There’s no need to fix it in post! James Gunn reveals how his approach to VFX for Superman and the DC Universe differs from other massive franchises.
Despite having already wrapped filming, fans still have to wait almost a year for Superman to hit theaters. This gives the DC Universe’s debut film more time in post-production than almost every other modern superhero film. When asked about why it’s taking so long, James Gunn said that it’s by design to get the best results possible.
“If you do some research you’ll see my films have always taken a different approach and I’ve always given my VFX artist-collaborators time to do their jobs properly, and the respect they deserve,” Gunn revealed in a post on Threads. “And the quality of the VFX in those films is uniformly great because of it (and because my friends at Weta and Framestore and ILM and more are amazingly talented).”
“This is why we wrapped on Superman a year before release and why they’ve been hard at work on many shots for months before that. This is why we start heartily editing during the shoot. It’s why I prepare so vigorously and why we only shoot finished screenplays. And Supergirl, which I’m not directing, is being handled the same way. I can’t praise the VFX artists that help us create magic enough.”
It’s a relief to hear that James Gunn is starting the DC Universe off on a good footing when it comes to the treatment of VFX artists. So many modern superhero movies are plagued by stories of crunch on post-production workers, leading to many, many jokes on the internet. And it seems the secret sauce to treating the artists well is just a bit of preparation.
James Gunn Reveals His Post-Production Secret
Many assume that most of the troubles when it comes to the treatment of post-production studios are caused on the micro-level. Poor decisions by executives, rushed directors, and a lack of VFX coordinators. While all of those are certainly a problem, James Gunn admits that his golden bullet for Superman and the DC Universe is just having a completed script.
“No,” Gunn responded when a user asked if sometimes VFX crunch is out of his control. “Because I’ve always had a script essentially finished months before shooting, always completely storyboarded, and I’ve always insisted we be wrapped in time to do quality visual effects. I wouldn’t make a big film like that without the proper amount of post time.”
It’s no secret that a lot of blockbusters get pushed into production while the script is still being written, not to mention the amount of “improv” touted by actors on set. Having a commitment to finished scripts may be the most refreshing part of James Gunn’s DC Universe fans, and should ignite the embers of passion in anyone who wrote off Superman for just being the standard superhero flick.
Superman is currently scheduled to hit theaters on July 11, 2025. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
