"F*****g Iron Man wasn't the be-all and end-all": James Gunn explains why he doesn't feel the pressure over DCU's first movie Superman being a "home run"

There are great expectations placed upon the upcoming Superman, which kick starts the new DC Universe against a forever-growing MCU with one of the most iconic superheroes of all time. DC Studios boss and director James Gunn says he's not feeling the pressure, however, as the film doesn't necessarily have to be a massive box office hit in order to legitimize his ambitious plans for the franchise.

During a new interview with Rolling Stone, Gunn was asked about how it felt to work on Superman with the entire future of DC movies on his shoulders. "Really, I just go, 'That's their business.' Because that's not the truth for me. My truth is this is the first movie out of DC Studios," he started.

"Other people may say, 'It's gotta be a home run, nothing else.' I'm like, 'No, I'd be very happy with a double." F*****g Iron Man wasn't the be-all and end-all. It wasn't Avatar. We are doing something that's a piece of the puzzle. It's not the puzzle itself. We have Peacemaker, we have Supergirl, and what we want to do is make a movie that people love, they feel connected to the characters. It's just this one movie. It's not everything," Gunn continued, admitting he feels frustrated by people not being able to see the bigger picture of the franchise plans.

"I hate it when there's a f*****g article and it's going on about all the problems and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and 'that means even more pressure on James Gunn and Superman.' I’m like, 'Guys, I'm not responsible for all that. I'm responsible for my piece of the pie. I've gotta make my budget back. I'll be very happy with that,'" he said.

We'll have to wait and see how the upcoming DC movie works at the box office, particularly considering the two titanic blockbusters also releasing in July – Jurassic World Rebirth, and Marvel's Fantastic Four: The First Steps.

Superman is released on July 11, 2025. For more, check out our guides all the upcoming DC movies and shows on the way as well as our guide to watching the DC movies in order.