James Gunn’s DCU Is All About Himself, Politics, and Revenge on the Right

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Following Creature Commandos, James Gunn has now explicitly stated that his DCU will largely reflect his own views, political beliefs, and lingering resentment towards those on the right, stemming from his dismissal from Marvel by Disney.

The handling of Creature Commandos, Superman, and Peacemaker Season 2 all make that point.

Superman: Gunn’s Political Take on the Icon

Following Creature Commandos, Gunn’s Superman stirred even more division.

The movie added political themes, showed a Superman who wasn’t as overwhelmingly powerful, and reimagined his backstory in a way that reminded viewers of the Viltrumites from Invincible.

Gunn described his approach as artistic freedom, however it appeared to be a deliberate reshaping of the work, seemingly to emphasize his own unique style and the messages he wanted to convey.

The animals are also more super than the humans.

Peacemaker Season 2: Nazis and “Ignorance”

Now with Peacemaker Season 2, Gunn pushes the politics further.

Spoilers follow.

The story takes John Cena’s Peacemaker to a different universe that initially appears ideal-his father isn’t harmful, his brother is still living, he’s with the woman he loves (played by James Gunn’s wife), and he’s finally the hero he always wanted to be. However, the shocking twist in Episode 6 is that in this seemingly “perfect” world, the Nazis were victorious and now govern the United States.

Gunn highlights a striking detail: people of color are absent from the alternate-universe scenes until Episode 6 explicitly addresses it. The episode concludes with white characters pursuing Danielle Brooks’ character, sending a pointed message: if you didn’t recognize this absence, the implication is that you are prejudiced.

Gunn’s Own Words

Speaking to GQ, Gunn made it clear the episode was about him doing whatever he wants:

I’m absolutely loving the show. What’s really cool is the freedom I have with Peacemaker-and honestly, with everything. I get to make my own decisions, I’m my own boss, which is amazing. But with this character, we really went for it. We took risks, explored some pretty wild territory, places I think other creators might shy away from. We actually got a lot of resistance, especially on this particular episode, but we decided to just go for it. We figured, let’s not hold back, let’s tell the story we want to tell, and I didn’t want to have to compromise or pull any punches with it.

He then dismissed criticism as racist backlash:

It’s noteworthy that some, including a few racists, have labeled me as polarizing, but I’m comfortable with that. I’m happy to distance myself from prejudiced individuals. The positive reception to this episode is particularly exciting, as it’s been the most well-received one so far.

Pushback and Disturbing Content

Gunn mentions that fans enjoyed the episode featuring Nazis, but the only criticism I’ve come across online wasn’t from people with racist views. It’s also important to remember that Nazis adhere to socialist ideologies.

The issue wasn’t the fight itself, but a disturbing implication involving Lex Luthor that hinted at sexual assault between DC characters while they were incarcerated-potentially involving Killer Croc and Doctor Phosphorus.

Despite the controversy, Gunn celebrated being supported by friends of all races, noting that test audiences hadn’t even noticed the extras were “all white” until someone mentioned it. His explanation for this? That was precisely his intention.

It’s important to remember that Gunn unintentionally included Nazi imagery in Fortnite via a John Cena emote. Epic Games promptly removed the content from its store and is currently looking into how it happened, especially considering the game’s large number of young players.

What’s Next for Gunn’s DCU

With Supergirl and Clayface on the way, Gunn’s political agendas will likely continue to shape the DCU.

He’s also the writer and director of Man of Tomorrow, which will feature both Superman and Lex. Considering his previous work, viewers can anticipate that Gunn will infuse these stories with his own unique style, perspectives, and beliefs.

Gunn has even stated he feels a stronger connection to Lex Luthor than to Superman. This leads to the central question: who does Gunn see as his “Man of Tomorrow”? It’s likely he’ll portray Lex as someone hesitant and leaning towards traditional values, while Superman will be depicted as a forward-thinking character trying to guide him toward what some consider progress.

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2025-10-01 22:02