James Gunn confirms what his behind-the-scenes role is at DC Studios, and it doesn't involve taking meetings about popcorn buckets: "My job here is truly as a creative force"

James Gunn
(Image credit: Getty/Gilbert Flores / Contributor)

James Gunn has confirmed exactly what his role at DC Studios is, and he says his job behind-the-scenes of the DCU is "truly as a creative force."

In 2022, Gunn and Peter Safran were hired as co-CEOs of DC Studios, but Gunn has continued his work on the ground as showrunner, writer, and director for HBO Max series Peacemaker and helming the DCU's first movie, Superman.

In a conversation with actor Rainn Wilson for Interview Magazine, Wilson asked Gunn how he balances writing and directing with "meetings like, 'Hey, what are we going to do with the DC Universe and what are we going to do with our studio and these deals and the new Superman’s anus popcorn AMC tie-in'".

After denying the existence of any X-rated popcorn buckets, Gunn replied, "Listen, in all fairness, Peter Safran takes care of all the hard stuff. He is the guy that takes care of all the business aspects of everything. My job here is truly as a creative force. I write, I direct, and I deal with other writers and directors on their projects and help to usher them along the best I can.

"My time is limited so I can’t give as much time as I would like to say, [Clayface director] James Watkins or [Supergirl director] Craig Gillespie or Chris Mundy working over on Lanterns. I make a lot of notes on cuts and notes on scripts and then just try to fit together what the overall plan is with all these characters."

Next up for DCU Chapter One is Peacemaker season 2, which sees John Cena return as the titular antihero. Gunn is upping the ante for the new installment and even seems to be introducing an alternate reality to the show, but he recently assured GamesRadar+ that it's used "so much differently than it's been used in any other superhero show of any type.

"It's not a multiverse with all these different permutations. It's one other dimension in which it seems as if it's the perfect world that Peacemaker is able to use to learn something about himself."

Peacemaker season 2 arrives on HBO Max on August 21. For more, check out our verdict in our Peacemaker season 2 review, and make sure you never miss an episode with our Peacemaker season 2 release schedule.

TOPICS
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.