James Gunn quitting the DCU gives us clear James Bond favourite, it’s not Jack Lowden
The two may not appear whatsoever connected: but James Gunn being fired and/or quitting the DCU has totally changed the race for the next James Bond.
Yesterday, 9 November, it was announced that co-CEOs of DC Studios James Gunn and Peter Safran were being let go from their positions after four years, several beloved TV shows, and a hugely successful Superman reboot.
A Hollywood Reporter expose revealed that Skydance, the company that purchased Warner Brothers, had decided that James Gunn’s Superman was not enough of a cultural success despite raking in $618.7 million, and were less than impressed with other DC failures such as Supergirl.
Gunn was let go as a result, with the former co-CEO saying in a statement on Instagram that he was in some ways relieved as he had not enjoyed the more executive-focused parts of the job.
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Whilst there are many focusing on how this move could change the creative of DC moving forward, with Gunn and Safran being replaced with a more Christian and family-focused executive Jeremy Latcham, it has blown the race for James Bond wide open.
James Gunn leaving DC puts Robert Pattinson as the frontrunner for James Bond
James Gunn’s departure from DC Studios may not have a direct link to James Bond’s upcoming casting, but once you break it down the dominoes become clear.
Bond’s casting is down to its final few possible candidates, with a shortlist of six (or five depending on whether you consider Harry Styles) announced over this past weekend. Deadline added Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult to the pre-existing known shortlist of Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, and Josh O’Connor.
LADbible’s ranking of the six options for Bond saw Pattinson listed as the top choice for the role, but many online questioned if he could possibly appear as Bond at the same time as playing Batman. This left many considering Jack Lowden to be the favourite for the role.
Previous insider reports have indicated that, despite Pattinson himself telling LADbible that he didn’t see his Batman meshing well with the DCU, Gunn was supportive of the films despite the long delays for filming its sequel.
A new regime coming in will likely make a third Pattinson Batman film incredibly unlikely to happen as a result. New DC head Jeremy Latcham is widely expected to focus on producing stories around their bigger characters such as Batman as opposed to Gunn’s approach of spotlight more niche characters such as Peacemaker. As Pattinson has been quite clear he doesn't see his Batman in the DC universe, it appears very likely Latcham will recast the role.
This would leave Pattinson’s calendar wide open for a big franchise role to sink his teeth into, and would allow him to reunite with Dune 3 director Denis Villeneuve.
This is even more of a clear option when you look at what Latcham is likely to focus on at DC: Family-friendly films, quite unlike Pattinson's R-Rated adult version of the character.
What can DC fans expect from Jeremy Latcham and how will it change DC moving forward?
DC since Gunn and Safran took over has gone in some seriously unexpected directions, with far more adult-leaning content such as Peacemaker, Lanterns, and Creature Commandos, and Clayface in addition to blockbusters such as Superman.
Supergirl flopping was named by reports as a big factor however in Gunn and Safran being let go and so Latcham is expected to be a safer approach.
Latcham was previously a senior Executive at Marvel, reportedly noted for his repeated test of questioning whether ‘his grandmother’ would be a fan of what they were producing.
This shorthand demonstrates a very different mindset to Gunn and Safran. Whilst the previous studio heads were focused primarily on pleasing DC superfans, Latcham is more well known for thinking not about the superfans who essentially are guaranteed viewers, but for making sure films are accessible for the average audience-member.
Latcham has also spoke at length about being inspired by his faith, meaning that the days of multiple DC projects a year with F Bombs and sexual references is likely gone.
All in all, if you were a big fan of Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad, you probably won’t be very happy, but if you loved Superman, you may still be happy.
Gunn and Safran are still staying on as producers for The Batman Part II, whilst Gunn is continuing post-production for his Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.
A Hollywood Reporter expose claims that Gunn was writing a script for a third Superman film which would lead to a Justice League movie in a few years time, but these plans are now up in the air.
Topics: James Bond, Robert Pattinson, TV and Film, Film, DC Comics
Michael Slavin
