‘Seeing Batman and Spider-Man Together’ Would ‘Be a Thrill’ Says Director James Gunn
While it would be a dream for fans, a big-screen Marvel and DC team-up isn’t happening anytime soon. But in a recent interview, Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad director James Gunn admitted he’d be thrilled to see superheroes like Batman and Spider-Man together — as long as they have a good story to tell.
MCU and DCEU director James Gunn isn’t interested in gimmicky crossovers
Gunn is no stranger to superhero movies. He wrote and directed all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And after writing and directing 20201’s The Suicide Squad, he created the Peacemaker series for DC Entertainment.
In a recent interview with MovieZine, while promoting Peacemaker with star John Cena, Gunn was asked if he’d ever want to bring Marvel and DC’s movie-verses together. While he admitted seeing heroes like Batman and Spider-Man team-up would be great, he suggested he isn’t interested in making movies just for the gimmick.
“What really interests me is a great story, a great character, a great group of characters, [and] relationships,” Gunn said. “I love action sequences, I feel like I love doing action sequences more than anything else. But people become so focused on connectivities. They can become so focused on this crossover and this cameo and this easter egg and this thing.”
“And part of me right now is like I just don’t care about any of that, I really don’t,” he added. “Yes, seeing Batman and Spider-man together, that would be a thrill for me as well. But I also think that what really matters are good stories and I would hate to think that the stories are being forgotten in place of just characters.”
James Gunn has hinted about wanting to make a Marvel and DC crossover with Harley Quinn and Groot
Working for both Marvel and DC, Gunn is in a unique position. And in the summer of 2021, he hinted that he’s spoken to both studios about doing a potential Harley Quinn and Groot crossover.
“I would really be happy to do a Harley Quinn and Groot movie,” Gunn said in an appearance on the ReelBlend podcast. “Not only have I thought about that, but I have actually talked about that to the heads of both Marvel and DC.”
The director revealed that the studios listened to his idea. But he isn’t sure if they will ever bring it to fruition.
“It’s like everybody’s open to everything, but whether anything would ever happen, who knows?” Gunn said. “But the idea of being able to bring Marvel and DC together in a movie, that would be really fun for me.”
Marvel head Kevin Feige hints a DC crossover is possible
Marvel boss Kevin Feige doesn’t want to limit the vision and scope for the MCU. And when asked about Gunn’s ideas and a potential DC crossover, he didn’t say it is off the table.
“Well, look, my standard answer to things are ‘never say never,’” Feige told Comicbook.com “I never thought we’d get this far. James has not brought that up, James is deep in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, that will begin filming before the end of this year. Having finished the spectacular The Suicide Squad and selling that movie, he’s well underway of prep on Guardians 3.”
