Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Grogu being painfully adorable in The Mandalorian and Grogu
Star Wars Movies Former Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy compares Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau to George Lucas
David Corenswet as Superman
Superhero Movies How to watch DC movies in order (release date and chronological)
Spider-Man and Boomerang fighting in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Superhero Movies Upcoming superhero movies: every Marvel, DC, and comic book movie in 2026 and beyond
DCU Chapter One explained: James Gunn smiling.
Superhero Movies DCU Chapter One: Every movie and show in the new DC cinematic universe
Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen / Clayface
Horror Movies James Gunn seemingly answers a Clayface mystery about if we've seen him in the DCU before
Milly Alcock as Supergirl in upcoming DC movie Supergirl
Superhero Movies Upcoming DC movies and TV shows: Every DCU title coming soon
andy serkis
Fantasy Movies Andy Serkis says he doesn't see a difference between game and movie acting: "Hollywood is using video game engines"
Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in Lanterns.
Superhero Shows Lanterns release date, cast, plot, and everything else we know about the new DCU TV show
Trial of the Amazons #1 cover
DC TV Shows James Gunn says that Booster Gold and the "Game of Thrones-ish" Wonder Woman-adjacent show are still happening at DC
Dante in Devil May Cry season 2
Animated Shows Devil May Cry showrunner rallies against the "Marvel-ification" of IP, but says Netflix are refreshingly different
Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen / Clayface
DC Movies Clayface is set before Superman and "very connected" to the wider DCU
Ahsoka
Star Wars TV Shows Ahsoka season 2 is dealing with a "higher level" of Star Wars than The Mandalorian and Grogu
Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in Lanterns.
DC TV Shows James Gunn confirms Lanterns HBO release date, hours after the teaser was mysteriously pulled
Invincible season 4
Superhero Shows Invincible creator Robert Kirkman says MCU-style superhero storytelling isn't "novel" anymore
A series of Justice League Unlimited RPG books and accessories on a blue background showing numerous heroes
Tabletop Gaming First official Justice League tabletop RPG in almost 20 years is on the way, co-written by comics legend Mark Waid
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies
  3. Action Movies
  4. DC Movies
  5. Superman

James Gunn says his DCU is less like the MCU and more like Game of Thrones and Star Wars: "We’re building a universe and then picking out little pieces of it"

News
By Bradley Russell published 20 August 2025

James Gunn explains the key difference between his DCU and the MCU

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

David Corenswet as Superman fighting back flames
(Image credit: Warner Bros)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
1
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

DC Studios boss James Gunn has explained the key difference between his fledgling DCU and the MCU.

"You talk about George R.R. Martin, and he is really one of the guys who I love and look up to. I’m an enormous fan of his and people say, 'Oh, the DCU is doing what MCU is.' But I think it really is a lot more to me what the Game of Thrones world is like or what Star Wars is like," Gunn told actor Rainn Wilson in Interview Magazine.

Gunn added, "Because we’re building a universe and then picking out little pieces of it and telling individual stories from that universe."

Latest Videos From
You may like
  • James Gunn James Gunn plans to rewatch The Suicide Squad and Blue Beetle to decide what is DCU canon
  • Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman James Gunn says the DCU's upcoming Wonder Woman project is "definitely not" cancelled
  • DCU Chapter One explained: James Gunn smiling. DCU Chapter One: Every movie and show in the new DC cinematic universe

Gunn's more scattershot, genre-agnostic approach has already been proven in the opening salvo of announcements for DCU Chapter One.

Not many universes, after all, would open with Creature Commandos, an animated series bringing together weird and wacky figures such as Doctor Phosphorus and Frankenstein, and follow it up with Superman and Peacemaker season 2.

Beyond that, the likes of Clayface and Swamp Thing expand the world further with body horror, then Lanterns and Supergirl bring a more cosmic energy to the DCU.

Of course, the MCU – in which Gunn helmed a trilogy of Guardians of the Galaxy movies – wasn't completely dissimilar, but has always felt like it was building towards a larger narrative – whether that's the Infinity Saga or the Multiverse Saga.

