James Gunn Making A Superman Movie Was Possible Before Suicide Squad
James Gunn almost made a new Superman movie in the DC Extended Universe before deciding to do The Suicide Squad. The former indie director joined the DCEU in 2018, several months after it was announced he was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Although Disney and Marvel have since reversed that decision, the freedom given to Gunn allowed him to talk to Warner Bros. and DC about making a superhero movie for them.
Gunn was given the option to choose just about any project that interested him, and we now know that tackling a new Suicide Squad film is what he settled on. The first movie, directed by David Ayer, was a big box office success but received mostly negative reviews. The Suicide Squad is neither a sequel nor a reboot according to Gunn, but it will feature some characters from the original film and introduce new ones. The director has been quite open about the freedom DC has given him, even giving him complete say in which characters will die. However, Suicide Squad 2 wasn't the only DC movie Gunn considered making.
The Suicide Squad is currently receiving an early marketing push through the release of new images and quotes from Gunn. In the latest interview released by Empire, they talked to Gunn about the process of joining DC. This included Gunn sharing how he told his friends at Marvel Studios, including Kevin Feige, about his new project. Feige originally asked Gunn if he was directing a new Superman, and even though that isn't what he chose, the director did confirm to Empire that a film about the Kryptonian hero "was a possibility."
Back when Gunn was announced to direct The Suicide Squad, trade reports said that Superman was one of the other projects discussed with the studios. He has now confirmed that Superman was on the table. It isn't known if Gunn would've been able to completely reboot the character or if a new Superman movie would involve Henry Cavill returning as Clark Kent. Unfortunately for Superman fans, Gunn's decision to not direct a movie has left the project in the cold. There have not been any updates on when a new Superman solo movie will be made, with a Supergirl film being discussed more frequently instead.
Gunn might have decided against directing Superman, but it is fascinating to think about what a Superman solo film written and directed by him would look like. If his approach to The Suicide Squad is any indication, it is possible Gunn would've used the film to soft reboot the character. He's bringing back Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang (among others) for The Suicide Squad, so Gunn could've kept the cast assembled by Zack Snyder potentially. Unless Gunn decides to eventually make a Superman movie for DC, we will likely never know what he would've done.
Source: Empire