James Gunn’s Predicting Every DC Elseworlds Movie James Gunn Will Make
James Gunn’s Superman Movie Won’t Be An Origin Story
James Gunn’s Superman movie, just like Matt Reeves’ The Batman, will not be an origin story. While not much is known about the Superman reboot, James Gunn confirmed that the movie will follow a young Clark Kent who is already Superman. Gunn’s Superman movie is expected to see Clark Kent meeting other important Superman characters such as Lois Lane, meaning that it will be a new beginning for the character on the big screen, despite not being a Superman origin story. That is exactly what The Batman did by following Bruce Wayne during its second year as the Dark Knight, instead of showing how Pattinson’s Batman story began.
As of now, there is no indication that Gunn’s Superman movie will take place in the same universe as Reeves’ The Batman. In fact, both James Gunn and Matt Reeves debunked the original report that the former was considering incorporating Robert Pattinson’s Batman in the DCU. Even if The Batman and Gunn’s DCU are not in the same universe after all, Matt Reeves’ Batman reboot can serve as an inspiration for this new DC franchise. The Batman’s box office and critical reception made it one of Warner Bros.’s biggest hits in years, which is why the Batman reboot can and should be an inspiration for DC movies.
The Batman Shows That Gunn’s Superman Reboot Strategy Can Work
Superhero movie reboots are often associated with origin stories. The Amazing Spider-Man, for example, both spent around a third of their total runtime establishing how Batman and Spider-Man came to be. However, given how much Marvel and DC content is now available to the public across all media, origin stories are not as necessary as they once were. The MCU’s Spider-Man reboot, for example, skipped Spider-Man’s origin story entirely. Now, The Batman proves that DC can also skip the origin stories for some of its characters, as audiences are already familiar with how Bruce Wayne became Batman or Clark Kent became Superman.
So far, every Superman movie iteration started with an origin story. Both Christopher Reeve/Brandon Routh’s Superman and Henry Cavill’s Superman were introduced to the audiences through origin stories, not to mention the several DC animated movies and shows that have recreated Krypton’s destruction and Kal-El’s arrival on Earth. General audiences are familiar with how Superman’s story begins, meaning that the Superman reboot can jump right into the action. Skipping Superman’s origin story like how The Batman skipped Batman's can also help James Gunn craft a new DC universe quickly, as DC’s most important character will already exist in this new universe.
