The idea that James Gunn isn’t capable of crafting a serious story is an entirely defensible one; defensible, that is, so long as you refuse to look at practically every superhero project he’s put out since Guardians of the Galaxy and don’t consider anything lighter than Zack Snyder’s (perfectly legitimate) tonal bread and butter as “serious.”
Indeed, such a claim is not only wildly off-base, but genuinely strange; of all the comic book movie filmmakers that could be pegged for such claims, Gunn is perhaps the worst person to make a target out of. After all, he did craft what’s arguably the darkest film in the entirety of the MCU – a franchise known for its relatively safe theatrical releases – with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
And if that doesn’t somehow lift the veil, then his work in the realm of DC should be more than enough to drive the point home.
He may have been responsible for penning The Specials back in the day, but given how he’s since used so many iconic comic book characters to address such a wide variety of political and ideological themes – to say nothing of his ability to retain a fantastic sense of storytelling and comic book ethos whilst doing so – there’s no question that the filmmaker currently boasts one of the deftest hands in the genre.
Needless to say, we’re looking forward to seeing what sort of profound edge Gunn decides to inject into 2025’s Superman: Legacy, especially considering that the film will likely go on to set the tone of the filmmaker’s new DCU as a whole; you know what they say about first impressions, after all.