Even Gunn's movies weren't safe from the spectre of Thanos, with the director famously whipping up Infinity Stones lore in just three minutes.

But Gunn's breaking-down of his key philosophies here, alongside his previous declaration that post-credits won't be there to service future movie set-ups, is evidence enough that the DCU will be much different to the MCU.

For more, check out our guide to upcoming DC movies and how to watch the DC movies in order. Then discover timings and dates for Peacemaker with the Peacemaker season 2 release schedule.

TOPICS
James Gunn
Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Social Links Navigation
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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.

Read more
James Gunn
DC Movies James Gunn plans to rewatch The Suicide Squad and Blue Beetle to decide what is DCU canon
 
 
Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman
DC Movies James Gunn says the DCU's upcoming Wonder Woman project is "definitely not" cancelled
 
 
DCU Chapter One explained: James Gunn smiling.
Superhero Movies DCU Chapter One: Every movie and show in the new DC cinematic universe
 
 
Invincible season 4
Superhero Shows Invincible creator Robert Kirkman says MCU-style superhero storytelling isn't "novel" anymore
 
 
Trial of the Amazons #1 cover
DC TV Shows James Gunn says that Booster Gold and the "Game of Thrones-ish" Wonder Woman-adjacent show are still happening at DC
 
 
Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen / Clayface
Horror Movies James Gunn seemingly answers a Clayface mystery about if we've seen him in the DCU before
 
 
Latest in DC Movies
Robert Pattinson in The Batman
DC Movies The rumors are true: The Batman 2 is set in winter as Matt Reeves delivers perfect first look
 
 
James Gunn and Matthew Lillard on the set of Man of Tomorrow
DC Movies Superman sequel adds Matthew Lillard to its cast, and everyone thinks he’s playing DC’s silliest superhero
 
 
A series of Justice League Unlimited RPG books and accessories on a blue background showing numerous heroes
Tabletop Gaming First official Justice League tabletop RPG in almost 20 years is on the way, co-written by comics legend Mark Waid
 
 
James Gunn
DC Movies James Gunn plans to rewatch The Suicide Squad and Blue Beetle to decide what is DCU canon
 
 
Milly Alcock as Supergirl in upcoming DC movie Supergirl
DC Movies DC Studios co-CEO disagrees superhero fatigue was ever a thing, instead calls it "mediocre movie fatigue"
 
 
Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen / Clayface
Horror Movies James Gunn seemingly answers a Clayface mystery about if we've seen him in the DCU before
 
 
Latest in News
The Elder Scrolls After 14 years since reveal, the Morrowind remake made in Skyrim gets another update and sounds close to completion
 
 
A blue-skinned girl in a hat and oversized clothes jetskis around a few small islands with the blue sky shining above, in a screenshot from Bobo Bay.
Simulation Games This indie game with near perfect Steam reviews is the Sonic Adventure follow-up I've been waiting 26 years for
 
 
Diablo 4
Diablo Diablo 4 devs designed the new warlock class based on who would win in a "fist fight"
 
 
Motorslice screenshot of blue haired girl P
Action Games New Steam indie game with glistening reviews is like Shadow of the Colossus if all the bosses were construction vehicles
 
 
Psychonauts
Xbox First-party Xbox studio Double Fine is unionizing
 
 
Black and white shot of stunned Fortnite character
Battle Royale Games Epic knows everyone's afraid "AI is going to take all our jobs," but the goal is efficiency
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Geralt of Rivia, who has white hair, a facial scar, and a wears a hood, in The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings Enchanced Edition
    1
    The 7 best Witcher games to play in 2026, ranked
  2. 2
    Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter are duking it out in cinemas – Tekken should be next
  3. 3
    Valve's Gabe Newell always understood what Steam does better than every other PC and console store: "The thing that we've been successful with are the Steam sales"
  4. 4
    After 14 years since announcement, the Morrowind remake made in Skyrim gets another encouraging update and sounds close to completion
  5. 5
    Mortal Kombat 2 writer reveals the fighter he cut from the script: "I wasn't able to devote enough time to sell him as a character"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...