James Gunn spoke to Threads on Saturday to defend the DCU and its decision to expand the universe with “individual stories” amid criticism that his films aren’t building up to a major crossover event.
Responding to a commenter who pointed out that Gunn didn’t necessarily need to lay the groundwork for a fully interconnected universe, the DC Studios co-head wrote, “I couldn’t agree more.” “DCU is just an alternate universe; we can come in anywhere at any time and tell THIS story. I don’t like the idea that individual stories only make sense if they lead to something else. People who don’t understand that seem strange to me, because ‘Star Wars’ has essentially been doing this for 50 years through movies, shows, games and books, admittedly without the tonal variety,” he wrote.
Gunn stressed that this approach doesn’t mean there isn’t connectivity, adding that the “Superman” saga begins with “Superman” and extends through “Man of Tomorrow,” “and contains many characters that we’ve introduced in other stories.” “But that doesn’t mean that these other stories only exist to dramatize what’s going on there. I’d like people to see ‘Clayface’ because it’s a great, fun horror movie in its own right, not because of where Clayface is showing three movies from now,” he concluded.
In the post Gunn replied to, the user had responded to an image listing his DC Universe foundation – “Superman”, “Peacemaker”, “Supergirl”, “Creature Commandos”, “Clayface” and “Lanters” – followed by the text: “What is this building heading towards??? »
“Clayface,” which hits theaters Friday, is Gunn’s latest DCU opus, following 2025’s “Superman” and this year’s “Supergirl.” (Before the film’s release, comic book fans pointed out that the character, who was never the subject of a standalone feature film, is a considerably more niche choice than previous DCU films.) It grossed $24 million from 3,458 North American theaters in its debut, comfortably taking the top spot at the box office.
Directed by James Watkins, “Clayface” follows the titular Batman villain, a rising movie star also known as Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), who volunteers for a highly experimental medical procedure after his face is severely disfigured. Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan also star.
Variety Guy Lodge called the film “its own ugly animal; perhaps the characters and conflicts presented here would be toned down if treated as a franchise, but in the context of a single genre-melding adventure, they are fresh and incredibly enjoyable.”
Gunn’s next film, “Superman: Man of Tomorrow,” will hit theaters on July 9, 2027.
Gn entert
