James Gunn Confirms Whether He Can Work For Marvel & DC At The Same Time
After spearheading the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for Marvel Studios, James Gunn is now a co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran. The next project on his docket is helming "Superman: Legacy," but there are still plenty of fans wondering if he could do something else with Marvel. Gunn has adamantly declared he's solely a DC guy at this point.
On Threads, Gunn was asked if he could still do something with Marvel, even if it's just writing "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4." Gunn didn't mince words: "No I'm pure DC." In a follow-up, the filmmaker was asked if he wanted to keep working with Marvel, and he let loose this intriguing statement: "I could not either physically or legally."
The "physically" part of that sentence makes sense. Gunn has his hands full writing and directing "Superman: Legacy." He's also writing for "Peacemaker" Season 2 and "Creature Commandos," so even if he could write for Marvel, it doesn't seem he has the time to do anything else. The fact he's "legally" forbidden from doing any Marvel projects means any future Guardians of the Galaxy projects, including a solo Star-Lord movie, will have to move forth without any of his input.
DC will get James Gunn's full attention
We aren't privy to the specifics of the legal paperwork James Gunn signed when coming aboard DC Studios. However, it makes sense it would prevent him from working with Marvel, given he's the co-CEO and not just a writer-director working on a movie. He's overseeing the entire slate of future DC movies, even announcing a full line-up for the first phase of the new DC Universe called "Gods and Monsters."
Gunn occupies a different position than actors and directors, who are allowed to work with different studios. Essentially, he's the Kevin Feige of DC, so all his attention should go toward ensuring this new cinematic universe is as successful as it can be. Understandably, the powers at be don't want him getting distracted with other projects, and his overseeing numerous films and TV shows (directly writing several of them) is a good sign for DC's future.
There was some level of crossover; Gunn received his position at DC Studios late in 2022, but he continued working on and promoting "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," which came out in May 2023. More than likely, Gunn was allowed to complete his previously agreed-upon work, but from this point forward, it's all DC all the time.