With the shadow of box office failures hanging over Hollywood and superhero fatigue spreading like a contagious disease across the industry, everyone is doubtful about whether James Gunn's new DCU will turn out to be a hit or a miss. Well, the real verdict on the transition will come with the release of the first film in the new era, Superman, starring David Corenswet. The filming for the 2025 release is currently underway, as can be seen from the flood of behind-the-scenes leaks making their way across the internet.

Not many people realize, however, that James Gunn’s love for Superman started way back in his childhood. Last year, the filmmaker opened up about the Superman films that had a great impact on him.

James Gunn sat down for an interview with GQ in May last year, where he ranked his top five comic book movies of all time. In the second spot, Gunn selected Richard Donner’s Superman movie with Christopher Reeve. He shared that those Superman movies were his “next big magical movie” for him after Star Wars. Gunn raved about Reeve's “playfulness” as Superman, calling it “one of the best parts of the movie.”

Gunn also admitted that he was deeply influenced by what Donner and Reeve brought to the table. The 57-year-old has been inspired by the “big built sets” in the classic Superman movies, and was vocal about his disdain for the “CGI fest" that has taken over the superhero genre. During the interview, Gunn once again affirmed the promise on which he is betting the entire franchise transition, which is that this time the DCU will be "different".

Following His ‘Superman’ Rejection, Fans Want to See ‘The Boys’ Jack Quaid in This Iconic DC Role for James Gunn

There are, however, mixed feelings among comic book fans about James Gunn’s ambitious vision for the DCU.

Over the years, DC's fate of box-office success has fallen even behind that of Marvel. The last time the DC universe enjoyed a string of successes was when Christopher Nolan was in charge of the Batman series. However, James Gunn has pitched this new universe as a place where movies would be tonally diverse, have varying levels of maturity, and where director autonomy and creative freedom would be given free rein.

Gunn has also assured that the DCU would be nothing like the MCU. If the studio executive is serious about that, then there is a genuine shot at turning things around. But if it is all just PR, it will be game over in no time. Nonetheless, considering Gunn's love for the classic Superman films, he is likely to go straight for the heart and create a Superman that is the complete opposite of the dark, brooding version fans have seen in recent years.

"Let it go"- Fans Roast Zack Snyder for Clinging to Henry Cavill’s Superman After Sharing an Unseen Clark Kent Picture

What do you think about James Gunn's thoughts about Superman movies? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!