Man of Steel 2 has been tentatively placed in the pipeline of DC Films, and that's not the only exciting news coming out of the movie studio. It's just been announced that popular director James Gunn is one half of the overseeing force for DC Studios, coming at film, TV shows and animation from a creative perspective. Gunn has already worked on DC projects for Warner Bros. Discovery, but this new position presents the perfect opportunity.

The hunt has begun to find the director for Man of Steel 2, but hiring James Gunn to handle the movie might be the right move. He has experience with DC and Marvel properties, not to mention other superhero films. This experience could be synergized to create a movie for Superman that's both in the spirit of more recent takes while also respecting the history of the classic hero.

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James Gunn Nailed Humor in Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is where Gunn made his name known, has been criticized for its frequent humor. Said humor really started becoming a thing after the success of Gunn's first Guardians of the Galaxy. Based on a then relatively unknown Marvel property, the cosmic comedy put the titular losers on the map, adding levity to what could have been a normal space opera. That sense of humor and lightness was seen again -- albeit in a more adult-oriented fashion -- in the DC Extended Universe projects The Suicide Squad and its TV show spinoff, Peacemaker. These were acclaimed by fans and critics alike, with many considering the former easily the best DCEU flick yet.

Such a sense of levity and lightness, albeit with a bit of gravitas, is what's needed for the next outing of the DCEU Superman. Zack Snyder's take on Superman in the films Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was criticized for how dark and dour the traditionally sunny character was. Though this was arguably necessary at the time in lieu of another Richard Donner throwback, it's definitely time for a slightly more traditional take. If nothing else, Gunn's sense of humor would be the best way to break the tension of hard-hitting scenes, creating a more enjoyable and less serious experience befitting the friendly Man of Tomorrow.

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James Gunn Could Continue Some Thematic Elements of the Snyderverse

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At the same time, the tone of the Snyder films shouldn't be thrown out completely. The DCEU films under Gunn's tenure shouldn't completely go for the MCU style of humor, especially since it's become so trite and controversial among fans. Instead, jokes should be balanced by dark, serious elements that portray the nature of characters and concepts in an epic way. If nothing else, Zack Snyder nailed the power and magnitude of Superman's strength, and Gunn has been able to do similar things with seemingly silly concepts such as Starro and Polka-Dot Man. Most ironically, he also produced the superhero horror film Brightburn, which was released in 2019. This film was very much an "evil Superman" story, with the general tone and direction heavily emulating Zack Snyder's Man of Steel.

Taking that same tone and injecting some humanizing James Gunn humor would be the best of many worlds, as it would attract MCU fans, potentially angry Snyder fans and those who love James Gunn's previous work. He'd also have a lot of control over the movie, given his new role at DC Studios in general. Thus, there's perhaps no better direction for Warner Bros. Discovery to go in its search for the person to helm Superman's next adventure, setting the stage for the DCEU to reach new heights via its biggest hero. Gunn had once been offered the role of directing a Superman movie but turned it down in favor of The Suicide Squad. Having worked well in that corner, perhaps now is the time for the director to finally visit Metropolis.