Since writer/director James Gunn is making most of our comic-book films these days anyway, we might as well learn his top five favorites in the genre.
It’s safe to say Gunn is an authority in the field, as he’s directed five comic-book movies so far, including Super, three Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and The Suicide Squad. He also created and directed several episodes of the Suicide Squad spinoff The Peacemaker. In addition, he produced the superhero horror flick Brightburn, as well as the two most recent Avengers films. On top of all of that, he actually reads comic books. So he likely has a higher acumen than some about adapting heroes from panel to screen.
In a recent interview with GQ, the newly crowned co-chair and CEO of DC Studios listed his favorite comic adaptations.
The list, in ascending order, is as follows: Tim Miller’s irreverent Deadpool (2016), Park Chan-Wook’s twisted Oldboy (2003), David Cronenberg’s gnarly A History of Violence (2005), Richard Donner’s classic Superman: The Movie (1978), and in the number one slot, the endlessly creative Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (2018), directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman.
Regarding Deadpool, Gunn thinks Ryan Reynolds is the perfect embodiment of the character, and says the film is a real success as an adaption because it takes all of the curiosities of the source material — like the Merc breaking the fourth wall — but “somehow also keeps it more grounded and gives it a little more heart than the comic books have.”
Gunn praises Oldboy for its terrific action, including a hallway fight that inspired similar sequences in Suicide Squad and Guardians 3, and notes that he didn’t even realize the film was based on a manga the first time he saw it. He also is confident enough to classify its harrowing subject matter as “really kind of gross but also beautiful.”
Now we come to A History of Violence, where Gunn enthusiastically endorses pretty much every movie made by Cronenberg, including Dead Ringers and Naked Lunch. But luckily for comics fans, A History of Violence is far easier to digest than those other two, presenting a simple story about a family man who’s seemingly confused for a retired killer by thugs who have invaded his town. Gunn calls it an “amazing movie that’s emotional and passionate,” noting that it even has a pretty good sex scene that’s, for once, necessary to the plot.
For a guy who’s embarking on a journey to direct the next Superman film, the least surprising entry on this list is Superman: The Movie, starring Christopher Reeves and Margot Kidder. Gunn enthusiastically describes the “playfulness” that Reeves exhibits when he’s wearing the costume. According to Gunn, Superman “likes helping human beings and likes saving them,” which may suggest we’re going to see a very different superhero than Zack Snyder’s somewhat tortured iteration.
Finally, Gunn gives the crown to the recent Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, which he says “works from start to finish. It does not have a bad beat in it.” Gunn continues, “The action is amazing. The emotion is amazing. The voice acting is incredible. Well-directed, well-written, and I just don’t think there’s been a better superhero movie.”
There you have it: some predictable picks, some deep cuts, and a surprising top pick for a guy who otherwise exclusively chose live-action films to highlight. Gunn has proven his taste to be pretty eclectic, even within a single genre. Hopefully, this mitigates the worries of some Superman buffs that he’s going to make Kal-El get drunk and say the f-word.
