James Gunn Admits That Running DC Studios While Directing SUPERMAN Was "Madness"
When James Gunn agreed to co-run DC Studios, he wasn’t just stepping into an executive role. He was taking on a responsibility that few filmmakers would even consider while actively directing a major tentpole like Superman.
Balancing creative leadership with day-to-day studio oversight has turned Gunn’s workload into something closer to an endurance test than a traditional job.
“I don’t think it’s ever really been done. Even Walt Disney was more of a producer than a director. It’s an experiment. And yes, sometimes it probably sounds like madness — especially since I don’t make the most conventional films.”
Gunn’s dual role puts him in rare territory. He isn’t only shaping the tone and direction of the DCU from a macro level. He’s also in the weeds, making creative decisions on set, working through story problems, and overseeing production on one of the most closely watched superhero films in years.
The combination would be overwhelming on its own, but Gunn is doing it while trying to rebuild trust in a brand that’s gone through years of upheaval.
The scale of that responsibility is part of why Gunn initially turned the job down. Running a studio often means stepping away from the hands-on creative work that drew him to filmmaking in the first place. He’s been clear that he had no interest in becoming a full-time executive modeled after other franchise architects.
What changed was the partnership. Taking on DC Studios alongside Peter Safran made the challenge feel possible. The division of strengths between the two allows Gunn to stay creatively focused while still having a voice in the broader strategy.
Safran handles the areas Gunn openly admits aren’t his strongest, keeping operations steady and teams aligned while Gunn concentrates on storytelling and long-term vision.
Even with that support, the workload is relentless. Gunn describes the experience as exciting, exhausting, and occasionally absurd.
“But I love big spectacle. That’s my jam. I originally said no to the job. I didn’t want to do what Kevin Feige does. But once Peter and I realized we’d be doing it together, it became exciting. I still don’t know if it’s sustainable long-term. It’s a lot. There just aren’t enough hours in the day.”
Which is funny for him to say considering how much time he spends interacting with the fans on social media.
Gunn is involved in everything from creative development and casting discussions to larger structural decisions about how DC’s films, television, and comics divisions communicate with each other. At the same time, he’s still the filmmaker who obsesses over tone, character, and emotional payoff.
For fans and industry watchers, this setup offers something rare. The person setting the creative direction for the DCU is also actively making the movies. There’s no filter between the vision and the execution. That closeness could be risky, but it also brings a level of cohesion the franchise has struggled to achieve in the past.
Gunn doesn’t pretend this model is sustainable forever. He’s open about the strain and the uncertainty of whether it can work long term. What keeps him going is the belief that these characters matter and that the opportunity to help redefine them is worth the sacrifice.
Gunn is pushing himself into uncharted territory, juggling leadership and creativity at the highest level. Whether or not the experiment lasts, it’s already reshaping how DC is being built, one exhausting day at a time.
Source: Variety
