Credit : Variety's X
DC Studios co-head James Gunn has defended the DC Universe’s focus on standalone stories, pushing back against fans who say his films are not building towards a major crossover, as “Clayface” opened at number one at the North American box office.
Gunn made the comments on Threads on Saturday, Variety reported on October 26, 2026. He was responding to a commenter who argued that the studio did not need to lay the groundwork for one fully interconnected universe. “I couldn’t agree more,” Gunn wrote.
“DCU is just an alternate universe; we can enter at any location or time and tell THAT story. I dislike the idea that individual stories aren’t meaningful unless they lead to something else,” he said. “People not understanding this is strange to me, because ‘Star Wars’ has essentially been doing this for 50 years across movies, shows, games and books, admittedly without the tonal variety.”
Connected, but not just set-up
The filmmaker stressed that the approach does not mean the DCU lacks connections. He pointed out that the “Superman” saga begins with “Superman” and continues into “Man of Tomorrow”, “and contains many characters we’ve introduced in other stories”.
“But that doesn’t mean those other stories only exist to set up what’s happening there. I would love people to be seeing ‘Clayface’ because it’s a great, fun horror movie unto itself, not because of where else Clayface will show up three movies from now,” Gunn wrote.
The post he responded to had been a reply to an image listing the DCU’s foundation so far, “Superman”, “Peacemaker”, “Supergirl”, “Creature Commandos”, “Clayface” and “Lanterns”, alongside the question: “What is this building towards???”
‘Clayface’ takes the top spot
“Clayface”, which arrived in cinemas on Friday, is the latest DCU instalment, following 2025’s “Superman” and this year’s “Supergirl”. According to Variety, it took in US$24 million from 3,458 North American theatres in its debut weekend, comfortably claiming the number one spot.
Directed by James Watkins, the film follows the Batman villain of the title, a rising movie star named Matt Hagen, played by Tom Rhys Harries, who volunteers for a highly experimental medical procedure after his face is severely disfigured. Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan co-star.
The character had never before been the subject of a standalone feature, and comic fans had noted ahead of release that he was a considerably more niche choice than earlier DCU leads. Variety critic Guy Lodge called the film “its own ugly animal”, adding that “in the context of a single, genre-melding romp, they’re fresh and ickily enjoyable”.
What comes next
Gunn and Peter Safran took charge of DC Studios in late 2022 and relaunched the franchise as the DCU, with “Superman” in 2025 serving as its first feature film. Gunn’s next film, “Superman: Man of Tomorrow”, is scheduled to reach cinemas on July 9, 2027.
His comments echo a long-running debate among superhero fans over whether shared universes should prioritise self-contained films or build steadily towards large team-up events.
Variety shared the story on X. The full report is available on Variety.
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