When I first heard that James Gunn was taking over the DCU, I was incredibly excited. And honestly, I wasn't disappointed when Superman came out last year. It was absolutely amazing—I loved it so much I went and saw it 11 times in the theater, and I even pre-ordered it on PVOD. I also dove into Peacemaker and Creature Commandos and loved those, too.

After three absolute home runs, I thought the DC universe was finally in great, safe hands.

In fact, Superman completely reignited my passion for comic books. It single-handedly got me back into collecting, taking me from just 4 comics in my house to over 700 issues and counting, along with multiple collectibles. Gunn's first year literally brought me back to the hobby.

Then came Year Two.

Instead of following up his initial success with heavy hitters, James Gunn has inexplicably decided to dig straight into the comic book second and third strings by greenlighting projects for Supergirl and Clayface.

I’ve already seen Supergirl twice. While I have to say it’s not a bad movie, it is nowhere near the high bar set in Superman. Plus, it falls directly into the exact same trap as the old DCEU: it’s gloomy, dark, and completely lacks color. Because of those choices, Supergirl is currently on track to lose at least $125 million, which is a massive disaster for any film, let alone the crucial second entry in a brand-new franchise. And you can’t just blame "superhero fatigue" either, considering Marvel's Spider-Man: New Day is tracking for a massive $180 million opening weekend.

I also don't understand why Gunn has essentially made a supporting comic book dog the emotional center of two consecutive films. In both Superman and Supergirl, the main heroes are forced to spend a huge chunk of the plot saving Krypto.

Next up on the slate is Clayface, releasing this October 23rd. It's a $40 million, R-rated body-horror movie whose best hope for a profit relies entirely on its low budget. What Gunn is going to have to explain to fans is how you can have a standalone Clayface movie with absolutely no Batman around, especially since Batman's lore should logically exist before Clayface ever shows up.  

The only thing I can figure is that Warner Bros. probably told Gunn he couldn’t introduce the main DCU Batman before Matt Reeves finished The Batman Part II, and Reeves has been dragging his feet on getting that sequel made.

There are a few other creative choices I really don't like. Gunn has publicly stated that Harley Quinn isn't a current priority, and by dumping Peacemaker into the "Salvation" dimension, he is basically sidelining the exact two characters that got him the job at DC in the first place.

Instead, what are we getting? A Jimmy Olsen and Gorilla Grodd true-crime series. What is it with Gunn and true-crime right now? The upcoming Lanterns show is a true-crime detective series, too. Is anyone actually asking the studio, "Oh man, we really need a Jimmy Olsen show right now"? It makes zero sense to greenlight these obscure projects while simultaneously putting the hit animated Harley Quinn series on an indefinite hold, even when the creators and cast are fully ready to start production on Season 6.

I don't know if Gunn is actively trying to lose his job, but using this year as a total throwaway period while Warner Bros. is in the middle of a massive $100 billion corporate merger—and with his own contract coming to an end in the near future—is a terrible idea.  

If Gunn wants to keep his job and ensure fans don't get stuck suffering through yet another total DC cinematic reboot, he needs to step up, announce a crystal-clear roadmap for the future, and start putting A-list DC powerhouses like Batman, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, and The Flash back on the big screen where they belong.

What do you think?

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