James Gunn Killed Greenlit DCU Movie for a Smart Reason

James Gunn, head of DC Studios, shared insights into the studio’s creative approach for upcoming DC Universe ventures. This disclosure follows the initial cinematic release of Superman, marking the beginning of Gunn’s DCU series. At present, this film boasts a Certified Fresh rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 404 critiques.

James Gunn explains why he canceled a recent DCU movie

In a recent chat with Ideastream Public Media, Gunn emphasized the significance of having fully developed screenplays before proceeding to movie or show production. He posits that one reason some films fall short is due to writers not having sufficient time to craft their scripts, as studios often lock in release dates for projects without even finished screenplays in hand.

In Gunn’s words, one issue he often encounters is that unfinished screenplays only provide the first act. This can be impressive on its own, but if the final act isn’t written yet, movies don’t function in this way. Plots shouldn’t work like that either; they’re a whole entity, like a clock where each part must fit seamlessly together. He has seen this happen repeatedly and it drives him crazy, despite his efforts to warn others about it. Frustratingly, people still continue to make this mistake, but Gunn vows never to do the same.

Moreover, Gunn also shared an instance where he was forced to scrap one of the planned DCU films due to the script failing to improve with consecutive revisions. Continuing with the production would’ve only reflected negatively on both the director and the screenwriter.

We had a script for a movie that got approved, but after multiple drafts, it wasn’t improving. It remained stagnant and I realized that the film just wasn’t good enough. Even with a talented director and screenwriter on board, a great script doesn’t automatically materialize. Everyone involved would end up disappointed if we went ahead with it. The movie wouldn’t be successful, reflecting poorly on the director, screenwriter, and us. So I decided against making the film. We effectively shelved the project.

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2025-07-17 22:40