Turns out, 2022 was not the first time James Gunn was offered Superman

James Gunn, the Superman director and DC Studios co-CEO, recently attended a Q&A session in London, inside an HMV Shop. In this Q&A session, James Gunn revealed something that fans suspected for a while. It is related to Gunn's hiring in 2018 to direct the sequel to the 2016 critical disappointment, Suicide Squad, which ended up being 2021's The Suicide Squad.

Fans must be aware of James Gunn's controversial firing in 2018 from Marvel and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. While the cast and crew of the Guardians movie came out in support of Gunn, it wasn't until March 2019 that Gunn was rehired to direct it.

But it was in the interim between his firing in 2018 and re-hiring in 2019 that Gunn revealed that DC gave him two projects as options. Either direct a movie headlined by the Man of Steel or a follow-up to Suicide Squad.

What did Superman director James Gunn say?

As mentioned above, Gunm touched upon the initial chance to direct a movie featuring the Big Blue Boy Scout in 2018. But Gunn revealed that he did not feel confident about directing a movie featuring the character. He said:

"When I was originally offered to direct Superman back in 2018, I said no. I was daunted by the task. I wasn't sure how I was going to do it. Also, if you remember, there was other stuff happening with Superman at the time."

Then, revealing that he felt that the Man of Steel project felt messy, Gunn went on to say this:

"It was going to be politically messy. So I said no and I took The Suicide Squad, which was a more familiar type of group to me. Which I'm glad I did, that was fun."

While some may feel that DC could've been saved 7 years ago, it must be noted that the previous universe had too much baggage. Therefore, it makes sense that Gunn chose to take a project like 2021's critically acclaimed but box-office bomb The Suicide Squad instead of Superman, which proved Gunn's ability to run DC.

Plus, if he had taken the Superman project back in 2018, he probably would've been beholden to the DCEU continuity rather than being given the freedom to carve out something on his own. However, now, Gunn isn't tied to what came before because:

The DCU is built from the ground up by James Gunn and Peter Safran:

As mentioned above, James Gunn, during 2021's The Suicide Squad and 2022's Peacemaker Season 1, was nothing but a director working on DC projects. At that time, Dwayne Johnson was trying to build a DC Universe around his character, Black Adam. However, the commercial failure of Black Adam thwarted those plans.

Furthermore, WB hired James Gunn and Peter Safran to run the newly formed DC Studios, much to the shock of everyone in October 2022. Safran and Gunn said in response to their hiring in 2022:

“We’re honored to be the stewards of these DC characters we’ve loved since we were children. We look forward to collaborating with the most talented writers, directors, and actors in the world to create an integrated, multilayered universe that still allows for the individual expression of the artists involved. Our commitment to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Harley Quinn, and the rest of the DC stable of characters is only equaled by our commitment to the wonder of human possibility these characters represent."

"We’re excited to invigorate the theatrical experience around the world as we tell some of the biggest, most beautiful, and grandest stories ever told. We’re especially enthusiastic about doing all of this with Mike, Pam, Casey, Channing, and the whole Warner Bros. Discovery team, and are grateful to David Zaslav, whose bold vision for the future of the franchise we share and allows for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Most of all, we can’t wait to bring you all into the story of the DCU.”

In a month or two after their hiring, it was confirmed that the DCEU will end after the release of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. After that, a new continuity dubbed "DCU (DC Universe)" would be kicked off in December 2024 with Creature Commandos.