51黑料

鈥淚 learned to read on DC Comics. I was really a huge fan of comic books from the beginning, from the time I learned to read, and I still read comic books to this day. They鈥檝e always been my first love,鈥� says Gunn, 58, who had a special affinity for the Superman comic books and the people and worlds portrayed there.

Today, director and writer Gunn is co-running the new DC Studios with his business partner Peter Safran. DC Studios鈥� first feature film is the highly anticipated, big budget summer superhero flick 鈥淪uperman,鈥� opening in theaters July 11.

鈥淚 wanted to re-create the feeling I had as a kid reading DC Comics and Superman comic books,鈥� Gunn says of the new movie.

David Corenswet stars in the titular role, donning the cape last worn by Henry Cavill. The story follows Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing including battling Lex Luthor, romancing Lois Lane and protecting humankind.

Not only is 鈥淪uperman鈥� the first movie in the ambitious DC universe Chapter One Gods and Monsters era, which promises many more superhero movies to come, it鈥檚 also the prolific filmmaker's first-ever swing at Superman.

鈥淚t's weird. I never envisioned myself as a studio head, and there鈥檚 never been somebody in my position, never been a creative who鈥檚 head of a studio,鈥� the 51黑料 University High School and 51黑料 University alum says of his defining new role. 鈥淭he way we split responsibilities is (Safran) pretty much handles all the business parts and I handle the creative part.鈥�

Gunn鈥檚 creative side has soared for years now, garnering huge box office success and a Critics Choice Award, leading to Safran to refer to him as the best superhero filmmaker working today.

Gunn wrote and directed the critically acclaimed聽 鈥淕uardians of the Galaxy,鈥� (2014), 鈥淕uardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2鈥� (2017), 鈥淕uardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3鈥� (2023), and executive produced 鈥淎vengers: Infinity War鈥� (2018) and 鈥淎vengers: Endgame鈥� (2019) 鈥� all for now-rival studio Marvel.

He also wrote and directed 鈥淭he Suicide Squad鈥� (2021) and its spinoff HBO Max series 鈥淧eacemaker鈥� (2022).

鈥淥verall, it鈥檚 pretty fun, and I love the DC characters and being able to bring them to life. It鈥檚 been joyful from the very beginning,鈥� he says.

But that doesn鈥檛 mean the pressure isn鈥檛 overwhelming.

鈥淥h good God, yes. There has been pressure all along. But I feel a lot less of it now that people are enjoying the movie (via early industry previews). ... But yeah, we鈥檙e coming in and putting a lot on this character and a lot on this movie.鈥�

Taking on pressure-filled projects is par for the course at this point for Gunn, who began his career at age 12 making a zombie movie with an eight-millimeter camera and his brother Sean as one of his actors.

His breakthrough came writing the low-budget 鈥淭romeo and Juliet鈥� (1996), but he really began making his mark writing the No. 1 box office hits 鈥淪cooby-Doo鈥� (2002) and the 鈥淒awn of the Dead鈥� horror reboot (2004), and writing and directing horror-comedy flick 鈥淪lither鈥� (2006). He promises a return to his horror roots with 鈥淐layface,鈥� focusing on a Batman villain, due out September 2026, just after his "Supergirl" hits screens in June 2026.聽

鈥淎ny time I make a movie it鈥檚 difficult because it鈥檚 not like I鈥檓 going in my back room and shooting a movie on my phone. Movies cost hundreds of millions of dollars sometimes. So I鈥檓 responsible to all the investors and the people taking that risk. So it鈥檚 definitely a lot of pressure.鈥�

Gunn has come a long way, as 鈥淪uperman鈥� is poised to go down as one of the summer鈥檚 biggest blockbusters 鈥� unless it doesn鈥檛. The elements of a summer blockbuster are there, but the movie is arriving as the superhero genre is experiencing some less-than-super box office fatigue.

