James Gunn has clarified remarks from a recent interview in which he suggested Disney "killed" Marvel by requiring a higher volume of content for the Disney+ streaming service.
Gunn, who directed the widely acclaimed Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for Marvel Studios before becoming co-CEO of DC Studios, told Rolling Stone that Disney's push to scale up Marvel's output for Disney+ — a strategy Disney CEO Bob Iger later acknowledged "diluted the focus and attention of fans" — was "not fair" and "not right."
"And it hurt them," Gunn added.
Some interpreted the "it hurt them" statement as Gunn proclaiming the MCU permanently finished. However, in a follow-up social media post, he made it clear that was not his intended meaning. Instead, he explained that the Disney directive hampered Marvel during that period, but the studio has since bounced back as the "frenzy" subsided.
"To be clear — and as is evident from the interview context — I didn't mean 'it hurt them' as if they're finished, but rather they were negatively impacted by circumstances beyond their control," Gunn stated on Threads.
"They've moved past that now, which is positive. The obsession with sacrificing everything for streaming damaged many worthwhile projects by creating an impossible demand for 'content,' rushing films to TV before proper theatrical releases, and more. That over-the-top phase has receded, and things have stabilized across the board. Thank goodness."
In another post, Gunn described what Marvel faced as "an impossible challenge."
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV Show
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Marvel's challenges following Avengers: Endgame are well known. Since that record-breaking Phase 3 finale in 2019, MCU box office results have generally been underwhelming, aside from standout successes like the billion-dollar hit Deadpool & Wolverine.
At the same time, the consensus is that the MCU's output after Endgame has not maintained the quality standards set in earlier phases. Of course, there are exceptions, such as 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home and Gunn's own Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which achieved both critical and commercial acclaim.
Marvel is now releasing significantly fewer movies and TV series. Only three MCU films — Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps — are scheduled for 2025. For 2026, just two are currently confirmed: Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday.
The pressure is on Marvel Studios to succeed with a 'less is more' approach. Following the box office underperformance of Captain America and Thunderbolts*, all hopes are on The Fantastic Four to see if the MCU can recapture its financial spark. On a positive note, Disney CEO Bob Iger recently praised Thunderbolts*, emphasizing it as "the first and best example" of Marvel's renewed focus on quality over quantity.
In the Rolling Stone interview, Gunn noted that DC Studios does not face similar pressure from its parent company, Warner Bros., to produce a fixed number of movies and TV shows annually.
"So we plan to release only what we believe meets the highest standards," Gunn elaborated. "Naturally, some projects will be stronger than others, but overall, we aim to keep the quality as elevated as possible. Nothing moves forward without a screenplay that I, personally, am satisfied with."
With that principle in mind, the rebooted DC Universe launches with July's Superman, followed by Supergirl next July, and Clayface currently slated for September 2026. Peacemaker Season 2 arrives this August, with Lanterns expected in early 2026. However, the Batman project is presenting Gunn with more than a few challenges.
