James Gunn says kids shouldn’t watch the Superman sequel, which he claims is the Rated R Peacemaker Season 2 — premiering August 21 on HBO Max and starring John Cena.
So, Gunn introduces a goofy, kid-friendly Superman… but then calls the follow-up something kids can’t even watch?
Make it make sense.
What Did James Gunn Say?
Back in July on Threads, a fan asked Gunn about a Superman sequel. He replied:
“I’m not sure how you define ‘direct sequel.’ I pretty much think of Peacemaker Season 2 as a direct sequel.”
At Wednesday night’s Peacemaker Season 2 red carpet premiere, Gunn doubled down, telling THR:
“It’s a big part, definitely Superman leads directly into Peacemaker; it should be noted that this is for adults, not for children, but Superman leads into this show and then we have the setting up of all of the rest of the DCU in this season of Peacemaker, it’s incredibly important. Lots of guest stars coming up, lots of characters that are showing up that we’ve already met in Superman. I don’t think there’s anything that I’ve ever done that I love more than this season of Peacemaker, so I’m so excited for people to see it.”
The Box Office Context
Gunn’s Superman is stalling domestically and has bombed internationally. It’s hitting digital just 35 days after release. And now, per Gunn, the “sequel” is off-limits for kids.
Up next on the film side of things is Supergirl, where the end of Superman saw Supergirl calling him a b-tch. If Superman isn’t flying that high at the box office, how well is Supergirl going to do?
Honestly, it’s getting harder and harder to follow the creative strategy for the DCU at this point.
What’s Next From James Gunn?
While Gunn calls Peacemaker Season 2 the Superman sequel, he’s also writing another movie featuring David Corenswet’s Man of Steel, but says it’s not Superman 2:
“Superman has a major role. It’s not Superman 2,” Gunn said in July.
At Wednesday’s premiere, Gunn added: “I’ve already finished the treatment for the next story in what I’ll call the ‘Superman Saga.’ The treatment is done, which means a very, very worked out treatment. I’m working on that and hopefully going into production on that not too far away from today.”
