytime the decision is made to try and challenge the MCU, it instantly leads to comparisons, and so far, DC Studios has proven they don’t have the organizational skills to compete with what Marvel has going on, let alone the star power or the stock in the bank with audiences. Trying to take on Marvel is where DC has failed before, with Justice League being a big swing at the Avengers movies, which came up short. Instead, DC would benefit from staying in its own lane and worrying about becoming the next MCU in 10 years’ time when many movies have hit theatres.

James Gunn Must Make Some Harsh DCU Decisions

Even though the DCU has hit a rocky point, there is still a potentially bright future. The world of DC is rich with high-quality characters and storylines, and it’s almost impossible to believe that they don’t belong on the big screen in some format. However, for this franchise to ever have a chance of getting off the ground and becoming what Gunn is hoping for, he’s going to need to make some harsh calls. Gunn previously claimed that none of the DCU projects are greenlit until they have a finished script. Therefore, that gives him an easy way to pull the plug on specific projects he doesn’t think will have the right level of impact. It might be tough if some of those projects already have people onboard or a legion of hardcore fans interested, but at this point, it’s necessary. Gunn can ill afford the first few years of the DCU not working. Therefore, any harsh call that needs to be made must happen as soon as possible.