James Gunn’s Release Strategy: Superman, Peacemaker, and the Shifting Gods & Monsters Chapter

On I Think You’re Overthinking It, with Chris Hardwick, (Aug 19, 2025), James Gunn admitted something that will sound familiar to anyone watching Hollywood’s tug of war between theaters and streaming…

He wanted Superman to have more time exclusively in theaters before hitting home release.

“The truth is, I would have waited for longer… I wanted there to be a longer time that there’s a pure box office run. But Peacemaker was supposed to come out.”

That’s the balancing act. Gunn knows the old model of months between theaters, VHS, DVD, and cable gave films room to marinate in culture.

Blockbusters weren’t just movies, they were events that stuck around for months. But today’s industry pressures studios to drop movies on home video faster than ever, because that’s where money piles up quickly.

Gunn resisted, but scheduling Peacemaker Season 2 for August 15 meant Superman had to hit homes earlier than he’d like.

It’s a classic creative vs. business clash. Gunn clearly favors the “realist cycle” of movies letting them breathe in theaters, letting audiences digest before the next chapter drops. He wanted audiences to live with Superman in theaters, not just treat it as a quick stepping stone to streaming. But the new reality of release windows forced his hand, and the studio wasn’t about to delay its streaming juggernaut, Peacemaker.

Here’s the thing though… don’t get used to Superman’s short theatrical run.

Gunn made it clear this wasn’t the ideal, but rather a one time compromise.

“You know, honestly, Chris (Hardwick), So next time it’s going to be longer. I don’t want people to get used to it. It’s purely because of Peacemaker that I let it come out at this time.”

Why the exception? Because Superman wasn’t just another movie… it was the opening shot of the DCU.

It was designed to plant a flag, establish a cultural foothold, and prove that Gunn’s new era of DC storytelling could command the big screen.

Giving it extra breathing room made sense. But moving forward, the DCU won’t necessarily be playing by the industry’s fast turnaround rules, whether fans like it or not.

Ever Changing Landscape of the DCU

When Gunn announced Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, fans treated it like a roadmap locked in granite. But as he revealed, things have shifted.

“Well, yes, I can say a couple things. I can say that probably the next movie we're gonna be making is probably the follow up to Superman, you know, which I don't want to get in too much detail on, but like that's what's probably the next film we're making, I think. Well, hopefully we're making Batman 2 before that.”

So… Yes, many of the projects are still happening.

The Brave and the Bold, Paradise Lost, Booster Gold, Wonder Woman, and maybe even The Authority. But their order and development pace have evolved.

Gunn teased that the next big movie after Superman (now officially titled Man of Tomorrow, releasing July 9, 2027) could be its follow up, though he believes Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II may sneak into production first. Either way, Gunn stressed that his Superman sequel will be moving into production sooner rather than later.

On top of that, there’s still mystery around The Authority. Gunn suggested that The Authority is still happening, in a way. But I question if it isn’t entirely possible that it could be merging into the Man of Tomorrow film or spinning off as a reconfigured project down the line?

“Some of the things have changed a little bit. … But most are still going down the road.”

In other words, Gods and Monsters is a living plan, not a rigid checklist.

Projects are moving, some faster, some slower, and the timeline is adapting as the DCU machine gets rolling.

What It Means Going Forward

For fans, this is classic Gunn… transparent but cagey.

He’s telling us the big beats (Superman specifically as well as new shows) while leaving room for surprises.

His release strategy shows a filmmaker who wants movies to dominate theaters again but understands the modern streaming ecosystem won’t wait forever.

If anything, Gunn is playing the long game… balancing patience with pressure, hype with flexibility.

And that’s probably the only way to survive in today’s superhero landscape.