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James Gunn Is Done with Superman, Batman, Spider-Man Origin Stories

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has three things he never wants to see in a superhero movie ever again (sorry, Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man).

It was a topic that wasn't new to DC Studios co-CEO and writer/director James Gunn. Eight months later, his opinion on the matter has only grown stronger. Superhero origin stories. Just so there's no confusion, Gunn never said that he was against origin stories – and for lesser well-known characters, those would be key to introducing the character to he masses. But during an interview with The Sunday Times, Gunn reaffirmed his belief that there are "three things I don't ever need to see again in a superhero movie." Sorry, Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man, but Gunn's looking at you.

"I don't need to see pearls in a back alley when Batman's parents are killed. I don't need to see the radioactive spider biting Spider-Man. And I don't need to see baby Kal coming from Krypton in a little baby rocket. We have watched a million movies with characters who don't have their upbringing explained, like when we see 'Good Night, and Good Luck' we don't need to know the early life of Edward R Murrow to explain how he became a journalist. Who cares?" Gunn shared, and he makes a strong point. If you add television series, video games, and other media from over the years, the number of times their respective origins have been told balloons to a hysterically obscene level.

DC Studios: James Gunn Done with Superman, Batman Origin Stories

Near the end of November, Gunn responded on social media for being accused of "overlooking origin stories" while also calling out DC Studios for focusing on "niche characters to headline their own movies like Sgt. Rock or Swamp Thing" and not focusing enough on characters they believe are better suited to attract a "general audience." When DC Studios' "Chapter One: Gods and Monsters' was unveiled in 2023, we learned that a Swamp Thing film was planned (with James Mangold attached). Rumblings had gotten louder that director Luca Guadagnino (Queer) was set for a Sgt. Rock film (now on hold). And let's not forget the Mike Flanagan-penned Clayface movie that was given the green light and is now in the early stages of production.

In terms of superhero origin stories, Gunn isn't looking to tell Batman's and Superman's respective backstories again because we've been down that road many times before ("I'm not telling Batman and Superman's origin stories again because everyone knows them"). But in terms of Swamp Thing not being deserving enough for his own film, Gunn wasn't having any of it. "Don't put Swamp Thing in the corner. That's a project in development we've actually announced, and he's an incredibly well-known character with not only some of the greatest comics of all time but a successful film series and his own TV show, something that could be said of only a very small handful of DC characters," Gunn added.

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