James Gunn Says a DC/Marvel Crossover Could “Easily” Happen, but Questions If Fans Even Want It
Fans have been talking about the possibiliy of a Marvel and DC crossover movie for years. It would be the ultimate cinematic mashup, but is it something that should actually happen, or just a fun idea best left on the comic book page?
James Gunn, the filmmaker behind Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad, and now co-head of DC Studios, has given his take on the matter. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Gunn doesn’t dismiss the idea—in fact, he says it’s been a topic of real conversation.
“We’ve talked about it a billion times. That could easily happen, but simultaneous to that, I think it would be interesting. But I also think people are a little over it.”
That’s a interesting thing to hear from someone who’s worked deep within both cinematic universes. But Gunn isn’t talking logistics, he’s talking creative value. He explained:
“I think people wanna see good stories with their superheroes and that’s what matters. And they wanna see different types of stories with their superheroes. And people love superheroes. That’s obvious, but they need more variety, and they need just more quality storytelling.
“And just having Spider-Man and Superman team up isn’t gonna do it if it’s sh-t. So it’s gotta come from a real place, and it’s really hard to make that work.”
Gunn even has a copy of Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, the legendary 1976 crossover comic, sitting in his office. That comic was a moment in pop culture history. But times have changed, and so have audience expectations.
Gunn knows that slapping logos together doesn’t equal a satisfying film, which is 100% truth. He added:
“I did Superman because I loved the character. I was excited about writing that movie. If I were to write a Superman-versus-Spider-Man movie, is it a concept I’m gonna be like, ‘Oh, yeah, this could be a great film’? Or am I doing it because ‘Oh, yeah, people want to see Superman and Spider-Man team up’?”
Gunn just isn’t interested in fan service for the sake of spectacle, and I don’t think audiences are either. Gunn went on to say:
“For me, it would have to be — if we ever did that, it would have to be under someone who thought it was gonna be awesome and wasn’t just a cash grab, because I’m just not into that.”
This isn’t the first time Gunn has entertained the Marvel/DC "what if?" In 2021, he revealed he’d floated the idea of a Harley Quinn and Groot crossover film during conversations with DC and Marvel executives.
“It’s like everybody’s open to everything. But whether anything would ever happen, who knows? But the idea of being able to bring Marvel and DC together in a movie, that would be really fun for me.”
Fun, yes. But only if the story’s there and it makes sense to do. Gunn has been clear: “Constantly seeing crossovers & mashups is less enchanting to me than a strong story.”
So while a Marvel/DC crossover might be “easy” to pull off on paper, Gunn is more interested in whether it’s something that should happen. Until a story comes along that’s worth telling, don’t expect characters from these two universes to share the screen anytime soon.