While this might seem like a strange comparison out of context, being that the MCU has essentially been going on for 15 years at this point, it’s pretty easy to see what James Gunn is saying here. In talking about tone and its evolution across these two massive cinematic brands, the filmmaker seems to suggest that there’s room for all kinds of heroes and stories.
Gunn continued by explaining for his new DCU, he’s excited to bring “traditional superheroes” back to the silver screen, pointing at the lack of secret identities in the MCU. He further expressed what about the DCU’s beginnings excited him, telling Michael Rosenbaum, “I love that we get to create true worldbuilding in DC.” The director stressed the importance of keeping things grounded while embracing the prominent fantasy aspects of the DC Universe. “There is a bit more of a fantasy element to DCU because there are these larger-than-life superheroes.”
After the backlash to Marvel’s “Secret Invasion” and the lukewarm reception toward “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” as well as the box office beating “The Flash” and “Shazam: Fury of the Gods” took, it does seem fans are craving something different than the standard superhero flick. Neither side of fans wants to give up on some of the most iconic characters of all time, but viewers might be getting tired of the subgenre spinning its wheels as it constantly builds up to the next big thing.