James Gunn Responds To The Hollywood Reporter Story About Future Of DC Studios: “Some Of It Is True, Half-True, Or Not True, And Some Of It We Haven’t Decided On”

Starro prepares to attack Corto Maltese in The Suicide Squad (2022), Warner Bros Entertainment via HBO Max
Starro prepares to attack Corto Maltese in The Suicide Squad (2022), Warner Bros Entertainment via HBO Max

On Wednesday, The Hollywood Reporter ran a story about the future of DC Studios under James Gunn and Peter Safran which left the impression that the Hall of Justice was on fire and that the two newly appointed co-heads were going to shunt what little currently remains of the Snyderverse into the Phantom Zone.

The Justice League arrives late to the scene in Peacemaker Season 1 Episode 8 "It's Cow or Never" (2021), Warner Bros. Entertainment via HBO Max

The Justice League arrives late to the scene in Peacemaker Season 1 Episode 8 “It’s Cow or Never” (2021), Warner Bros. Entertainment via HBO Max

RELATED: Warner Bros. Discovery Cans ‘Wonder Woman 3′, Patty Jenkins’ Treatment Reportedly “Did Not Fit In” With Plans For DC’s Future

That presumably included Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, which fans were led to assume after the actress tweeted out her thanks to fans for their support over the past few years shortly before it was announced that Wonder Woman 3 had been cancelled after Patty Jenkins’ treatment was found to “not fit in” with Gunn and Safran’s plans.

Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) is stunned to see Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) appear in the White House in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Warner Bros. Pictures via Blu-ray

Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) is stunned to see Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) appear in the White House in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Warner Bros. Pictures via Blu-ray

Naturally, the statuses of Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck’s Batman, and even Jason Momoa’ hopes as Aquaman (or possible recasting as Lobo) were also dragged into the various speculative discussions that were resulted from THR’s unofficial report.

Needless to say, Gunn had air to clear, so on December 8th, The Suicide Squad director took to Twitter to address the worries of the DC fandom.

Joker (Jared Leto) gives a warning to Batman (Ben Affleck) in Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), Warner Bros. Pictures

Joker (Jared Leto) gives a warning to Batman (Ben Affleck) in Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), Warner Bros. Pictures

“So,” he began. “As for the story yesterday in the Hollywood Reporter, some of it is true, some of it is half-true, some of it is not true, & some of it we haven’t decided yet whether it’s true or not.”

James Gunn weighs in on the future of DC Studios following news of Wonder Woman 3's cancellation

Archive Link James Gunn via Twitter

Stressing that it would take some time to turn the good ship DC around, Gunn continued, “Although this first month at DC has been fruitful, building the next ten years of story takes time & we’re still just beginning.”

(In other words, though some of THR’s report might wind up being true, he currently has no intention of letting us know either way.)

James Gunn weighs in on the future of DC Studios following news of Wonder Woman 3's cancellation

Archive Link James Gunn via Twitter

RELATED: James Gunn Downplays Rumor Henry Cavill Signed New Contract To Play Superman In Multiple Projects

“Peter & I chose to helm DC Studios knowing we were coming into a fractious environment,” he added, “both in the stories being told & in the audience itself & there would be an unavoidable transitional period as we moved into telling a cohesive story across film, TV, animation, and gaming.”u

James Gunn weighs in on the future of DC Studios following news of Wonder Woman 3's cancellation

Archive Link James Gunn via Twitter

Though he avoided going too deep into specifics, Gunn then explained, “But, in the end, the drawbacks of that transitional period were dwarfed by the creative possibilities & the opportunity to build upon what has worked in DC so far & to help rectify what has not.”

James Gunn weighs in on the future of DC Studios following news of Wonder Woman 3's cancellation

Archive Link James Gunn via Twitter

RELATED: ‘Black Adam’ Star Dwayne Johnson Blasts Old Warner Bros. Regime For “Inexcusable” Decision Of Not Using Henry Cavill As Superman

“We know we are not going to make every single person happy every step of the way, but we can promise everything we do is done in the service of the STORY & in the service of the DC CHARACTERS we know you cherish and we have cherished our whole lives,” he added in a follow-up tweet.

James Gunn weighs in on the future of DC Studios following news of Wonder Woman 3's cancellation

Archive Link James Gunn via Twitter

Sharing Alex Ross’ cover to Paul Dini’s JLA: Secret Origins novel – a seeming call back to his previous use of the artist’s cover to the 20th anniversary release of his collected Kingdom Come – Gunn lastly tweeted, “As for more answers about the future of the DCU, I will sadly have to ask you to wait.”

“We are giving these characters & the stories the time & attention they deserve & we ourselves still have a lot more questions to ask & answer,” he concluded.

James Gunn weighs in on the future of DC Studios following news of Wonder Woman 3's cancellation

Archive Link James Gunn via Twitter

Gunn goes a long way here to placate worrisome fans and assure them the future is wide open.

However, he ultimately never addresses the actual issues at hand namelythe fate of Wonder Woman 3, the various other DC projects announced before his promotion, and the statuses of Gadot, Affleck, Momoa, and Cavill, whose return to the cape has thus far only lasted as long as his ten-second cameo at the end of Black Adam.

Superman (Henry Cavill) returns in Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021), Warner Bros. Pictures

Superman (Henry Cavill) returns in Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), Warner Bros. Pictures

It’s hopeful that his stance on all these issues will become clear in the near future.

Until then, all we know for sure is that Blue Beetle is the only DC project managing to move forward seemingly unmirred by controversy.

Blue Beetle (2023), Warner Bros. Entertainment

The first official poster for Blue Beetle via DC Twitter

NEXT: Rumor: James Gunn To Adapt Classic DC Story ‘Kingdom Come’ As Crisis-Level Cinematic Event

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