James Gunn Shoots Down Notion Of A Marvel vs. DC Rivalry

Marvel and DC Comics have been publishing rivals for decades. Back in the Marvel Bullpen days, you often read stories of creators from the two companies on friendly terms. To fans, however, it was always seen as some heated rivalry, like Xbox vs. Playstation, or WWE vs. WCW, or Street Fighter vs. Mortal Kombat. The people who actually tell the stories didn’t see it that way, though.

But now superhero movies are big business, measuring the billions.And that has to change things a little bit, right? Not according to James Gunn, who has walked in both worlds as longtime director of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and the new head of DC Studios.

People have this weird belief that Marvel and DC hate each other or somehow are polar opposites,” Gunn said to Yahoo Entertainment. “But it’s just not the truth. I mean, listen, man, our job is the same. We want to get people into the theaters to see movies. That’s what matters.”

And I think that we work together to do that. And the more good Marvel movies are, the better it is for DC movies. The more good DC movies, the better it is for Marvel movies.”

I know this will sound crazy, but you CAN like both Marvel and DC. It’s best for everyone that both sides put out their best stuff, because it forces the other to keep their game on point. I think part of the reason Marvel Studios has been slacking lately is because DC is once again in a state of flux. Hopefully, when Gunn drops Superman: Legacy in 2025 it’ll be the start of both companies slugging it out to be number one, and then Gunn and Kevin Feige can go have a beer or something.

Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.