James Gunn vs. Zack Snyder | Two Visions, Two DC Universes
If there’s one thing that separates James Gunn’s DCU from Zack Snyder’s DCEU, it’s simple…. Range.
Not range like “I did three crunches today,” but actual artistic range. You know, tone, genre, texture, emotional bandwidth, all the things that make comic books feel alive instead of locked into one creative mood.
James Gunn Builds a Sandbox | Snyder Built a Cathedral
Some choose to ignore this aspect, but Gunn is approaching DC films the way comic books have always been written, with the freedom to swing wildly between tones.
One movie can feel like a gritty crime thriller while the next like a neon drenched horror story, another like a heartfelt coming of age adventure, and then suddenly we’re laughing at something insane and raunchy that only James Gunn would dare put on screen.
That variety isn’t a bad thing nor is it an issue. It’s actually the entire point.
Gunn understands that the DC Universe is a multigenre machine.
Superman isn’t Batman.
Swamp Thing isn’t Booster Gold.
Supergirl isn’t like the Creature Commandos.
And each character deserves a tone that fits their world, not the other way around.
By embracing stylistic shifts, tonal experimentation, and genre play, Gunn isn’t just building a universe, he’s building a creative sandbox.
Specifically one where filmmakers can actually breathe, test ideas, and deliver stories that feel distinct instead of processed through a single stylistic filter.
This gives audiences something they’ve never had with DC in live-action… Choice.
Not every project has to be for everyone.
But the beauty is, everyone gets something they can fall in love with.
Snyder’s DC | A Singular Vision With Hard Limits
Now here’s the hard truth that Snyder fans hate to admit.
Zack Snyder had a very specific vision, and he executed that vision with absolute commitment. However, that tunnel vision intensity comes with tradeoffs.
Snyder’s aesthetic, you know the darker palettes, the operatic melodrama, the myth as Gods approach? Sure, that is powerful… but it’s also limiting.
Once the DCEU locked into that tone, everything around it had to match or at least feel adjacent.
You couldn’t suddenly pivot into whimsical fantasy or comedic absurdity without it shattering the universe’s identity.
That rigidity made experimentation nearly impossible.
Everything had to exist inside the same shadowy cathedral Snyder built. Yes, beautiful in its way, but not exactly a place where you host a comedy night.
Even if Snyder were to return (which, realistically, is unlikely), he only has two films left in his planned arc. And even those follow the same intense, apocalyptic tone. It’s a universe with passion and purpose… but not much elasticity to build off of.
Why Gunn’s Approach Better Reflects What Comics Actually Are
Comic books aren’t one flavor.
They’re an entire menu of strange, bold, colorful, terrifying, goofy, tragic, epic, romantic, heroic, and downright bizarre and that is sometimes all in a single run.
And you know what? Gunn gets that.
He isn’t just adapting characters. He’s adapting the medium. He’s building a universe where
Horror makes sense for Clayface.
Whimsy and wonder define Superman.
Comedy and absurdity power Creature Commandos.
Grit and detective energy will anchor Batman.
Adult, unhinged chaos thrives in Peacemaker.
Each story gets the treatment it deserves… not the treatment the last movie forced it into.
That’s the difference.
Snyder translated DC mythology into one artistic voice… Which works for a spurt, or a small secluded run. Gunn is translating DC mythology into every voice comics have ever used.
James understands how comic books work, not as a single story, but as a galaxy of stories.
His DCU isn’t just a reboot… it’s a re embracing of the medium’s versatility.
One that unlocks the full spectrum of what DC can be, not just one corner of it.
Snyder made strong, bold films, but Gunn is building a universe where every kind of filmmaker and most importantly, fan can thrive.
