Gunn Dismisses Fan Wars as Superman, Fantastic Four Launch Near

This summer, the box office will witness a clash of titans as two major superhero films go head-to-head. The DC Universe's reboot, Superman, arrives on July 11, followed two weeks later by the Marvel Cinematic Universe's epic, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, landing on July 25. While fans of DC and Marvel are already trading barbs online, DCU head James Gunn has expressed his lack of interest in engaging with this digital rivalry, preferring to highlight the positive aspects of both productions.

On the social platform Threads, Gunn was queried about The Fantastic Four, specifically within the context of the competitive fan discourse between the two comic giants.

"They hit theaters two weeks after our film," Gunn responded. "There's more than enough room for both! I have great affection for my colleagues at Marvel. You can find any kind of debate you're looking for on the internet. My advice is to concentrate on the excitement surrounding these movies rather than getting dragged into online fan conflicts."

Gunn's extensive background with Marvel is well-known; he wrote and directed the beloved Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. However, he is equally familiar with the DC landscape, having written and directed the critically acclaimed 2021 film, The Suicide Squad.

Now serving as co-chair of the revitalized DCU alongside Peter Safran, Gunn has taken on the roles of writer, director, and producer for Superman. He is guiding the DCU on a path that parent company Warner Bros. hopes will achieve greater success than its predecessor, the DCEU. To that end, a slate of new DCU films and television series are in development, making future clashes with Marvel releases almost a certainty.

Consider Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, for instance. Its release is scheduled for June 26, 2026, which is just over a month before Spider-Man: Brand New Day debuts on July 31, 2026. In the television arena, the DCU will launch the HBO series Lanterns sometime in 2026, a period that will also see Marvel Television release several Disney+ series, including the second season of Daredevil: Born Again and Vision Quest.

For the immediate future, however, all eyes are on Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Both films are under significant pressure to deliver massive box office returns. No matter which comic book universe you favor, July is shaping up to be an incredible month for superhero enthusiasts.

It's also worth noting that Marvel and DC have collaborated to announce what is predicted to be one of the best-selling comic book projects of 2025. The two publishers are joining forces for a set of one-shot crossover specials starring Batman and Deadpool. This marks the first official crossover between the Marvel and DC universes in over two decades. Even better, the collaboration doesn't end with Deadpool/Batman #1 and Batman/Deadpool #1. Plans for a subsequent crossover event in 2026 are already underway.