From the optimism of Superman to the absurdity of The Suicide Squad, James Gunn's tenure at DC Studios brought a refreshing perspective to superhero storytelling. His focus on flawed, relatable characters and themes of hope and redemption made his projects, including Peacemaker and Creature Commandos, standout entries in the DCU.
I remember when Warner Bros hired James Gunn right after his exit from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and The Suicide Squad trailer that followed was just about how DC bagged Gunn from Marvel. Oof, how the times have changed.
On November 9, 2026, Skydance Motion Picture Group announced that Gunn and his DC Studios co-chief executive, producer Peter Safran, would be stepping down from their leadership roles, effective December 1. Replacing them is former Marvel executive Jeremy Latcham, who will take over as president and chief creative officer of DC Studios now that Skydance has acquired Warner Bros. Discovery. Why? Apparently, the movies did not generate enough of views and cultural significance. Anyway.
Bye bye, James Gunn. You will be remembered for injecting hope into the pitch-black screens of DCU movies. Below are our favourites.
Starting a new cinematic universe with an animated series about a team of supernatural misfits doomed to fail was a fairly unconventional decision. Gunn, however, has always had an affinity for characters who exist on the fringes of conventional superhero storytelling (Guardians of the Galaxy, remember?). Creature Commandos follows a group of monstrous prisoners recruited by Amanda Waller for dangerous government missions. The team includes Frankenstein, the Bride, Nina Mazursky and G.I. Robot, among others. Gunn wrote all seven episodes, and his interest in outsiders is evident throughout. It is an entertaining introduction to the new DCU, with enough emotional depth to make its strange assortment of characters worth following.
Where to watch: JioHotstar
If there is one film that explains why James Gunn was such an interesting appointment for DC, it is The Suicide Squad. Arriving as a follow-up to the much-maligned 2016 film, the 2021 instalment had the unenviable task of making audiences care about a collection of villains they simply couldn't care for (Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn being the sole exception). Gunn's answer was to embrace the absurdity of the premise and turn it into a gloriously unhinged movie about... American imperialism? And it worked, because very soon, we got a Peacemaker spin-off.
Where to watch: JioHotstar
John Cena's Christopher Smith remains one of the more ridiculous characters in an equally absurd post-Suicide Squad world. Peacemaker is a painfully boisterous, trigger-happy patriot who, for all intents and purposes, should be a two-dimensional character, a parody of jingoistic nationalism. But this being a James Gunn movie, we also got the story of a man who has spent most of his life confusing violence with virtue as he attempts to make sense of his place in the world, his relationship with his family and the loneliness that comes with having no idea how to be emotionally available.
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Gunn was not very directly involved in the making of Lanterns, but it was (was because season 2 just got cancelled, ICYMI) part of Gunn and Safran's DCU slate. Starring Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, the series takes a grounded approach to the Green Lantern comics and makes it a show about institutionalised racism and father-son relationships. It's an earnest, hard-hitting show in every way, and the third most successful debut on HBO of all time, after House of the Dragon and The Last of Us.
Where to watch: JioHotstar
After years of increasingly grim superhero cinema, Gunn's Superman arrived with a radical proposition: what if the Man of Steel was just a really good guy who wanted to do good for his community? You know, the nice, well-meaning Kansas guy, instead of some God. The result was the biggest superhero film of 2025, and my, what a joy it was, seeing movies be hopeful for a better world for once. You don't have to be critical of Henry Cavill's Superman to like this version, and let's face it, we all wanted to see more of David Corenswet's gentle giant. Easily the best Gunn movie on the list.
Where to watch: JioHotstar