With James Gunn‘s highly anticipated Superman set to launch his and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe for Warner Bros., the filmmaker claims that “it doesn’t need to be as big of a situation as people are saying.”
In a recent GQ cover story on David Corenswet, who plays Clark Kent/Superman in the film, Gunn shared his thoughts on the pressure to deliver at the box office amid “superhero fatigue” in recent years.
“This is not the riskiest endeavor in the world,” the director and co-head of DC Studios said. “Is there something riding on it? Yeah, but it’s not as big as people make it out to be. They hear these numbers that the movie’s only going to be successful if it makes $700 million or something and it’s just complete and utter nonsense. It doesn’t need to be as big of a situation as people are saying.”
While it appears Gunn is trying to manage expectations surrounding Superman, there’s no doubt the film is hoping to dominate at the box office given its high price tag. The Hollywood Reporter previously reported that DC suggested the budget for the superhero blockbuster is a net $225 million after incentives and tax breaks. That doesn’t include marketing costs, which sources said could be as much as $200 million.
Superman centers on a younger Clark Kent who must reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing, while also working as a reporter in Metropolis. The film, also starring Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult, hits theaters July 11.
Gunn has previously been outspoken about the current state of the film industry, especially superhero pics. A number of pics have flopped in recent years due to “superhero fatigue,” such as The Flash, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, The Marvels and Madame Web. However, the filmmaker has explained that “superhero fatigue” isn’t the only reason films have struggled at the box office recently, as unfinished scripts and meaningless cameos have also been contributing factors.
