James Gunn has just articulated his approach to shaping the burgeoning DC Universe–and it’s the exact opposite of how Marvel Studios has been telling their stories. The Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker has spent plenty of time bringing Marvel characters to life, but was put in charge of creatively guiding the rebooted DC cinematic universe in 2022.

The first official project in Gunn’s DCU, Superman, hit theaters this summer to critical and commercial success. The second release, Peacemaker season 2, premieres on HBO Max on August 21, and is expected to transport John Cena’s character from the DC Extended Universe to the new continuity.

Now, in a conversation with The Office star Rainn Wilson posted at Interview Magazine, Gunn has explained his approach to the DCU and how the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t an apt comparison, instead invoking Game of Thrones and Star Wars, the latter of which has made roughly $46.7 billion since 1977. Here’s what Gunn had to say:

Rainn Wilson: What’s it like being a part of this world-building? I imagine that must’ve been one of the most exciting things.

James Gunn: I think it’s the reason I agreed to the job. You talk about George R.R. Martin, and he is really one of the guys who I love and look up to. I’m an enormous fan of his and people say, “Oh, the DCU is doing what MCU is.”

But I think it really is a lot more to me what the Game of Thrones world is like or what Star Wars is like, because we’re building a universe and then picking out little pieces of it and telling individual stories from that universe.

What James Gunn’s Comments Mean For The DCU

James Gunn’s comments weren’t necessarily meant to take a dig at the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the approach he detailed does sound like the polar opposite of what Marvel has been doing in recent years. One complaint about the behemoth Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline is that new entries come with the homework of getting familiar with the universe’s past events.

Superman is a perfect example of how Gunn has worked to avoid such a thing, instead “building a universe and picking out little pieces of it,” as the filmmaker said. Superman introduces audiences to a world that is already fleshed out; Lex Luthor and Superman are already very familiar with one another, and Superman and Lois Lane are already dating.

That is an approach that evokes Star Wars more than Marvel; consider that Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope begins with the Rebellion in flight, hoping to escape the Empire, without the audience having much context to go on. In Game of Thrones, house rivalries are established and House Targaryen has already fallen by the first episode.

In recent years, Star Wars has especially taken to heart the idea of letting audiences benefit from past exposure without requiring it. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew had plenty of Easter eggs for Clone Wars fans, but told a totally new story, while Ahsoka managed to build off of the animated Star Wars Rebels without forgoing character development and introduction.

Our Take On James Gunn’s DCU Comments

The fact that Superman felt like an exploration of one character’s story in a world that had already been long established was refreshing in a year where the plot of Captain America: Brave New World was set up by 2021’s Eternals and 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Instead of asking you to remember anything, the movie showed you what was important.

But Superman was Gunn’s first attempt at making a DCU project. With more DCU movies and shows on the way, the question will be whether Gunn can continue telling stories that reference other projects without making those projects required viewing.

Hopefully, he does. By maintaining a commitment to telling “individual stories”, Gunn’s DCU could end up being a friendlier, more welcoming place for audiences to visit–and not just because Krypto the Superdog will be there to slobber all over them.