Marvel Cinematic Universe director and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn said he doesn’t believe in the existence of any rivalry or animosity between Marvel and DC.

According to IndieWire, Gunn denounced “this weird belief that Marvel and DC hate each other or somehow are polar opposites.” He pointed out that both outlets have the same ambition, stating, “We want to get people into the theaters to see movies.” The way to achieve that, Gunn said, was to work together. Good Marvel movies would be good for DC, and vice versa. “There can be two winners because it matters who goes to see your movies and who enjoys ’em.”

RELATED: James Gunn Says a Marvel/DC Crossover Is More Likely Than Ever

Gunn made headlines in November 2022 when he and Peter Safran were appointed co-CEOs of DC Studios while Gunn was still working on the Marvel Studios production Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a film he wrote and directed. Their goal was to unify the disparate strings of the DC Universe in theatrical movies, television shows, video games, live-action and animation content in a shared continuity and to relaunch several of the franchises. While most DC films in recent years have been profitable, critics and fans have often considered the studio’s output uneven in quality and style and lacking the universal appeal of Marvel movies.

What Marvel and DC Have in Store

The next entry in DC Studios’ franchise, leftover from the previous regime, is The Flash. With its multiverse-powered premise, the movie plays a key part in connecting the older DC films to Gunn and Safran’s new vision of the franchises’ shared universe. However, The Flash is surrounded by controversy, due to star Ezra Miller’s various legal issues and reports of erratic behavior. Marketing focused strongly on other characters in the film, especially Michael Keaton’s return as Batman after a three-decade hiatus. Still, producers maintained the Flash was still very much the focus of his own film.

RELATED: Marvel and DC Studios Are Co-dependent, and James Gunn Knows That

While Marvel fans have to wait until November 2023 for the Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels to hit screens, the Disney-owned company is not entirely lying low in summer. June 21 will see the release of the Disney+ series Secret Invasion in which Nick Fury and a number of other Marvel regulars scramble to avert a global Skrull invasion.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now in theaters. The Flash opens June 16.

Source: IndieWire