James Gunn, perhaps more than most directors, has his favorites. From his brother Sean Gunn, to long-time collaborators Michael Rooker, Steve Agee, and Nathan Fillion, the DC Studios boss has long populated his casts with both friends and family.
Now, Jennifer Holland, wife of Gunn and an actor in her own right, most notably as Emilia Harcourt in Peacemaker, has revealed why the Superman and Guardians of the Galaxy director surrounds himself with so many familiar faces.
"It really just comes about because James loves to have his friends and family around him all the time," Holland explained to CinemaBlend. "It's hard to make movies; it's lonely. You're stuck in a place that's not your home for a very long period of time."
Holland added, "You don't have all of your friends and family with you, so as much as he can include friends and family in his movies, he tries. That gives them an excuse to be around and he really thrives on that. As much as he is a loner when it comes to sitting in an office, typing on his computer… he really is inspired by and revived by true relationships."
To that end, Gunn has even based the look and mannerisms of Krypto on his own rescue dog, Ozu.
Next up for Gunn is Man of Tomorrow, the follow-up to Superman, which is currently filming.
Speaking to GamesRadar+ in a separate interview, Holland teased the movie as perhaps Gunn's finest work yet.
"I can tell you that I have seen an enormous, enormous portion of the movie, and I am so excited for Man of Tomorrow," Holland said at a screening of upergirl. "It is different...I don't wanna say this. Ugh. It might be James's best… my favorite movie of James, and I haven't even seen the whole thing yet. I love the movie. I'm really excited about it. It feels like a step up to me in a lot of ways. I'm excited for people to see it, and he's not done filming it yet."
Man of Tomorrow, starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Milly Alcock, and more, flies into cinemas on July 9, 2027.
For more, we have a complete guide to DCU Chapter One and all the latest on Clayface.
