1 Year Later, James Gunn’s Comments About The Difference Between The MCU & DCU Feels More Right Than Ever

3 weeks ago 13

DC Extended Universe

The DC Universe has only recently launched with the release of Creature Commandos, and year-old comments from James Gunn on the universe's difference from the MCU are beginning to make sense. The new universe will launch in full with the release of Superman. However, Creature Commandos has served as the first taste of the new universe. With only a handful of episodes released so far, this first look at this world and the characters that inhabit it have clearly proven right much of what Gunn has said previously.

James Gunn is one of the most successful comic book directors of this era, and his style and his movie needle drops contributed significantly to shaping the current MCU. Bringing his ability over to a new universe, which he is building from scratch, is such an exciting prospect. Now that pieces of that have finally begun to be shared with the world, a closer idea of the trajectory and shape of the universe is beginning to come together. The new DCU is clearly much different from the MCU, and in ways that are exciting for its future.

Marvel And DC Are Being Treated Very Differently, And That's A Good Thing

Last year, James Gunn appeared on Michael Rosenbaum's podcast Inside of You to discuss what he saw to be some of the differences between the DCU and the MCU. Having worked in Marvel, Gunn had firsthand experience with making a Marvel movie, and knew the ways that he wanted to deviate. Much of this is summed up by Gunn's comment: "What both the MCU and the DCU need to do is to have a wider range of tones than they presently do." This idea has clearly been a driving force behind the diverse range of DCU projects.

Continuing on, Gunn explained how he saw the undertaking of building a new universe as being akin to building a fantasy world like Westeros. This distinction is important for how Gunn sees this new universe, which is not intended as being only a sequence of projects featuring different comic titles. Instead, each project needs to fit into the new, larger world and build upon the same lore. Despite this, the tone and feel of each project, such as with Creature Commandos, can feel distinctly fresh and different.

Why It's A Good Thing That The DCU & MCU Are So Different

Like The Comics, DC And Marvel Should Not Feel The Same

While Marvel has been an incredible force in filmmaking for more than a decade, comic book stories can now go in new, different directions. Marvel has struggled with this a bit, with most of their films feeling quite similar to one another. Even non-MCU Marvel movies feel different from their MCU counterparts, speaking to the consistent tone and feel across the MCU. While this has many upsides, including audiences knowing what to consistently expect from a Marvel film, it is also a bit limiting.

Having another studio attempt to build its own universe while diversifying its tone across different projects is a fresh, new, and exciting way to reinvigorate DC, especially after their recent box office disasters. Marvel has a place in the cinematic landscape, and it seems that this new universe is looking to find its own place, rather than to replicate Marvel's success. If this works, the two studios could complement one another, crafting very different superhero experiences for the big screen.

The DCU & MCU's Differences Are What Can Allow Them To Co-Exist Perfectly

Marvel's Dependable Tone And Feel Can Contrast Successfully With The DCU

Superhero films are not going away anytime soon, although they have faced some challenges in recent years. Fortunately, there is hope that Marvel may have found its footing again after Deadpool & Wolverine, which will hopefully continue with Captain America: Brave New World and its iconic villains. Marvel has deviated in certain projects, including Werewolf By Night, although the franchise has only pushed itself so far away from its core tone and feel. This is important in retaining the feel of a Marvel movie.

Having the other big comic book studio be more experimental would be an excellent complement to this. Marvel has built a tone and feel with fun, colorful action and light humor and, while audiences clearly respond to this accessible tone, DC trying to replicate it in films like Justice League was mostly unsuccessful. Instead, it is important that DC finds its own voice that differentiates it as a studio. If both studios find a way to have their own niche, audiences will be the ones that win.

Amanda Waller sneers in The Suicide Squad and Task Force M assembles in Creature Commandos

The DC Universe's First Release Reveals Which James Gunn Movie Is Actually The Most Important To Watch First

Creature Commandos' two-episode premiere acknowledges a DCEU movie's story and characters, incorporating the film into the DCU's new canon.

The future of superhero cinema will see several changes. Marvel has inherited the X-Men, and is doubling back on its own successes with the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. These are excellent, enormous plans for the future, but they are wholly separate from what the new DC Universe is able to do. As the new era in superhero movies and TV begins to take shape, it is exciting and satisfying to see these understandings acknowledged and acted upon behind the scenes.

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DC Universe
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Created by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
Cast Henry Cavill , Ben Affleck , Gal Gadot , Ezra Miller , Ray Fisher , Jason Momoa , Amy Adams , Jesse Eisenberg , Laurence Fishburne , Jeremy Irons , Will Smith , Jared Leto , Margot Robbie , Joel Kinnaman , Viola Davis , Jai Courtney , Jay Hernandez , Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje , Cara Delevingne , Chris Pine , Robin Wright , Zachary Levi , Dwayne Johnson , Amber Heard , Patrick Wilson , Yahya Abdul-Mateen II , Mark Strong , Asher Angel , Jack Dylan Grazer , Djimon Hounsou , Mary Elizabeth Winstead , Jurnee Smollett , Rosie Perez , Ella Jay Basco , Ali Wong , Ewan McGregor , Idris Elba , John Cena , Michael Keaton , George Clooney , Xolo Mariduena
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Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount's Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
Cast Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Evans , Scarlett Johansson , Samuel L. Jackson , Jeremy Renner , Chris Hemsworth , Mark Ruffalo , Edward Norton , Paul Rudd , Tom Holland , Tom Hiddleston , Anthony Mackie , Cobie Smulders , Brie Larson , Chadwick Boseman , Sebastian Stan , Chris Pratt , Dave Bautista , Zoe Saldana , Bradley Cooper , Vin Diesel , Pom Klementieff , Josh Brolin , Karen Gillan , Clark Gregg , Paul Bettany , Don Cheadle , Benedict Cumberbatch , Evangeline Lilly , Simu Liu , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Angelina Jolie , Kit Harington , Salma Hayek , Richard Madden , Barry Keoghan , Gemma Chan , Ma Dong-seok , Brian Tyree Henry , Kumail Nanjiani , Lauren Ridloff , Lia McHugh , Jonathan Majors