The Most Epic Fantasy and Sci-Fi Website

Warner Bros. Reportedly 'Begged' Joker Director To Take James Gunn’s Place As DC Studios Head


Things continue to keep stirring in DC Studios as James Gunn had canceled plenty of upcoming sequels and threequels to reconstruct the DC Universe in his own vision. While he was initially transferred to Warner Bros. after getting fired from Marvel Studios, a new report has surfaced that James Gunn was not actually the first pick to head the studio.

READ MORE: James Gunn Reiterates Why His Superman Movie Doesn’t Need Henry Cavill

James Gunn was fired from Marvel Studios back in 2018 due to his resurfaced inappropriate, malicious tweets. Although he was no longer part of MCU projects, he was still permitted to finish Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 even though he had previously confirmed that Volume 2 was the last time Marvel fans were going to see the Guardians together.

click to enlarge
+ 2

So far, Gunn’s DC plans have only caused stirrups between fans and studio crew members as these cancellations are merely causing a riot for their investments and funding, creating an unstable workplace environment among other things. However, a new report suggests that Gunn was, in fact, NOT the first choice for the job.

According to a New York Post, Joker franchise director Todd Phillips was eyed for the role, the actual first choice. The insider reveals, “The whole town turned the job down… it was almost Todd Phillips. They begged him.”

RELATED: Henry Cavill Fans Want James Gunn Fired For Man of Steel 2 Cancellation

click to enlarge
+ 2

Following the release of Black Adam, James Gunn and Peter Safran were officially announced as the new heads of DC Studios. Although the new heads promised tons of reboots and including more major superheroes for DC fans, their cancellation of Wonder Woman 3, Man of Steel 2 (resulting in firing Henry Cavill despite his appearance in Black Adam), and the Black Adam sequel are not looking good on keeping the loyalty and hopes of DC fans for the future of DCU. If anything, this had only proved their worst fear of Gunn not being up to the task.

The insider continues to say their thoughts on the new studio head, comparing his experience with Marvel’s Kevin Feige: “Gunn has never run anything. I wonder if big filmmakers will work for another director with zero experience guiding movies through a huge grinder of a system. He’s no Kevin Feige.”

What do you think about Todd Phillips leading the DCU?

Some of the unscrapped DC films include Blue Beetle, The Flash, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Meanwhile, Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux is currently slated for release on October 4, 2024.

ALSO READ: Gal Gadot Reportedly Out from The Flash

For more articles like this, take a look at our DC, Geek Culture, and Fandoms pages.