James Gunn Addresses Fans’ Concerns About Theatrical Releases After Netflix–Warner Bros. Merger News

DC Studios co-chief James Gunn is already deep into shaping the next era of the franchise, and he’s opening up about the massive slate he and producer Peter Safran have been building.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Gunn talked about how the team is planning long-term and why they believe DC’s best days are still ahead.

Gunn is preparing to start filming the new Superman movie in April, while director Matt Reeves will begin work on the next Batman film in May. These projects are only part of what Gunn and Safran have set in motion. Their roadmap includes new films, follow-ups to major titles, and several TV projects tied to well-known characters.

According to Bloomberg’s reporting, Gunn said that the goal from the moment he and Safran stepped into their roles was to rebuild DC into something bigger and stronger. Safran explained it this way: “When we took the job, obviously the goal was to turn DC into the crown jewel that we knew it deserved to be… We’ve only literally started scratching the surface.”

James Gunn says theatrical releases are “incredibly important” for DC after the Warner Bros & Netflix merger news “The communal theatrical experience is something that is incredibly important & remarkably well suited to our big spectacle films”

Their plans go beyond the upcoming Superman reboot. DC has more movies scheduled, including Supergirl and Clayface, and more shows in development. A second season of The Penguin is happening, and there’s also a crime-focused series featuring Gorilla Grodd. Gunn and Safran want DC to expand in different directions, with both films and television telling stories inside the same world.

All of this is happening as Netflix moves forward with its $82.7 billion deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s film and TV businesses, which includes DC and HBO. Industry analyst Rich Greenfield told Bloomberg that DC might be the most valuable part of the entire transaction. He said, “DC is probably the single greatest opportunity in this transaction… it’s still a tiny fraction of where Marvel got to under Disney.”

For Gunn, the pressure is high, but the mission is clear: rebuild DC and unlock the full potential of its characters.