James Gunn holds a unique position in current superhero blockbuster politics. The man behind Guardians of the Galaxy is set to be the only director (so far) with credits in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe. That’s because, along with working on a third Guardians movie, Gunn is also signed on to direct The Suicide Squad, a fact that hasn’t gone unnoticed in the interminably dull Marvel-DC fan-wars.
In fact, one fan put all these thoughts to him in a recent tweet, and Gunn dully responded with admirable ambivalence:
Honest to God, I can't remember anyone at either Marvel or DC ever condemning the other company. I think there's probably slightly less competition between Marvel & DC than between Marvel or DC & all other movies. After all, we are in very similar boats, relatively speaking. https://t.co/dlmoSfDfsT
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) January 26, 2020
Mr. G’s equivocal tone is in stark contrast to his predecessor in the Suicide Squad hot seat. David Ayer’s expletive-fueled shot at his biggest competitor during the first film’s theatrical release still lingers in the mind. I’m inclined to take Gunn’s stance here, though, as there’s really not a lot to it.
A rivalry exists in so much as they’re the two dominant superhero franchises competing for the same audience’s attention (and money), but the other camp’s activities are hardly likely to play a substantial part in a productive capacity. Focus your resources on yourself, and don’t schedule your new movie next to Avengers 5. So said a great philosopher.
Whether Gunn’s comments de-escalate the Ninth Great and Bloody Nerd War remains to be seen. As always though, you can count on us to deliver vital frontline reporting on all the conflict’s permutations. Thousands of people have already been displaced from forums across the globe, as they seek to escape from those sad enough to actually give a damn about Ant Man and the Wasp’s post-credits scene, or argue that the Snyder Cut was too experimental for Warner Bros. to release. Marvel and DC have blood on their hands.
