Whether he likes it or not, one of the biggest discussions surrounding the release of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is how James Gunn is balancing being the filmmaker for this new Marvel feature while also the co-CEO of DC Studios, the presumed “rival” company. Not only does James Gunn believe this isn’t a really strange situation, but he’s also troubled by the constant notion that Marvel and DC are somehow against each other.
Speaking to Yahoo, James Gunn was asked about how people perceive his situation, as ‘Guardians’ filmmaker and co-CEO of DC Studios at the same time, as odd. This question led him down the path of also talking about the idea that Marvel Studios and DC Studios are enemies and working to hurt each other somehow.
“It’s not odd. It isn’t odd at all, not to me,” Gunn said. “I understand how it appears, but I’m just busy ’cause I’m working two jobs at one time. But it’s not odd.”
READ MORE: James Gunn Says J.J. Abrams/Ta-Nehisi Coates ‘Superman’ Film Hasn’t Been Shelved Yet
He added, “People have this weird belief that Marvel and DC hate each other or somehow are polar opposites. But it’s just not the truth. I mean, listen, man, our job is the same. We want to get people into the theaters to see movies. That’s what matters. And I think that we work together to do that. And the more good Marvel movies are, the better it is for DC movies. The more good DC movies, the better it is for Marvel movies.”
The idea that Marvel and DC are at each other’s throats is nothing new. Well before James Gunn took over as DC Studios co-CEO—hell, before Marvel Studios even started making movies—there has been a fight in fandom that pits the two companies against each other. It started decades ago with DC and Marvel taking fun jabs at each other in comic books, often just to get fans riled up in a playful way, but the rivalry has morphed into this gross, disturbing discourse on social media where DC and Marvel fans wear their respective fandoms like a badge of honor. It’s been taken to the extreme with this idea that DC fans love Zack Snyder and think superheroes should be serious and not for kids, while Marvel fans want so many jokes in their movies and don’t want to take anything seriously.
For Gunn, as he said above, making good superhero movies, no matter if it’s for DC or Marvel, is ultimately great for business. One doesn’t have to fail for the other to succeed.
“There’s not only one winner,” he said. “There can be two winners because it matters who goes to see your movies and who enjoys ’em.”
Now, you can talk about how the opposite is true, also. Bad superhero films, no matter which company makes them, are bad for both as well. So, really, superhero film fans should be rooting for Gunn to succeed with ‘Guardians 3’ and also with his new job as co-CEO. A big portion of the future of superhero filmmaking rests on his shoulders.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is in theaters now.
