James Gunn Was Offered Superman Before Deciding on The Suicide Squad

James Gunn’s move to DC to take on the Suicide Squad sequel was big news, but he was originally offered a more iconic character. The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision reports that DC and Warner Bros. originally offered Gunn his pick of potential properties, and one of them was Superman.

Gunn, who is set to write and may direct The Suicide Squad, never seriously considered the prospect of taking on a Superman film according to the outlet. However, he did do some research on the character while weighing his options.

DC has been in a tough spot with the Man of Steel in regard to their films. The character is of course one of the company’s most iconic characters, on a level with (and perhaps bigger than) Batman. However, response to the films that featured Henry Cavill in the role have been mixed at best and disastrous at worst, and the actor’s future in the role is unclear after reports dropped in September that the studio had no plans to move forward with Superman films featuring him. Cavill himself has played with the reports, hinting obliquely at the possibility of more Superman films but not making any definitive statements for or against the possibility.

The Suicide Squad will release on August 6th, 2021.