‘Superman’ Goes To Digital Just 35 Days After Theatrical Release, James Gunn Blames ‘Peacemaker’ Season Two And Circumstances Out Of His Control
James Gunn’s Superman crashes onto the icy tundra of digital sooner than expected. The film was already getting a home release suspiciously early at the end of the month, but somebody at Warner Bros. (apparently not James Gunn) thought the time was right. This undermines any money still to be made at the box office, meager as it might be, but no matter – they have Peacemaker to think about.
Trying to explain the reason for the abrupt drop to Screen Rant, Gunn said, “Well, it’s very complicated, but the truth is it is because of Peacemaker. I originally thought Peacemaker was going to be coming out next month. There was a lot of things that are beyond our control, so that Peacemaker is coming out now, and, at the end of the day, I wanted everyone to be able to see Superman that wanted to, even those people who couldn’t get to a theater before Peacemaker. And that’s really the reason for it.”
Screen Rant adds Peacemaker S2 takes place a month after the events of Superman, and will feature cameos by Justice Gang members Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), as well as Rick Flag (Frank Grillo). Others are sure to follow, but the new season will also address lingering continuity issues between the DCU and what was left of the DCEU when Gunn and Peter Safran took over what is now DC Studios.
Superman is the official start of the DCU, but the continuity had a de facto start with Creature Commandos, which was only carrying on the tone it inherited from Peacemaker S1. It even harbored some of the same elements from gore to sex to monsters and the adult humor that is a signature of Gunn’s.
John Cena’s Christopher Smith is also a pivotal part of the DCU as a bridge between eras, a mascot, whatever you want to call him. He has the assignment of showing up when called upon for cameos, similar to Stan Lee’s appearances in Marvel films up until his passing. Cena appeared in costume (sorry, “uniform”) in Superman, and Smith was among the fallen in an apocalyptic vision seen in Creature Commandos.
His place is set within the universe, though it raises a lot of questions as to what between The Suicide Squad and now is canon. Gunn has tried to clear this up in the past, but not everyone buys his explanations, which seem to change with the wind. Peacemaker S2’s glimpses indicate the next phase of the series will take pains to straighten things out. However, clear-cut continuity is not the only concern.
RELATED: ‘Superman’ (2025) Review – A Hopelessly Hopeful Superhero Film
The problem with Superman’s digital release hinging on Peacemaker’s new season remains, and it goes beyond box office earnings left on the table. The two products clash tonally as the former was a tame affair, and the latter is a fully loaded Gunn turned to 11, blasting heavy metal. Superman is more for general audiences, and Peacemaker is geared toward the adult HBO audience; they are two different flavors. It’s okay for kids to see one, but not the other, which could lessen the desired viewership.
Also, using a movie that may not, in actuality, be performing as well in theaters as they report or hoped is an odd tool to use when promoting your next show. That is, unless we have it backwards and Peacemaker is being used to prop up Superman in a weird way, as if Gunn and Warner Bros. are throwing their hands up. Or maybe what they’re throwing is the towel while still going through the motions.
Many commentators and onlookers believe they can guarantee that’s the case. Even so, Peacemaker could reset the clock and pay dividends for Superman and the DCU (somehow, maybe, if using WB/DC logic). The new season might even be better than the first, but we’ll wait and see when it premieres on HBO Max on the 21st. Meanwhile, Superman is on paid VOD services right now.
NEXT: ‘Peacemaker’ Is A Bad Sign For ‘Superman: Legacy’ And The DCU, Here’s Why
