James Gunn's DC Studios Exit Has Fans Furious Over His Batman and Wonder Woman Decisions

DC fans are looking back atJames Gunn’s plans for the DCU following his exit from DC Studios, and a lot of them are asking the same question… How the hell did Supergirl, Gorilla Grodd and Clayface get projects moving before Batman and Wonder Woman?

The frustration comes as HBO Max moves forward with The People v. Gorilla Grodd, an eight-episode comedy series ordered during Gunn’s time at DC Studios. The show stars Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd and Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen.

While some fans are excited to see these lesser-known DC characters get their time in the spotlight, others aren't happy that two of the biggest superheroes in comic book history are still waiting for their own DCU movies.

Following Gunn's departure, fans have taken to social media to criticize the direction he and Peter Safran chose for the franchise.

On X, @JonAlba wrote, “I enjoyed a lot of what James Gunn and Peter Safran did with the DCU, but their charting of storytelling almost certainly doomed them. Introducing Clayface and Gorilla Grodd before Batman was a wild decision. I’d imagine Skydance doesn’t want to play the long game.”

Another user, @Captain63857795, was even more critical, posting, “He spearheaded Supergirl & Clayface movies, okayed Hal Jordan getting his brains blown out with John Stewart covering it up, and greenlit a Gorilla Grodd show with no Bats or WW in sight. This is not a surprise at all.”

@Josh_Wilding shared a similar opinion, saying, “Who didn’t see this coming? You have access to the greatest characters in pop culture, and you’re making projects about Clayface and Gorilla Grodd in the first few years. And then you treat characters like Hal Jordan with contempt, to what, score some easy Emmy nominations?”

@YasukeDaShogun added, “Gunn prioritized Clayface, Supergirl, Gorilla Grodd before getting Batman and Wonder Woman. He had 4 years to get his Trinity established, and he was more focused on niche characters instead of his tentpole guys; that’s his fault, and don’t get me started on Lanterns bullshit.”

Look, I get where these fans are coming from. DC has some of the greatest superheroes ever created, and Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman should be the foundation of any shared universe. They're the characters audiences already love, and they're the ones who can bring people into theaters, they are the cornerstone of the DC Universe.

At the same time, anyone familiar with Gunn's work should've known he was going to have some fun with DC's more obscure characters. That's always been part of his appeal as a filmmaker. He loves taking weird, overlooked comic book characters and turning them into something entertaining. Just look at what he accomplished with Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad.

That's a big part of what makes Gunn's approach interesting, but it doesn't necessarily mean it was the smartest way to launch a new DC cinematic universe.

I think he would've been better off focusing on establishing Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman first. Get those three heroes up and running, make some awesome movies, get audiences invested, and start kicking ass at the box office. Once that foundation is solid, then start having fun with some of the crazy and fun lesser-known characters.

There's absolutely room for those characters in the DCU. In fact, a Gorilla Grodd comedy could be a lot of fun! But when Batman and Wonder Woman still don't have release dates, it's understandable why fans are questioning the priorities.

For now, Batman's DCU debut is being developed as The Brave and the Bold, which will introduce a new version of Bruce Wayne alongside his son Damian Wayne as Robin. This Batman will exist separately from Robert Pattinson's version of the character, whose movies remain part of DC's Elseworlds banner.

A new Wonder Woman movie is also in development, with Ana Nogueira attached to write the screenplay. Neither film has a confirmed release date.

Despite Gunn's exit, DC Studios isn't necessarily throwing out everything he and Safran were building. In his statement, Gunn made it clear that he expects the characters introduced during his time at the studio to stick around: “And, of course, the characters we set up will live on.”

That's encouraging for anyone who enjoyed the direction of his DCU, although we'll have to wait and see how much of his original vision survives the leadership change.

Jeremy Latcham is set to take over DC Studios on December 1, 2026, and it'll be interesting to see what he decides to prioritize. Does he continue developing the projects Gunn put into motion, or does he shift the focus toward DC's biggest heroes?

I enjoyed a lot of what Gunn was trying to accomplish, and I appreciate that he wanted to give audiences something different. But I also think DC needed a stronger starting point. Establish the Trinity, give audiences a reason to get excited about this universe, and then expand into the stranger corners of DC Comics.

What do you think? Did Gunn make a mistake by prioritizing lesser-known DC characters, or was his approach exactly what the franchise needed?