James Gunn has made statements lately about his willingness to do a Marvel/DC crossover movie and fans understandably lost it. The Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DCEU are the two biggest names in pop culture, with each company having the rights to the most well-known superheroes on Earth. Gunn has positioned himself as a big name in superhero movies, having directed ones from both companies and being one of the genre's biggest directors.
There are lots of good arguments for Gunn getting to helm a crossover film between the two universes but there are just as many against it.
10 Perfect For A Marvel/DC Crossover Film: He Loves Marvel
It really can't be underlined how big of a surprise hit Guardians of the Galaxy was. Gunn took a team that wasn't even extremely popular among comic fans and made one of the best MCU films ever. His love for those characters and the universe they came from was apparent in every scene. Gunn loves Marvel but more than that, he understands it.
There are some things that Marvel does better than everybody else and Gunn understands the why and the hows as only someone who has spent a lot of time in the Marvel Universe does. That love is perfect for someone who would helm the biggest crossover ever.
9 Not Perfect For A Marvel/DC Crossover Film: He's Best In Certain Corners Of The MCU
James Gunn and Guardians of the Galaxy are intertwined. When he was fired by Disney, pretty much everyone was done with the GotG films. The fact that he's coming back for a third has reinvigorated the project, even though it will be his last. The thing about GotG is that the movies have a very distinct flavor, one that doesn't always work in other parts of the MCU.
The MCU as a whole has its strengths and while there is an overlap on a Venn diagram, his work on the GotG films, as well as his personal style, don't exactly work with the rest of the MCU. This could hurt the feel of the MCU parts of the crossover.
8 Perfect For A Marvel DC Crossover Film: He Loves DC
When Gunn announced his proposed roster for The Suicide Squad, DC fans knew he was one of them. The writer/director embraced the flavor of the original '80s comic by assembling a masterpiece of C and D-listers to populate the team. The fact that he did such a great job with all of them and Starro, the most DC villain of them all, is a testament to his love for DC Comics.
DC has its very own flavor and language and Gunn speaks it like someone who's spent decades reading DC Comics. Gunn gets how to capture the feel of the DCU on the big screen and there's a genuine love of DC in his work.
7 Not Perfect For A Marvel/DC Crossover: His More Extreme Leanings May Not Work With The DC A-List
The superheroes of the Marvel and DC Universes have always been very different and it's clear that Gunn understands that. The problem comes in that his personal style doesn't really fit the tone of what fans want from DC's A-list heroes. His style of writing can be irreverent and his sense of humor doesn't completely mesh with characters like Batman or Wonder Woman.
The DCEU definitely needs change but putting Gunn at the helm of a movie that would star the biggest DC characters of all time might not mesh very well.
6 Perfect For A Marvel/DC Crossover: He's Directed Some Of The Best From Both
Anyone saying that the two GotG movies are the best MCU movies would be kind of hard to disagree with. Both movies did a fantastic job telling two different types of stories and expertly building their characters with each film. Gunn is easily one of the best directors to ever work in the MCU and fans know it.
The Suicide Squad is another triumph for Gunn, proving that he can write DC characters with the best of them and do a great job with the DCEU as a setting. He's the only director in Hollywood who has experience working with both companies, putting him at the top of the list.
5 Not Perfect For A Marvel/DC Crossover: The Disney Brass Might Not Want To Put Him On It
It was Disney, not Marvel Studios, that made the decision to fire Gunn for his old tweets. Disney is very much a company that is obsessed with image and controlling the narrative. While Gunn sells tickets and creates fan-favorite movies, there is a lot of other baggage attached to Gunn that could make Disney reticent to do the movie.
Gunn's past with Troma and the decided violence and profanity of The Suicide Squad might make it so that Disney doesn't want him playing with their biggest toys. If Gunn is attached in some way, they may not want the movie to happen.
4 Perfect For A Marvel/DC Crossover: He Could Give A Very Different Look At The Heroes Of The MCU And DCEU
While there's a chance that Gunn's style might not go well with the likes of the Avengers and the Justice League, that doesn't mean it shouldn't be tried. Some of the best comic runs have come from creators who people didn't think would work very well on the titles they were on. Gunn's different perspective on things and personal style could do wonders of the A-list of both cinematic universes.
Change is often a very good thing and if Gunn is given the freedom to work in his way, fans could see the League and the Avengers in a very different light than ever before. Gunn's vision with superheroes has been proven very effective and unleashing it on both universes may be amazing.
3 Not Perfect For A Marvel/DC Crossover: He May Not Work Well With Both Companies' Politicking
One of the problems with a crossover like this is that egos get in the way. A company like Disney isn't going to want its product to look bad and the same is true for Warner Brothers. Sure, fans want to see who would win the fights but both studios have to be okay with the victor. The whole thing is a minefield that Gunn might not want to deal with.
Gunn has proven best when he can do what he does his thing and any crossover of the MCU and DCEU is going to be so overseen by both sides that he just might not want the hassle.
2 Perfect For A Marvel/DC Crossover: He Could Do It Justice
There have been a lot of amazing Marvel/DC crossovers in the comics. There have also been ones that aren't as good; it's a very delicate balancing act to get both properties to mesh well. It's going to take a filmmaker who understands both very well to make it work and Gunn is pretty much perfect for that.
Gunn has proven to be adept at the languages of Marvel and DC in a way that few others in Hollywood have. In fact, he's pretty much the only person. Someone like him could get the balance of the two properties right, while also putting his own indelible mark on both. Gunn has proven that he's the best option.
1 Not Perfect For A Marvel/DC Crossover: A Director Like Him Might Not Be Best For It
Gunn has a very particular style of filmmaking, one that has proven great for both the MCU and the DCEU. The stylized nature of his work might be a strike against him when it comes to being the guiding force behind an MCU/DCEU crossover film. The simple fact of the matter is that he might not be stylistically right to direct the crossover.
The type of spectacle that a Marvel/DC crossover would entail might not be the right place for Gunn and his style. Melding two distinct visual styles through the artistic prism of Gunn's just might not work for this kind of project.