James Gunn’s Superman movie gets a review from Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe boss reacts to the DC Universe film. While Gunn has finished his time with the MCU, the filmmaker’s superhero chapter is far from over, as he is now running DC Studios together with Peter Safran, which led to the launch of the DCU franchise.
The DCU’s Superman movie has finally arrived in theaters, marking the beginning of a new era for the comic book movie genre, with DC Studios now looking to create a fresh interconnected franchise. After his time with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn is using his MCU experience with Feige to help the DC brand.
Feige recently did a press roundtable with multiple outlets, including Variety, where the subject of Gunn’s Superman movie was addressed, after having had the now-DC Studios co-CEO as one of the big filmmakers of the MCU. As someone who has been rooting for Gunn, Feige had nothing but praise for Gunn’s Superman, sharing the following:
Kevin Feige: Look at Superman… it’s clearly not superhero fatigue, right? I liked it a lot. I love how you just jump right into it. You don’t know who Mr. Terrific is? Tough. You’ll figure it out. You don’t know what this is? Just go, go. This is a fully fleshed-out world.
The Marvel Studios president compared DCU’s Superman to the MCU’s upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps movie, which is set to release later this week. Feige explained how the MCU film aims to “bring optimism into the world“, and how it mirrors the DC film in this regard, stating:
Kevin Feige: I think we saw that with James’s movie a couple of weeks ago, that the notion of cynicism put to the side briefly to deal in earnest with positivity is a great thing.
Kevin Feige also elaborated on the exchange he had with Gunn after seeing Superman (via ᴅᴇᴀᴅline). Feige stressed that Gunn had an influence on them as much as they had on him, sharing the following:
Kevin Feige: I think James has had an influence on us, and we had one on him. We texted. I was telling him how much I loved the movie. And he said ‘Wouldn’t exist without you guys.’ I think studios see every other studio as compeтιтion. Right now in our business, I root for every movie. I want every movie to succeed.
What Kevin Feige’s Superman Comments Mean
Feige’s sentiment about how supportive he is of Gunn and DC Studios serves as a good reminder that the DC and Marvel rivalry has almost more been something among fans, as both these brands are dependent on each other’s success. While the industry is debating if superhero fatigue truly is a thing, Feige’s Superman comments underline how the genre is still highly beloved and popular.
From the reception to both the Superman movie Easter eggs and references and the larger DCU that is being built out, the response to Gunn’s film makes it clear that there is still an audience for these types of stories. This is reᴀssuring, as it’s fair to say that the MCU’s track record over the last few years hasn’t been entirely stable throughout The Multiverse Saga.
However, hits like ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine and Daredevil: Born Again demonstrate that fans can be invested so long as projects feel distinct and unique enough. That is what both Gunn and Feige are looking to do for the DCU and MCU, respectively, rather than letting the genre feel repeтιтive.
Our Take On Kevin Feige’s Superman Comments
Hearing the respect Gunn and Feige still have for one another goes to show that DC and Marvel’s co-existence in Hollywood is more than possible. To have two mᴀssive superhero cinematic universes at the same time is a big deal, especially when looking back at how studios were reluctant to embrace the genre before the 2000s.
While Gunn may have closed the MCU chapter of his career, the success of Superman makes it clear that there is potential in his vision for this side of the superhero genre, which will hopefully help the DCU keep going for as long as possible. As Superman continues its theatrical run, the journey of the DCU is just getting started for DC Studios.
Source: Variety and ᴅᴇᴀᴅline
