James Gunn Talks Supergirl, Lobo, Constantine, and Reveals He's Not a Kyle Rayner Guy
James Gunn has got a long road ahead of him as he builds up the DC Universe, and he’s had heavy involvement with Creature Commandos, which set things in motion, and Superman and Peacemaker Season 2, which are right around the corner, but we’ll start to see that universe widen, with other storytellers stepping into the spotlight.
That includes Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, directed by Cruella and I, Tonya filmmaker Craig Gillespie. Gunn recently opened up in a new DC Showcase interview about the state of the movie, the vibe of its characters, and how Jason Momoa’s Lobo brings it all together.
"Craig is such a joy to work with. I was really excited to get to work with him, and he's been just a dream in terms of collaborating...fighting for his ground...when you have an idea that you believe, you really fight for it."
As for the casting of Milly Alcock, that came before Gillespie boarded the project. According to Gunn, she was always his top pick for Kara Zor-El.
"I wanted her to be this little pixie-ish, but very attitudinal character. [Milly] was the first person I brought up."
Gillespie also pushed for a more terrifying take on Krem of the Yellow Hills, the villain from the Woman of Tomorrow comic. Gunn teased that Krem, played by Matthias Schoenaerts, will be a real standout.
"Dude, wait till you see how scary he is in the movie," Gunn said. He called Schoenaerts "scary," "creepy," and "cool" in the role.
But the real curveball is Lobo. Momoa is swapping his Aquaman trident for a space bike, playing the wild, intergalactic bounty hunter. And according to Gunn, he’s essential to making Supergirl work as a movie.
"The comic is very much a bunch of little stories. We needed to create one throughline, one three-act story, so Lobo helps us to do that."
Elsewhere in the interview, one of the hosts shared his favorite DC characters with Gunn, which include Kyle Rayner, John Constantine, and Mister Miracle. The latter is getting his own animated series, and while Gunn’s a fan of Hellblazer, he's less keen on Kyle.
"I like all three of those characters. The second two, I'm a way bigger fan of. I've been online enough to know everyone has their favorite Green Lantern. I'm a Guy guy, right?"
He went on to talk about why Constantine, in particular, resonates with him.
"Constantine, I'm actually a pretty huge fan of. I read every Hellblazer comic as it was coming out. He's a great character, and I like that approach to magic where it's not too overwhelming and he's too powerful."
As for Kyle Rayner? Don’t hold your breath. Gunn’s focus seems to be on Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and, of course, Guy Gardner.