James Gunn Is Trending On Twitter, And It’s Not A Good Thing

James Gunn and DC Studios co-head Peter Safran are trending on Twitter under #GunnAndSafranOut from unhappy fans.

By Douglas Helm | Updated

james gunn DC movies

Many fans rejoiced when James Gunn and Peter Safran were announced as the creative heads that would be leading the DCU plans going forward. However, not everyone is happy with the decision, especially after some of the recent decisions the two made to pave the path forward. While Gunn has acknowledged that the beginning of their new plans would be tumultuous, the backlash has been enough to make #GunnAndSafranOut trend on Twitter.

This Twitter user took umbrage with James Gunn and Peter Safran’s decision to move forward with the DCU without Henry Cavill playing Superman. Instead, Gunn and Safran are going in a different direction and telling the story of a younger version of Superman. While fans thought that Cavill was officially back in the fold after his Black Adam appearance, it appears that it wasn’t in the cards.

Another hashtag that has caught on with these disgruntled fans is #RestoreTheSnyderVerse. Fans who have kept up with the now-defunct DCEU will know that Zack Snyder initially led the charge for the interconnected DC film universe with Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League. It appears that James Gunn and Peter Safran are wanting to distance the new DCU from the Snyderverse, so this fan’s wish likely won’t be coming true anytime soon.

This fan was similarly dissatisfied with James Gunn and Peter Safran’s decision to leave the Snyderverse behind. They specifically pointed out how Zack Snyder’s director’s cut of Justice League was popular and well-liked by fans when compared to the theatrical version. Of course, it’s worth mentioning that people weren’t the biggest fans of Snyder’s previous effort Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, so it wasn’t necessarily a case of Snyder having nothing but smash hits before they let him release his version of Justice League.

While some fans are specifically asking James Gunn and Peter Safran to bring back the Snyderverse, the running theme definitely seems to be bringing back Henry Cavill as Superman. Many fans felt like Henry Cavill never got his chance to shine as Superman, with the character being uncharacteristically dour throughout his tenure, up until the end of Justice League where he was more like the Superman everyone was familiar with. This is where the Snyder and Superman tweets do contradict themselves a bit, considering Snyder was in charge of all of Cavill’s appearances as Superman so far.

One user went so far as to call Man of Steel a masterpiece, so they’re clearly missing Henry Cavill in the role of Superman. They also point out that they don’t think that James Gunn and Peter Safran will be able to do better than Zack Snyder, David S. Goyer, and Christopher Nolan, who co-produced and co-wrote the story for the film. You have to wonder if fans would be as upset if Cavill was still in the picture.

Once again we have a user calling James Gunn and Peter Safran out for cutting Henry Cavill. This time, they point out how Cavill’s look and his suit were his best live-action appearance ever. Of course, there’s a good chance that Gunn’s Superman could have a great costume too.

These fans will likely just have to wait and see where James Gunn decides to take the DCU and if their criticisms are warranted or not. So far, Gunn has brought DC two of its most critically acclaimed efforts yet with Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad. If he can take this momentum and creative energy into future projects, these fans likely have nothing to worry about.