James Gunn, the director of Superman, downplayed the stakes surrounding the film, calling it “not the riskiest endeavor in the world.” He said the film will launch an entirely new DC Universe, but the writer-director says he isn’t feeling the intense pressure others might expect.
“Sure, there’s something riding on it,” James Gunn told GQ, “but it’s not as big as people make it out to be. They hear these numbers that the movie has to make $700 million to be successful, and that’s just complete and utter nonsense. It doesn’t need to be the massive deal everyone’s suggesting.”
As the first installment in a rebooted DC Universe, which already includes a completed Supergirl film and plans for new versions of Batman and Wonder Woman, Superman carries a reported $200 million budget, industry insiders will be watching closely when it opens, especially as comic book movies face a wave of box office uncertainty.
Warner Bros.’s previous DC slate fizzled in 2023 with flops like Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash, while Marvel has stumbled in 2025 with Captain America: Brave New World underperforming and Thunderbolts, despite positive reviews, losing money.
Superhero Fatigue?
Gunn, who co-heads DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, has repeatedly spoken about the state of the superhero genre. In a 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, he acknowledged the reality of superhero fatigue but argued that weak storytelling – not the genre itself – is to blame.
“Superhero fatigue is real,” Gunn said. “But it’s not about superheroes. It’s about the kind of stories being told. When you lose focus on character, it all falls apart. We love Superman, Batman, Iron Man -because they’re compelling characters we care about. But if a film turns into just a bunch of nonsense on screen, people get bored.”
He also said creators have become lazy with superhero stories, treating them as automatic successes, thinking, “Oh, it’s a superhero – let’s make a movie”. They rush into a sequel just because the first one did okay.
Gunn feels that creators are not asking the important questions, such as: Why does this story matter? What makes this character stand out? What’s the emotional core? And why should audiences care enough to show up in theaters?
Superman hits theaters July 11, distributed by Warner Bros. and DC Studios.
Also Read: Rachel Brosnahan Slams Actors for Complaining About Their Superhero Movies
