James Gunn slams fans who are putting pressure on Superman to succeed

The hype around Superman is scorching like a red sun at noon, and fans aren’t just excited, they’re manifesting a box office resurrection. Online, anticipation has mutated into a frenzy, with whispers of spoiler wars, review bombs, and ticket-hoarding cults swirling through the algorithm. The pressure isn’t just on, it’s boiling. And right in the center of that meltdown is James Gunn. He’s clocked the noise, felt the heat, and now he’s firing back.

Speaking to Rolling Stone in a recent interview, Gunn said,

"My truth is this is the first movie out of DC Studios. Other people may say, “It’s gotta be a home run, nothing else.” I’m like, “No, I’d be very happy with a double.” F-----g Iron Man wasn’t the be-all and end-all. It wasn’t Avatar. We are doing something that’s a piece of the puzzle. It’s not the puzzle itself. We have Peacemaker, we have Supergirl, and what we want to do is make a movie that people love, they feel connected to the characters. It’s just this one movie. It’s not everything."

He then continued to address the growing pressure faced by the film to succeed as he added,

"I hate it when there’s a f-----g article and it’s going on about all the problems and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and “that means even more pressure on James Gunn and Superman.” I’m like, “Guys, I’m not responsible for all that. I’m responsible for my piece of the pie. I’ve gotta make my budget back. I’ll be very happy with that.”"

More details about Superman

Still from Superman (Image via YouTube @/ DC)

James Gunn’s Superman isn’t just another reboot; it’s the big bang of DC’s new cinematic universe. Landing in theaters this July, the film kicks off Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, with Gunn writing, directing, and producing alongside Peter Safran. David Corenswet takes on the cape as a compassionate, clear-eyed Clark Kent, while Rachel Brosnahan steps in as Lois Lane, already sharp-tongued and press-ready. Nicholas Hoult ditches the presidential theories to play a modern, tech-titan version of Lex Luthor.

Alongside Clark and Lois, expect surprise roll calls: Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner’s chaotic Green Lantern, Mister Terrific’s brains, and even Krypto wagging into battle. It’s not a messy crossover, just the quiet assembling of a universe, stitched into a story.

Gunn’s Superman skips the overdone origin tale and throws us straight into the action, Clark’s already working, flying, and facing the weight of the world. This Superman isn’t just strong, he’s kind, complex, and stubbornly human. No multiverse cheats here either.

It's certainly an important project for the studio, seeing as it will be the first creative project helmed by Gunn and will very well set the tone for all the future projects the studio has lined up. The pressure is immaculate, but in James Gunn we trust.