Remember when Marvel first enlisted James Gunn to make a movie about a talking raccoon, a tree beast, and a band of galactic misfits? Some, including those at Marvel, worried Guardians of the Galaxy wouldn’t be as successful as previous MCU films, but it quickly became the sensation of the year. Now, imagine if Gunn did that for the DC Extended Universe.
During a recent Q&A on Gunn’s Facebook page, the filmmaker was asked by a commenter what he thought of the latest batch of DC films from Warner Bros. and which characters within that world he’d like to focus on if given the opportunity to helm a property.
Gunn wrote back:
I thought there was some amazing action sequences in Man of Steel, but I haven't seen the other two films. I've had opportunities to make DC films, but I haven't said yes to anything, and not sure I would at this time. I've talked before about which projects appeal to me the most IF I was into making one, and it's always Shazam and Metal Men and Swamp Thing and [Jonah] Hex and a few other DC IPs I've enjoyed for a great deal of my life.
He later name dropped Cassandra Cain’s version of Batgirl when asked about his favorite female superheroes.
It’s unclear when exactly Gunn had these opportunities, but WB already announced a Shazam! movie with Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam, while Jonah Hex made his way to the small screen for Legends of Tomorrow, and there were rumors (regardless of their legitimacy) at one point or another about live-action films centered around Justice League Dark (which features Swamp Thing) and Metal Men. Guillermo del Toro has been talking up the former for quite some time.
Frankly, WB has to first lay the ground work for a cohesive and entertaining superhero universe with its core characters before embarking on something on the fringe of the genre. While Man of Steel has its supporters, Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad were blasted by critics. Maybe Wonder Woman is exactly what it needs to elevate the franchise.
