There is a shake up happening at the DC Studios since the Warner Bros. and Discovery merger happened. David Zaslav, the CEO at the merger had big plans in respect to revamping the whole DC Universe. He wanted to bring the secondary character to the center stage and revive certain fan favorite characters. David wanted the creative force to overtake the decisions at the Studios. So, they appointed James Gunn and Peter Safran as the CEOs and co-chairs at the DC Studios.
However, since they took over, there were some decisions made that did not sit well with the fans. There were two major cancellations announced so far in December 2022. First, the Gal Gadot starrer- ‘Wonder Woman’ got shelved. After the box-office debacle of the second installment and some changes in the DCEU, Gunn and Safran decided to not go ahead with the third installment. Also, Henry Cavill announced that he will not come back as the Kryptonite. After receiving a heavy vitriol, James Gunn has reacted to it.
Read More: Why Did DC Cancel Gal Gadot’s ‘Wonder Woman 3’?
James Gunn Took The Decision With The Narrative Always In Mind
Henry Cavill kickstarted the now DCEU universe in 2013 with ‘Man of Steel’. After ten years, he announced that he will not be coming back, and his journey as Superman ends now. There was a lot of chatter on whether he will make a comeback or not. But, Dwayne Johnso, during his promotion for ‘Black Adam’ presented hints that Henry Cavill will come back as Superman. The superhero also had a cameo in ‘Black Adam’. After the cameo, he made it official, but now, he is ready to rest his reins in someone else’s hands. James Gunn, in a tweet, said that they have formed a new slate, where there will be a young Superman story.
The fans have unanimously attacked DC and James Gunn for the radical steps that they have taken during the “transitional period” with axing characters, franchise, and recasting the Suicide Squad. On December 19th, 2022, the new CEO took it to his social media to react to the criticism.
James wrote, “One of the things Peter & I were aware of when we took the job as heads of DC Studios was a certain minority of people online that could be, well, uproarious & unkind, to say the least. Our choices for the DCU are based upon what we believe is best for the story & best for the DC characters who have been around for nearly 85 years. Perhaps these choices are great, perhaps not, but they are made with sincere hearts & integrity & always with the story in mind”.
Our choices for the DCU are based upon what we believe is best for the story & best for the DC characters who have been around for nearly 85 years. Perhaps these choices are great, perhaps not, but they are made with sincere hearts & integrity & always with the story in mind.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 19, 2022
Read More: Is ‘Black Adam 2’ Dead As James Gunn Confirmed Disbanding The Current DCEU?
The Director Ensured Being Oblivious To The ‘Disrespectful Outcry’
Even with the Gal Gadot starrer, the Studios canceled the third installment. The Hollywood Reporter ran a story that due to some creative clashes between the director Patty Jenkins and the executives, they stalled the installment. The ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ director did not completely agree with the story, but he did not deny it either.
So. As for the story yesterday in the Hollywood Reporter, some of it is true, some of it is half-true, some of it is not true, & some of it we haven’t decided yet whether it’s true or not.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 8, 2022
He continued, “No one loves to be harassed or called names – but, to be frank, we’ve been through significantly worse. Disrespectful outcry will never, ever affect our actions. We were aware there would be a period of turbulence when we took this gig, & we knew we would sometimes have to make difficult & not-so-obvious choices, especially in the wake of the fractious nature of what came before us”.
But this means little to us in comparison to our jobs as artists & custodians in helping to create a wide & wonderful future for DC.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 19, 2022
However, the new responsibilities to align their goal to reinvigorate the franchise to their actions is more important to both the creatives. James concluded, “But this means little to us in comparison to our jobs as artists & custodians in helping to create a wide & wonderful future for DC”.
Read More: Is Henry Cavill Returning To ‘The Witcher’ After Losing The Role Of Superman?
