Contrary to popular belief, not all superhero universes are built the same way. Who knew! Few understand that notion better than James Gunn, the guiding light behind the "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy for Marvel and the current co-architect of the newly-branded DC Universe (alongside DC Studios co-head Peter Safran). Having plentiful experience on both sides of the comic book aisle, Gunn's unique position has left him with an equally unique perspective -- particularly when it comes to the influences
and aims behind the rebooted franchise (and rejuvenated rival to the Marvel Cinematic Universe) that fully kicked off with this year's "Superman."
Much has been made of how Gunn returned the Big Blue Boy Scout to his old-fashioned roots, taken straight from the pages of Grant Morrison. But when it comes to the DC franchise as a whole? His inspirations are far more expansive than you'd ever imagine. Take his approach to building out an entire world, for instance, which spans the mediums of both theatrical movies and streaming shows (not to mention incorporating animation alongside live-action properties, as with the "Creature Commandos" series). For many, the obvious comparison to make would be the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "Gods and Monsters," the title of this first stage of Gunn and Safran's master plan for the DCU, might as well be the equivalent of Kevin Feige's Phase One. And based on how "Superman" ended things, we must be headed towards another "Avengers"-level team-up film incorporating the Justice League. All of this matches up pretty seamlessly with DC's most distinguished competition (if you will) ... right?
Well, not so fast. Gunn, apparently, has his sights set on much different benchmarks than Marvel, and they're not what you'd expect. In a recent interview, the director cited both George R.R. Martin's ever-expanding "Game of Thrones" franchise with HBO and Disney/Lucasfilm's "Star Wars" property as the closest comparison points to his DC Universe. And you know what? It actually makes a lot of sense.
Read more: Every Marvel Character Locked Up In The Raft
Game Of Thrones, Star Wars, And The DC Universe Have More In Common Than You'd Think
It'll be some time before the full scope of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe becomes apparent, but both studio heads are clearly thinking on another level entirely compared to the likes of us mere mortals. Take Gunn's latest comments to actor/interviewer Rainn Wilson for Interview Magazine, where the two reconnected after previously working together on Gunn's movie "Super" in 2010. At one point during their wide-ranging conversation, Wilson asked specifically about the director's world-building approach to the DC Universe as a whole and what makes that such an exciting prospect for someone in his position. According to Gunn:
"I think it's the reason I agreed to the job. You talk about George R.R. Martin, and he is really one of the guys who I love and look up to. I'm an enormous fan of his and people say, 'Oh, the DCU is doing what [the] MCU is.' But I think it really is a lot more to me what the 'Game of Thrones' world is like or what 'Star Wars' is like, because we're building a universe and then picking out little pieces of it and telling individual stories from that universe."
This might sound unexpected on the surface, but a closer look at both the "Game of Thrones" and "Star Wars" of it all helps clarify things. The former has successfully (and deliberately) spun out from the original HBO series to tell separate-but-loosely-connected stories with "House of the Dragon" and the upcoming "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." Meanwhile, the latter has garnered plenty of unflattering publicity through its sequel trilogy, of course, but look no further than the various animated shows, Disney+ series like "The Mandalorian," "The Acolyte" and "Skeleton Crew," and even non-canonical (but no less ambitious) productions such as "Star Wars: Visions," and you'll see why the comparison fits. Unlike the rigidly interconnected confines of the MCU, the DCU now has every opportunity to take a much more fast-and-loose direction and place a greater emphasis on the story at hand -- and less so on the big picture.
Time will tell if this works as planned, but there's already a lot to like about this mindset. For our money, it's the perfect response to any MCU comparisons.
For the time being, you can catch "Superman" on both digital and in theaters.
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