Contrary to how some may feel, it is indeed possible to like the creative output of both Marvel and DC. The rival comics companies have been pitted against each other for decades, and most recently that has spilled over into the film fandom with regards to Marvel Studios and DC Films. Marvel Studios, of course, is responsible for the wildly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe—a series of colorful, fun, and boldly dynamic films that exist within the same universe. DC Films, meanwhile, has had a bit of a rockier road getting its own universe off the ground, but has had unqualified successes in films like Wonder Woman and Shazam!, and has certainly struck unique ground with its darker movies like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the upcoming Joker.

Fans of DC and Marvel like to throw jabs at one another about the films from the two companies, but one person intimately involved in both DC and Marvel is calling for a reasonable approach: James Gunn. Indeed, while Gunn became a Marvel mainstay by writing and directing Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, he was briefly fired off of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 over some old (and admittedly bad) tweets before eventually being rehired. During the time he was away from Marvel, however, Gunn was hired by DC to write and direct the sequel The Suicide Squad, and production is now underway on Gunn’s DC debut before he picks up Guardians 3 again.

To mark the start of production on the DC film, Gunn’s co-workers over at Marvel sent over a little good luck gift—a scrapbook inspired by the Pixar film Up looking back over Gunn’s time on the first two Guardians movies. The writer/director took to social media to share the gift, but to also impart some words of wisdom that it is, in fact, possible to like both Marvel and DC:

Starting production on #TheSuicideSquad, I received perhaps the coolest and sweetest start-of-production gift ever, along with a note of how excited they are for the movie from Kevin, Lou, Victoria, Mary and Jonathan at @marvelstudios. They made me this incredible scrapbook of our journey so far on #GuardiansoftheGalaxy. It’s a thick tome packed with memories that brought a tear to my eye. As I’ve said so many times, at the end of the day, Marvel and DC fans have a lot more in common than they do not. I am now and have been for almost all my life, both. Maybe you like one more than the other - that’s cool - but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them all or that you have to tear the other down. I know that I and my partners at both Marvel and DC believe that what’s good for one studio is generally good for all: spurring each other on daily with heartfelt, spectacular, and innovative entertainment that keeps audiences around the world loving movies based on or inspired by sequential art. #marvel #dc

Let’s go, team(s). ❤️

A level-headed, even-keeled opinion on the internet? What sorcery is this??

Seriously though, this note is a nice reminder that it’s really not worth getting so worked up over the fact that someone on the internet has an opinion about a movie/franchise that’s different from yours. Marvel has made both good and bad movies, and DC has also made both good and bad movies. Your taste may vary with regards to what kind of tone of film you prefer, but I’d argue the tone of both studios’ outputs has only gotten more dynamic as time has gone on, so there’s really something for everyone on each “side.”

Gunn will be heading back to Marvel to complete his Guardians trilogy after he finishes The Suicide Squad, but for now I’m mighty excited to see what the Slither filmmaker puts together with Warner Bros.

Take a look at Gunn’s gift and message below, and for a peek into the future, check out our guides for all the upcoming DC movies and all the upcoming Marvel movies on deck. The Suicide Squad is slated to hit theaters on August 6, 2021.