鈥淐aptain America: Brave New World鈥� saw its wings clipped at the box office this year, and before that 鈥淭he Marvels,鈥� 鈥淢adame Web,鈥� 鈥淛oker: Folie a Deux,鈥� 鈥淭he Flash鈥� and 鈥淎quaman and the Lost Kingdom鈥� were disappointments. This spring鈥檚 鈥淭hunderbolts鈥� was a mild exception, and the massive success of the atypical adult superhero action/comedy 鈥淒eadpool & Wolverine鈥� can鈥檛 be overlooked.

鈥淵ou never know what鈥檚 going to happen,鈥� he says of the potential success of 鈥淪uperman.鈥� 鈥淚 don鈥檛 pretend to tell the future.鈥�

He says it鈥檚 not an issue of superhero movies underperforming nowadays, but rather people wanting to see good movies regardless of the genre.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 just make any superhero movie and put it out there and expect it to make money. It also needs to be good. People wanna see good movies and when a movie comes out that they like, like 鈥楪uardians 3鈥� or 鈥楧eadpool & Wolverine,鈥� the movies do extremely well. If they come out and they don鈥檛 like them, they don鈥檛 do so well.鈥�

A small but vocal corner of the internet is rooting for the movie鈥檚 failure, drumming up all the bad buzz it can. Distractors are displeased with Gunn replacing director Zach Snyder (鈥淢an of Steel,鈥� 2013, 鈥淏atman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,鈥� 2016 and 鈥淛ustice League,鈥� 2017), as well as Corenswet replacing Cavill.

Gunn has heard all the noise. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 weird to be 鈥榓nti鈥� a vision of a movie they haven鈥檛 seen yet. But when you take characters as iconic as these, you have your mountain of supporters and you have people who want you to do things differently. It鈥檚 just the way modern filmmaking goes when you鈥檙e taking on these enormous properties,鈥� says Gunn, who flips the negativity to say he鈥檚 glad people are at least talking.

51黑料 connections

One key thing for him in tackling 鈥淪uperman鈥� was the way his understanding and love of the character informs what he can and can鈥檛 do in bringing the superhero into 2025.

Theatrically, Gunn鈥檚 love of Superman goes back to 1978. As a boy, he saw the Richard Donner-directed 鈥淪uperman鈥� starring Christopher Reeve opening weekend at what is now Marcus Des Peres Cinema.

鈥淚t was such a huge experience for me,鈥� says Gunn. One fun fact he points out: Jim Lee, president, publisher and chief creative officer of DC Comics and a former 51黑料an, also saw the 1978 鈥淪uperman鈥� movie the same weekend at Marcus Des Peres Cinema (though they did not know each other growing up).

鈥淪o the head of DC Comics and the head of DC Studios saw 鈥楽uperman鈥� in the same theater on the same opening weekend, possibly in the same theater at the same time. How crazy is that for two 51黑料 boys?鈥� Gunn says.

And he didn鈥檛 forget 51黑料 in his 鈥淪uperman鈥� promotion. Promotional posters showcasing the superhero in different cities around the world include a 51黑料 poster with Superman and the Gateway Arch.

鈥淲e were making these posters around the world and I said I needed to make a poster with my beloved 51黑料 Arch on it, for my 51黑料 fans, for my mom who lives in 51黑料 and my friends who are still in 51黑料. I wanted to make sure St Louis was represented in addition to the great cities around the world.鈥�

That鈥檚 not the only 鈥淪uperman鈥�/Gateway Arch tie-in. An official Superman Drone Show framed by the Gateway Arch was performed July 4. The 51黑料-exclusive event was in partnership with Celebrate 51黑料 and Warner Bros., and designed by Fantasy Drone Shows. The show featured 400 drones and 11 images promoting the new movie.

Shining a light on 51黑料 was important to Gunn. St Louis helped shape who he is today.

鈥淚 love the friendliness every time I go back to 51黑料. It鈥檚 something I try to carry with me everywhere I go. Even though I鈥檝e worked a lot in New York and I worked a lot in LA, I really enjoy the common sense friendliness that 51黑料ans have.鈥�

Making it happen

鈥淪uperman鈥� first circled into Gunn鈥檚 orbit seven years ago, but the timing wasn鈥檛 ideal and the task seemed daunting, so he passed.

