James Gunn Breathes Easier After SUPERMAN's Box Office Success, Admits Stakes Were High
As audinces continue to enjoy James Gunn's Superman, the director is opening up about the tremendous pressure he felt leading up to the film’s release. With the film already nearing the impressive $400 million global box office mark and securing an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it's clear the Man of Steel is back in a big way.
In a candid conversation on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Gunn admitted feeling a significant weight lifted off his shoulders thanks to the positive reception of Superman. He revealed:
"I have a strange way of approaching work. When I'm working, when I'm filming or writing, I really don't feel pressure- I'm having fun, that's my relief valve.
“That's a relieving time for me. But then outside of that, yeah, I felt a lot of pressure. I mean, there was a lot riding on this."
Gunn emphasized that the pressure wasn’t just about box office numbers or reviews, but rather the responsibility he felt toward the entire creative team behind the movie. He explained:
"When I feel pressure, the first pressure is from all the people that worked on this movie- the department heads and the actors that believe in it so much and Peter Safran, they all believed in this project so much.
“From the beginning, everyone was just wholeheartedly, 100% in and if it comes out and it's crap, that just sucks."
The stakes extended beyond just Superman, with Gunn talking about how the film's success would directly impact the broader DC Universe and other projects already in motion:
"Also, we have Craig Gillespie working on Supergirl, Chris, Damon and Tom working on Lanterns, and James with Clayface so there's all these other people, working on these other projects that could have been bolstered or hampered by this movie- and thank God, they've all been bolstered by it."
The positive reaction to Superman marks a significant milestone, officially kicking off the cinematic vision Gunn has planned for DC Studios. The film not only revitalizes the iconic superhero but also sets an an exciting tone for what's ahead in the newly reimagined DC Universe.