Aidan Reidy is a writer who’s currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in motion pictures screenwriting at the University of Miami. He is passionate about the entertainment industry and enjoys watching most genres. He is interested in every aspect of filmmaking ranging from technical aspects like editing and sound mixing to acting and directing styles. Hollywood Insider’s commitment to substance-filled articles rather than gossip columns attracted him to the website, creating an enjoyable environment for him to write in and aligning with his personal values, as well.
Jul 7, 2025
Regime Change
Since becoming the co-CEOS of DC Studios, James Gunn and Peter Safran have essentially reversed course on the beloved comic book series in order to resurrect and remodel a franchise that was dead in the water only a short time ago. Naturally, the first feature film produced under them was revealed to be centered around Superman, a character who hasn’t had his own, solo movie since ‘Man of Steel’ in 2013. Twelve years is a lot of time (some may say too much time) in between releases of movies that feature arguably the most popular, most beloved superhero of all time. With hopes of not running into the same issues the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) encountered towards the end of its tenure, ‘Superman’ will be the first test for James Gunn and his new franchise, possibly predicting the future of the comic book genre, for both DC and Marvel.
Although it’s the ninth-highest grossing franchise of all time, movies within the DCEU were often panned by critics or received mixed reviews from fans, hindering their success in the long run, for no one wants to watch movies that are consistently sloppy and that are drags to get through. Some of them failed to break even at the box office, an issue common with the comic book movies of today, due to their large budgets and being somewhat derivative. Most of them had many heroes in main roles, but lacked character development over a two hour plus runtime, with lackluster villains and plots.
During his time with Warner Bros., Zack Snyder managed to direct his own trilogy, starting with ‘Man of Steel’, then ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’, and ending with ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’, while also producing both ‘Wonder Woman’ movies. His name is attached to ‘Justice League’ (2017), but he left the project due to unforeseen personal circumstances, with Joss Whedon taking over directorial duties. ‘Justice League’ went on to receive mixed reviews and flop at the box office, while The Snyder Cut was much better received by critics and fans alike despite the grueling four hour runtime.
The issue with Snyder’s trilogy was not his direction but the overall characterization of Superman. No one wants to see him as a God, towering above humans. People want to see him as a friend, someone who cares about humanity. A guy anyone could have a beer with. Some decisions surrounding the chracter were just straight up baffling. His relationship with Lois felt flat most of the time, and the chemistry between Henry Cavill and Amy Adams (virtually nonexistent) could have been leagues better, especially for actors as talented as the two of them. In the promotional material we have seen for ‘Superman’ thus far, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan seem to embody their characters and really get what they are all about. And Nicholas Hoult, along with being very, very bald, is a menacing Lex Luthor, one we really never saw in the DCEU.
James Gunn’s Track Record
Prior to taking helm at DC Studios, James Gunn wrote and directed the acclaimed ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ trilogy for Marvel and ‘The Suicide Squad’ (2021) for DC. Although the latter was released in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, he’s proved to be a bankable director at the box office, with the ‘Guardians’ trilogy grossing over $2.4 billion worldwide. His directing style is a breath of fresh air in a genre that can, at times, feel lifeless, with the majority of recent projects feeling more reliant on special effects than character.
Sure, Gunn’s ‘Superman’ looks massive in scale, but if his character work can stay consistent with his previous efforts, it is going to be the hit of the summer. Never in my wildest dreams would I think that a CGI raccoon would make me emotional in a superhero movie, but Gunn made that a reality in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3’. He wants you to care about his characters, he wants you to feel as though they could be real people, even if they are alien-like-creatures, and that is why he is the perfect choice to head DC and direct ‘Superman’.
The Importance Of ‘Superman’
It feels redundant and an easy thing to say, but superhero fatigue is a real thing that moviegoers are experiencing in this post-covid world. They’ve struggled to make a lasting impact and live up to the the experience that ‘Avengers: Endgame’ created for almost everyone who saw it (besides maybe ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse)’.
If ‘Superman’ underperforms at the box office and reviews are lukewarm, from both critics and fans alike, it’s going to be hard to put faith in these kinds of movies going forward. If people don’t want to see them, studios aren’t going to approve them as often. It’s that simple.
The genre has had a chokehold on the cinema landscape for the past ten to fifteen years, but all good things can’t last forever. ‘Superman’ needs to revive the comic book movie that is currently on life support, and then things will start to get better for this genre. The same thing relates to ‘The Fantastic Four: The First Steps’ for Marvel.
Modern blockbusters, outside of near-masterpieces like ‘Sinners’ and ‘Nope’, are mainly IP, event-like movies that all seem to have connected universes. There is nothing wrong with this, for they generate a ton of money for projects that studios can give to auteurs like PTA to make movies, but we need to see some distinction between these blockbusters that may be relegated to the comic book genre or franchises alike. They all look the same, feel the same, and don’t hit like they used to. Although the future may look dark for this type of movie, things can get brighter if this summer delivers some solid blockbusters.
Notable Future Projects Set In The DCU
Feature Films:
‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’ – Releasing June 26, 2026, directed by Craig Gilespie, starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl
‘Clayface’ – Releasing September 11, 2026, directed by James Watkins and written by Mike Flanagan
‘Swamp Thing’ – Release date TBA, directed by James Mangold
TV Shows:
‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 – Releasing August 21, 2025, created by James Gunn, starring John Cena
‘Lanterns’ – Releasing in early 2026, created by Chris Mundy, starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre
‘Creature Commandos’ Season 2 – Release date TBA, created by James Gunn
By Aidan Reidy
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Aidan Reidy is a writer who’s currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in motion pictures screenwriting at the University of Miami. He is passionate about the entertainment industry and enjoys watching most genres. He is interested in every aspect of filmmaking ranging from technical aspects like editing and sound mixing to acting and directing styles. Hollywood Insider’s commitment to substance-filled articles rather than gossip columns attracted him to the website, creating an enjoyable environment for him to write in and aligning with his personal values, as well.
Aidan Reidy is a writer who’s currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in motion pictures screenwriting at the University of Miami. He is passionate about the entertainment industry and enjoys watching most genres. He is interested in every aspect of filmmaking ranging from technical aspects like editing and sound mixing to acting and directing styles. Hollywood Insider’s commitment to substance-filled articles rather than gossip columns attracted him to the website, creating an enjoyable environment for him to write in and aligning with his personal values, as well.
Aidan Reidy is a writer who’s currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in motion pictures screenwriting at the University of Miami. He is passionate about the entertainment industry and enjoys watching most genres. He is interested in every aspect of filmmaking ranging from technical aspects like editing and sound mixing to acting and directing styles. Hollywood Insider’s commitment to substance-filled articles rather than gossip columns attracted him to the website, creating an enjoyable environment for him to write in and aligning with his personal values, as well.
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