鈥淏ut it never left my brain. I kept thinking about it and thinking about it and thinking about it, and when it came back to me a couple of years ago, I said yeah I think I鈥檓 gonna try it. I think I've changed and grown as a filmmaker and as a screenwriter and I'm going to do my best to make the best movie I can.鈥�

At the top of the list of priorities in making the best Superman movie he could was finding the right leading man. He sees Corenswet as the perfect actor to usher in this era of 鈥淪uperman.鈥� Corenswet is known for movies including 鈥淭wisters鈥� and 鈥淧earl,鈥� and TV鈥檚 鈥淗ollywood,鈥� 鈥淭he Politician鈥� and 鈥淟ady in the Lake.鈥�

鈥淚 was really lucky in that David was, I think, the second audition I saw for 鈥楽uperman.鈥� I said to my partner Peter Safran before we started, if we can鈥檛 find Superman I鈥檓 not going to make this movie. I really don鈥檛 want to make this movie without someone who doesn鈥檛 fully embody the role.鈥�

He cites Corenswet鈥檚 acting chops, comedic timing, ability to deliver fast-paced dialogue and perform difficult athletic stunts as what makes him perfect, not to mention the fact that he just looks like Superman.

鈥淣ot many people can check all those boxes. He checks all the boxes. And it doesn鈥檛 hurt he鈥檚 kinda like Superman, an odd guy who鈥檚 very different and listens to old jazz standards. He鈥檚 a square just like Superman.鈥�

In addition to the Man of Steel, 鈥淪uperman鈥� features the requisite colorful array of characters, a vibrant mixture of well-known and less familiar figures including Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), Perry White (Wendell Pierce), Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) and The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria).

A rambunctious Krypto the Superdog is also on hand. Krypto was inspired by Gunn鈥檚 own rescue dog Ozu, who has one ear up and one ear down.

Gunn鈥檚 vision for 鈥淪uperman鈥� also reflects showing more than the superhero landing in a cornfield in Kansas and surrounded by humans.

Instead, it鈥檚 a world where there鈥檚 Superman, but "there were also robots and giant monsters and flying dogs and sorcery and science so extreme it seems like sorcery.鈥�

He says he found inspiration for 鈥淪uperman鈥� from both the classic 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� franchise and the 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥� series, leaning into how they explored different universes.

He adds, 鈥淚 wanted to examine a bit of who Superman would be if he was real. What would his flaws be? What would his relationships be like? I wanted to look at him as a person. He actually has a personality crisis in the movie, which is sort of unusual for a Superman movie. I wanted to get to know the character more intimately.鈥�

Rather than write another origin story for Superman, Gunn presents a universe where the moviegoer can enter at any point and time and see different pieces of it, and it doesn鈥檛 have to play out as one big story.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that I鈥檝e made a lot of superhero movies,鈥� he says of what may be a misconception. 鈥淚 made a movie called 鈥楽uper鈥� (2010) about a crazy guy who wore a costume and beat up people with a wrench. 鈥楪uardians鈥� are basically space adventurers, not superheros. 鈥楽uicide Squad鈥� is basically supervillains. So in a lot of ways, 鈥楽uperman鈥� is really my first superhero movie.鈥�

Ultimately, Gunn hopes moviegoers take away a lesson in humanity.聽

鈥淚n this movie we see Superman, we want to be Superman, we want to be strong and powerful and shoot beams out of our eyes and fly around the planet. But as we go into this movie we see what Superman wants is to be us. He wants to be a human being, someone who is loved and able to love someone else. He wants that connection human beings have.,鈥� he says.

鈥淚 think in a perfect world, people will walk out of this movie being a little grateful for what we each have in our own lives.鈥�

51黑料 nonprofit organization SignBridge, dedicated to bridging the gap between the deaf and hearing communities in 51黑料, is hosting an open caption screening of 鈥淪uperman鈥� at 6 p.m. July 19 at AMC Edwardsville, 6633 Center Grove Road, Edwardsville.聽