{"id":2069003,"date":"2025-10-04T17:27:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T17:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2069003"},"modified":"2025-10-04T17:27:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T17:27:10","slug":"james-gunn-is-the-cure-for-superhero-fatigue-according-to-my-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/james-gunn-is-the-cure-for-superhero-fatigue-according-to-my-parents\/","title":{"rendered":"James Gunn Is The Cure For Superhero Fatigue According To My Parents"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Another year, another round of superhero movies underperforming at the box office and making even less of a cultural impact than the year before. <em>Thunderbolts<\/em> and <em>Fantastic Four <\/em>were great additions to the MCU, but people have to give them a chance to make a good impression.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Even my parents, who binged every Marvel movie two years ago and caught <em>Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3<\/em> on opening weekend, decided to take a pass on Marvel\u2019s latest. So imagine my surprise, when over our traditional Sunday breakfast, they asked me about <em>Superman<\/em>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">My parents raised a pair of nerds. My brother and I love comics and video games, but they were always more old-fashioned. I was raised on a steady diet of Nick at Nite reruns of <em>Get Smart<\/em>, <em>I Love Lucy<\/em>, <em>The Bob Newhart Show<\/em>, and <em>The Drew Carey Show<\/em> as appointment viewing in our house.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As for comics, they bought me Superman #75 (the death of Superman issue), a subscription to Uncanny X-Men just in time for the foil #300 and the \u201cFatal Attractions\u201d arc, and put up with repeat viewings of \u201cPryde of the X-Men.\u201d Superman was not on their radar until it landed on HBO Max, but it wasn\u2019t because it was the launch of a new DC Universe; it was because they recognized the name of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/james-gunn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:James Gunn;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">James Gunn<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"&lt;em&gt;Superman&lt;\/em&gt; director James Gunn\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/oXNydzFVjqLs0ZmIPDV5Jw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/giant_freakin_robot_articles_628\/e1e1731c10d0e507232c223c3cd68fe4\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><em>Superman<\/em> director James Gunn<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">To them, James Gunn was the man behind <em>Guardians of the Galaxy<\/em>, their favorite <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/marvel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Marvel;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Marvel<\/a> movies, because they were bright, colorful, off-the-wall, and looked like living comic books. The trauma of Vol. 3 was worth it at the end for the shot of Rocket leading the animals to freedom, the type of bonkers crowd-pleasing visual that Disney\u2019s house style typically stays away from, but that Gunn embraces in every single one of his films.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The man is not perfect, he\u2019s made creative decisions I\u2019ve disagreed with, but hearing my parents explain why <em>Superman<\/em> looked interesting, and then comparing it to the disappointing box office success of <em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/fantastic-four\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Fantastic Four;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Fantastic Four<\/a><\/em> and <em>Thunderbolts<\/em> made me realize that with his revamp of DC, Gunn\u2019s master plan might just work.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"James Gunn\u2019s Superman tastes the rainbow\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"471\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/XFGhPgJV7PBRyJB.jyAJbg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTUwMjtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/giant_freakin_robot_articles_628\/48b9d18ebb5048b823e4154a163e142d\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>James Gunn\u2019s Superman tastes the rainbow<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">After all, my parents want the comic book VFX spectacle in bright, primary colors, they want to see things they\u2019ve never imagined would be on the big screen, and echoing the biggest criticism of Marvel these days, it can\u2019t feel like homework. They did the homework, even watched <em>Quantumania<\/em>, but catching a film that stands on its own is especially appealing to them. I did have to explain that <em>Superman<\/em> introduces a lot of new heroes, and no, there\u2019s no backstory to them right now, you get names and demonstrations of their powers without any explanations, and you just have to go with it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Jame Gunn\u2019s reimagining of <em>Superman <\/em>is a throwback to those early Marvel movies of Phase 1 where we were all discovering this new connected universe together, but unlike those movies, Gunn isn\u2019t scared to toss absurd characters at the viewer, from Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl, to Metamorpho, a character that even as a fan of Justice League International I never thought would ever make it to live-action. Gunn\u2019s plan to toss everything and the kitchen sink at viewers right out of the gate by skipping the origin stories and jumping straight into the action is the secret sauce that\u2019s going to help combat superhero fatigue.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"The Justice Gang in &lt;em&gt;Superman&lt;\/em&gt; (2025)\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"476\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/.o58M8VPbxl_wxkjjo0h9A--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTUwODtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/giant_freakin_robot_articles_628\/47514492744e9df64e94b14b8b61d166\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>The Justice Gang in <em>Superman<\/em> (2025)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Superman <\/em>was a success at the box office, but only because the bar had been lowered compared to its Marvel contemporaries, and every sign is pointing to the sequel, <em>Man of Tomorrow<\/em>, becoming a billion-dollar blockbuster. James Gunn\u2019s unique approach that embraces the strangeness of characters like Guy Gardner and Metamorpho managed to turn a talking tree into a household name and an anthropomorphic raccoon into a merchandise machine, but it\u2019s that very sense of being abnormal, different, and a few degrees off from mainstream heroes that makes them so appealing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">If Warner Bros. hadn\u2019t handed Gunn complete creative control, there\u2019s no way <em>The Authority\u2019s<\/em> Engineer would be on screen, and Guy Gardner\u2019s haircut would have never made it past the first test screening. Gunn isn\u2019t always right, but he\u2019s willing to take creative risks most major studio directors wouldn\u2019t even entertain, and he knows how to send a crowd home happy.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Guy Gardner and that haircut in &lt;em&gt;Superman&lt;\/em&gt; (2025)\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"471\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/oc1uiqyPinHdh4pfllLsZA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTUwMjtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/giant_freakin_robot_articles_628\/cd1d7c29642971172b623e837f1562ac\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Guy Gardner and that haircut in <em>Superman<\/em> (2025)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I never would have imagined that James Gunn\u2019s <em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/guardians-of-the-galaxy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Guardians of the Galaxy;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Guardians of the Galaxy<\/a><\/em>, and now, <em>Superman<\/em>, would be what helped turn my parents into superhero fans. My Mom and Dad prefer<em> Landman<\/em>, <em>Tulsa King<\/em>,<em> The Americans<\/em>, and <em>Columbo<\/em> when left to their own devices, so I\u2019m already excited for next year when I can take them to see<em> <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/supergirl\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Supergirl;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Supergirl<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Who knew that it wasn\u2019t really superhero fatigue? Instead, it was a need for superhero movies to break free of the mass marketing box <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/disney\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Disney;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Disney<\/a> had shoved them into, which would finally get even non-comic book fans excited for capes and tights all over again.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"472\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/iGXf7tUm3k2FKeW0AC04Ug--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTUwMztjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/giant_freakin_robot_articles_628\/8d7d5af5ad016c00ad871163f96df378\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">And no, I\u2019m not going to show them <em>Peacemaker<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Another year, another round of superhero movies underperforming at the box office and making even less of a cultural impact than the year before. Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four were great additions to the MCU, but people have to give them a chance to make a good impression. Even my parents, who binged every Marvel movie [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2069004,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[201412,343471,41332,305487,346350,31353],"class_list":["post-2069003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-dc-universe","tag-guardians-of-the-galaxy","tag-james-gunn","tag-mcu","tag-superhero-movies","tag-superman"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/James-Gunn-Is-The-Cure-For-Superhero-Fatigue-According-To.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2069003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2069003"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2069003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2069005,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2069003\/revisions\/2069005"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2069004"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2069003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2069003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2069003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}