Maybe I'm off base on this, but after the MCU's down year at the box office last year, it seems like box office trends have shifted and superhero movies aren't as sure of a thing. There will always be hit Spider-Man and Batman films, but the era of taking an obscure property like GOTG and turning it into a massive hit might be over. I'm curious what impact (if any) this will have on the DCU as that gets going. Superman was successful, but he's in the same group as Spidey and Batman.

I found myself thinking of this quote from Gunn where he basically said he isn't going to make movies about characters the audience doesn't know. Which is very unlike him. https://comicbook.com/movies/news/james-gunn-reveal-promising-update-first-announced-dcu-movie-authority-series-already-cancelled/

Do you think the DCU is going to stick to the "bigger" characters only for movies, at least in the early going? Maybe the way to balance the big guns and the unknowns is to vary on budgets. I like that Clayface is a mid-budget body horror movie. I wish Marvel would try something like that.

Interesting quote, and yeah - concerning. I personally think we're now at a (healthier) point where a superhero film needs an actual hook to perform. Not just a known brand, but something that makes it matter in story terms too.

On 4/10/2026 at 5:40 PM, Tom Bacon said:

Interesting quote, and yeah - concerning. I personally think we're now at a (healthier) point where a superhero film needs an actual hook to perform. Not just a known brand, but something that makes it matter in story terms too.

I also think this is healthier for the industry as a whole. Also, DC Studios seems to have understood that quite well, as the budget for DC movies is below the blockbuster average (while Marvel Studios is still insisting on inflated budgets). I think the most important "superhero" movie of the year is actually Clayface, because it can usher in a new era for the Big Two in terms of production philosophy.

On 4/14/2026 at 12:29 PM, Marco Vito Oddo said:

I also think this is healthier for the industry as a whole. Also, DC Studios seems to have understood that quite well, as the budget for DC movies is below the blockbuster average (while Marvel Studios is still insisting on inflated budgets). I think the most important "superhero" movie of the year is actually Clayface, because it can usher in a new era for the Big Two in terms of production philosophy.

Good call, yeah I think on the whole I agree. Back when Disney took over Fox, I was frustrated because I felt we'd get less "experimental" superhero movies. I'm glad DC is stepping up with them.

I think the answer is simple: make a good movie that people can go see without feeling the need for "homework."

Some of this is out of their control. I would argue the viral complaint that a movie like The Marvels "required" watching so many other D+ shows helped tank it, but it's a key complaint for people in the attention economy.