James Gunn is now getting blamed for the Marvel post-Endgame failure, which follows recent reports that his DCU Superman movie was a financial bust and that both his Peacemaker and Creature Commandos shows flopped.
Our insiders have told us that once Warner Bros. Discovery is sold, Gunn will be out as head of DC Studios. That’s why he’s rushing to get his own projects out as soon as possible, ditching “Gods and Monsters” in favor of his “Superman Family Saga.”
Feige’s MCU Direction Echoed Gunn’s Formula
Regarding the post-Endgame collapse, Kevin Feige took an approach to the MCU focused on “the message.” Sound familiar, DCU fans? That’s the same direction Gunn has taken at DC. That approach proved disastrous for Marvel.
According to YouTuber Grace Randolph, Gunn gave Feige and Marvel notes on which creatives to hire. One example she cites is Peyton Reed on Ant-Man, originally meant for Edgar Wright. Reed went on to direct all three Ant-Man movies, with Quantumania being such a huge failure that Marvel was forced to pivot — bringing back Robert Downey Jr. in a last-ditch “Hail Mary” effort to save the MCU.
From Risk-Takers to Replacements
“James Gunn, before he left Marvel, was recommending a lot of talent, right? And a lot of that recent talent has really led Marvel down the wrong path. A path that oddly DC is now going on,” said Randolph.
She added, “In the early days of Marvel, they were hiring more professional people, right? People who were more established. But then when Gunn came in, they started taking risks on like quirkier, lower-down people.”
While she didn’t name others Gunn may have influenced, it’s worth noting that Taika Waititi came in and struck gold with Thor: Ragnarok, a film very much in the Guardians tone. Yet post-Endgame, Love and Thunder bombed hard.
The String of MCU Misfires
Other notable failures include Cate Shortland’s Black Widow, Chloé Zhao’s Eternals, and Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels — all financial or critical disappointments.
The same trend continued across Disney+ with She-Hulk (Jessica Gao), Ms. Marvel (Bisha K. Ali), Secret Invasion (Kyle Bradstreet, later Brian Tucker and Ali Selim), and more.
Marvel Cosmic Fans Saw It All Coming
It’s ironic that the man who revitalized Marvel’s cosmic side with Guardians of the Galaxy (we created this site to promote the comics, so it’s no surprise to us what’s happening, as I’ve always said Gunn butchered the character) is now being accused of helping steer the MCU off course and doing the same to DC.
As the walls close in at Warner Bros. Discovery, it’s clear Gunn’s era of unchecked creative control at both studios may soon come to an end.
