Superman: Legacy is set to reboot Superman for the new DC Universe helmed by James Gunn and Peter Safran. Following the recent success of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Gunn revealed how he decided to tackle bringing emotion into the upcoming blockbuster.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ended up debuting better than anyone could have expected both critically and financially, with the film bucking the recent trend of lackluster performance at the box office for superhero flicks like Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Many fans attribute this success to the heart and pain showcased in the film by writer and director James Gunn. With Gunn moving on to direct the new Superman: Legacy film for the new DCU with Peter Safran, he explained his process of how he handles bringing emotion to his films in a recent interview:
“I didn’t come to ‘Guardians 3’ and say, ‘I wanna write a movie that’s gonna make everybody cry.’ I don’t think about that,” Gunn told Gizmodo. “I want to tell a story that treats the characters with dignity and compassion is the best, most surprising, most moving story I can possibly tell. And if that ends up being just moving, because it’s a fun blast of a film or if it ends up being moving because you’re sobbing, or it makes you feel that rage, or whatever it makes you feel, I’m good with all of those things as long as it works.”
James Gunn continued on to say that his story-first approach was still his mindset when writing Superman: Legacy. However, despite not fishing for a specific emotion, he made sure to craft a story that doesn’t deny the emotions of Superman as a character:
“I can’t say I’m looking for any particular emotions to bring out through ‘Superman,’ but I don’t want it to be unemotional,” He continued “I don’t want it to deny that we are, as human beings, emotional characters and that Superman is also that.”
Many of James Gunn’s projects aren’t for everyone, undeniably holding an air of irreverence at even the most serious of times. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was an undeniable showcase that, even when Gunn leans into the weirder elements of his mind’s eye, his approach to storytelling is never without heart and emotion, even if he’s not aiming to bring any particular feeling through.
With filming still over half a year away, it’s unclear what feelings Superman: Legacy will evoke in audiences or what tone it will set for the new DCU James Gunn is creating with Peter Safran. However, fans can rest assured it will be a film filled to the brim with one thing: Humanity.
Superman’s DC Universe Future
Superman: Legacy is a much-anticipated project, given that Clark Kent has been an integral part of the DC Universe for over 80 years, with various iterations and adaptations across different media. The movie promises to explore the character’s origins and his struggles to balance his dual identities as Clark and Superman while fighting off villains and saving the world. The choice to focus on the early years of his career is a bold move that could potentially breathe new life into the character and appeal to a younger generation of fans.
James Gunn and Peter Safran told journalists that their vision for the DC Universe includes locked scripts, wiggle room and a unified storyline across film, television, animation and video game projects. The two explained that the DC Universe could bring back elements from previous DC regimes, meaning that their eight-to-year plan is not a full reboot.
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