James Gunn Admits His Goal With DC Studios Is "To Help Shape How People See" The DC Characters

James Gunn admitted that one of his primary goals is “to help shape how people see” DC characters like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

In a wide-ranging interview about his role at DC Studios and his recent Superman film, Gunn was asked by Variety, “What does your partnership with Peter Safran bring to DC Studios?”

As part of his answer he said, “What we share is a genuine love for these characters. We know what a privilege it is to help shape how people see them now — and that responsibility is something we take seriously.”

Gunn’s answer begs the question, what was wrong with how people saw these characters in the past that he now wants to seemingly reshape them for today?

While it begs the question, it’s also unsurprising as nearly everyone in Hollywood wants to reshape or reimagine classic properties in order to at the very least influence if not outright control the people consuming them.

The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau was explicit when he told Vanity Fair back in 2019, “So understanding that stories for the generation that’s coming of age can open doors to people and help guide the values of our culture if stories are told well. So to me that’s the part that I feel.”

In fact, while discussing conversations he had with George Lucas, Favreau elaborated on this idea, “That there are life lessons that are in these stories, that carry on the tradition and speaking to [George Lucas] he felt that the western was the genre that helped teach a generation of people coming of age about the value systems that are espoused by that genre, and that Star Wars part of that responsibility is remembering that part of your audience is a whole generation that’s coming of age and through stories we express our values to the next generation. And so one of the things he said was not to lose sight that this is the main audience for stories.”

Disney CEO Bob Iger also said in November 2023, “We have entertained with values and with having a positive impact on the world in many different ways. ‘Black Panther’ is a great example of that. I like being able to entertain if you can infuse it with positive messages and have a good impact on the world. Fantastic.”

Watchmen actress Regina King has also stated, “If you have the opportunity for your art to meet activism, you shouldn’t pass that up when it comes your way.”

While discussing his ACLU Freedom Files show, West Wing producer Robert Greenwald also informed the Center for Media and Social Impact, “One of the beauties of having a whole television series is that some of the simplistic clichés of the ACLU are really brought to life. You see who they protect, and why they protect them, and the variety of people’s lives they get involved with. It really becomes clear this is not a left-right issue, a blue-state-red-state issue. This is a classic American issue.”

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with using films and TV to promote values. Pope Paul VI is clear on this, “The principle moral responsibility for the proper use of the media of social communication falls on newsmen, writers, actors, designers, producers, displayers, distributors, operators and sellers, as well as critics and all others who play any part in the production and transmission of mass presentations. It is quite evident what gravely important responsibilities they have in the present day when they are in a position to lead the human race to good or to evil by informing or arousing mankind.”

And that last point is quite clear, there is a choice between virtues and vices, between good and evil. And unfortunately, in our current time, many in Hollywood choose the later. And James Gunn does as well despite his constant claims of being beholden to Midwestern values, which ironically enough he never actually explains what they are.

NEXT: Gender Ideology Activist Bella Ramsey Doubles Down On Wanting To Play Spider-Man